|
News of the Red Deer Region
snippets and
summaries of news from local resources including media, press releases
and personal knowledge
November 2011 Part 2
Nov. 30, 2011
Access Prosperity
Launches New Project
Central Alberta: Access Prosperity, a consortium of regional
municipalities and organizations including the City of Red Deer, Red
Deer County, Red Deer Chamber of Commerce, Red Deer College and Central
Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP), has launched its Turning the Keys
on Opportunity project which was developed to enhance business retention
and growth through expansion into the global marketplace, and to
diversify and increase foreign direct investment in the region. The new
project has a budget of $2 million, $1.2 million of which was provided
by the Rural Alberta Development Fund. The funds are being used to set
up staff, resources and trips to various trade shows around the world as
well as the development of a new interactive website.
Nov. 29, 2011
Freightliner Dealership Expansion Well
Under Way
Freightliner of Red Deer, a full-service truck dealership that mostly
serves the energy sector in the region, is currently constructing a
10,000 sq. ft. expansion that will double the business's shop space with
7 more bays, each of which will be almost twice the size of the current
bays. The number of employees is also expected to increase from the
current level of 50. The current facility was built in 1999 but the
dealership has been in the city for more than 20 years.
Downtown Association Continues
Facade
Program
The Red Deer Downtown Business Association has decided to continue its
Facade and Shopfront Improvement Program through 2012 in which up to
$5000 is provided to business owners for enhancement of their building
exteriors.
Lacombe County Helps Fund Alix
Playgrounds
Lacombe County is providing $45,000 toward the $421,500 project to
install new playground structures at Alix Mac School and Alix Lake
Recreation Centre. Other funding will come from the village, donations,
fundraising events, provincial grants and in-kind work.
Nov. 28, 2011
Good Crowds for 18th Festival of Trees
Red Deer's 18th annual Festival of Trees, complete with some new events,
wrapped up yesterday with good crowds. The popular festival is a
fundraiser for the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation which raised
$875,000 last year. This year's amount, as well as attendance numbers,
will be revealed in mid-December. The proceeds will be used to upgrade
equipment and technology for minimally invasive surgery at the Red Deer
Regional Hospital Centre. About 2,000 volunteers made this year's event
successful.
City Gets Feedback on
Recreational
Facilities Plans
A public open house on the weekend hosted by the City of Red Deer
provided residents with the opportunity to review and comment on plans
for new recreational facilities including a spray park, skateboard park,
and upgrades to Great Chief Park. The public gave the greatest support
for locating a new skateboard park as well as a spray park in the north
part of the city. City council is expected to make a decision about
their locations in mid-December. Enhancements over the next 10 years to
Great Chief Park, a major sports and festival site, could include the
relocation of the speed skating oval from downtown to the site,
additional parking, more trails, new concession area, larger change
rooms and possibly a beer garden.
Nov. 26, 2011
Sports Tourism
Encouraged for City
In order to attract more non-Albertans to the city, the CEO of Travel
Alberta is suggesting that Red Deer brands itself as the Sports Capital
of Alberta due to the city's location and its ability to host many
sporting events, as well as having the necessary infrastructure,
accommodation and services. In 2009, Central Alberta attracted more than
6 million visitors of which 5.5 million were from other parts of
Alberta. Visitors from Alberta spent an average $108 per day while
non-Albertans spent an average $360 per day.
Nov. 25, 2011
Red Deer Passes 2012 $95 Million Capital
Budget
Red Deer city council has adopted a capital budget of $94.8 million on
projects for 2012 compared to about $86 million last year. Major
projects include upgrades to Taylor Drive at Alexander Way, completion
of Little Gaetz Ave. downtown and along 32 Street from 40 Avenue to
Spruce Drive. Other large projects for next year include expansion of
the waste management facility, a spray park in the north part of the
city, a new library outlet in a school on the east side of the city, new
equipment for snow removal and transit, expansion and replacement of
city vehicles, downtown street furniture, street paving and expansion of
the curling centre. The reconfiguration of Taylor Drive and Ross Street,
although part of the 2012 budget is a multi-year project with most of
the funding being spent in 2013 and 2014. Most of the funding comes from
grants, reserves and loans. The operating budget will be discussed in
January.
Office Development Started in Sylvan Lake
A 2-storey, 16,000 sq. ft. office building is under construction in
Sylvan Lake's Beju Industrial Park north of the new Canadian Tire Store.
Up to eight units will be accommodated on the first floor and four on
the second. It is expected that the building will be ready for occupancy
by mid-2012.
Nov. 24, 2011
Rocky Airshow Postponed to 2013
The Rocky Mountain House Airshow,
originally scheduled for 2012, has been postponed to 2013 because some
of the more popular attractions, including the Snowbirds and the CF-18
demonstration fighter jet, are not available next year. The show has now
been scheduled for July 24, 2013. Since it was first held in 1999, the
airshow, usually held every second year, has steadily grown with crowds
as large as 7,000.
Nov. 22, 2011
Robco Cabinets Ceases Operations
After 32 years in business with much of its business south of the
border, Robco Cabinets, also operating as Robco Kitchens, has ceased
operations in Gasoline Alley south of Red Deer in large part due to the
stagnant U.S. economy, the high Canadian dollar and difficulties with
cross-border trade. The company started in 1979 and moved from west of
downtown Red Deer to a new 69,000 sq. ft. shop in Gasoline Alley in
2009. The company had about 45 employees.
Well-Known Former City
Restaurant Reborn
The premises occupied by the well-known Houlihans Classic Restaurant
that closed some months ago in north Red Deer has been expanded,
refurbished and reopened as the Phoenix Buffet featuring Canadian and
Chinese cuisine. The new restaurant is also occupying space that had
been the Red Deer Book Exchange giving the establishment 7,500 sq. ft.
that can seat 250 compared to the 170 that was available at the previous
restaurant that opened in the late 1970s.
Nov. 21, 2011
Hotel to Convert to Affordable
Seniors Housing
The Coronation Inn, previously operated as the Stanford Inn, Court House
Inn and the Granada Inn, in east downtown Red
Deer on Ross Street has been issued a federal/provincial $3.3 million
grant to convert the 4-storey hotel into affordable housing for seniors
over 55 with low to moderate incomes, estimated to represent two-thirds
of seniors in the city. Three suites will be two-bedroom and 30
one-bedroom. Five of the units will be wheelchair-accessible. The ground
floor will be leased for commercial uses. Construction is expected to
start in February 2012 and be completed a year later. As part of the
project, the tunnel connecting Ross Street to the parking lot will be
eliminated and new windows and furnace will be installed. Once
completed, the building will be renamed Coronation Centre apartments.
Nov. 19, 2011
Bowden Refinery
Retrofitted for Storage
Red Deer-based Parkland Fuel Corp. is working on several major
improvements worth $21 million to its Bowden refinery plant on the west
side of Highway 2 in order to make the facility better suited for fuel
storage. Most of the upgrade is the installation of a rail siding
connecting to the Canadian Pacific Railway nearby and related equipment
so that fuel can be brought in by train, much of it from Edmonton
refineries, and then shipped out by truck when needed. Storage capacity
at the plant is 200,000 barrels. The track work is essentially complete
and the remainder of the equipment will be installed and ready by
mid-2012. Built in 1962 by White Rose and taken over by Shell the same
year, the Bowden refinery was acquired by Parkland in 1987, ceased
refining in 2001 and retrofitted for other uses in 2007. In 1998 there
had been discussions with the Blood Tribe for a sale but it fell
through. The landmark is well known for its row of colourful flags.
Old Innisfail Library Closes, New One Opens Soon
The Mary Morton Public Library, built in 1985 and named after
Innisfail's first full-time librarian, has closed to make way for $1.8
million in renovations to convert the space to a new fire hall but the
new town library isn't expected to open until January, well behind the
original schedule, leaving readers a two-month gap in service. The new
$8.5 million gathering centre on the northwest side of Innisfail will
house the new library, seniors centre, meeting rooms and other
amenities. In the meantime, staff will go through several aspects of
professional development including computer training and updates about
privacy, freedom of information and copyright laws. The library's
policies and procedures manual will also be updated. Prior to the move
to the current building, the library had operated for many years out of
the fire hall.
Jack Donald Honoured by Junior Achievement
Long-time Red Deer entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jack Donald, was
honoured yesterday by the Central Alberta branch of Junior Achievement
in recognition of Donald's recent induction into Calgary's Business Hall
of Fame, established in 2003 by Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta.
Jack and Joan Donald started Parkland Fuel Corp. in 1977 and developed
it into a major Canada-wide fuel distributor and retailer with brands
that include FasGas. The company also was an innovator with the first
self-serve gas station and first key-lock gas pump in Alberta.
JA Announces Servus Donation, Company
Program
Junior Achievement Central Alberta branch has announced that Notre Dame
High School in Red Deer will incorporate JA's Company Program which
guides students to develop their own business, as part of the school's
Enterprise and Innovation 10 class. In addition, Servus Credit Union has
pledged $125,000 for JA's delivery of Dollars With Sense program for
junior high school students throughout the province. All of the programs
provided in schools by Junior Achievement are done by volunteers, mostly
from the business community.
Lacombe Airport Embarks on Improvements
The Lacombe Flying Club is embarking on a major upgrade of its
facilities that will include the replacement of a 40-year-old terminal
building expected to cost $150,000 to $225,000 and the paving of an
apron costing $90,000. There are 36 privately-owned hangars at the
airport used mostly for recreational flying. The club is requesting
funding from the City of Lacombe, Lacombe County and the provincial
government.
Nov. 18, 2011
Urgent Care Centre Needed at Sylvan Lake
The Town of Sylvan Lake, with the support of the counties of Red Deer
and Lacombe, the towns of Eckville and Bentley, and five summer villages
around the lake, is maintaining pressure on the provincial government to
approve an urgent care centre in the growing community of over 11,000
people. The resort town also attracts a million visitors per year. The
facility would provide 24-hour non-life-threatening medical care.
Nov. 17, 2011
Interest in Local Industrial Land Growing
Local land developers are noting an increased interest in industrial
land, especially from the energy industry, around Red Deer for the first
time since the economic downturn significantly slowed demand in 2008.
Site development has resumed in both the McKenzie and Clearview
industrial business parks immediately south of the city. Meanwhile,
interest in the newly-serviced city-owned Queens Business Park on the
west side of the city has also increased with construction expected to
get underway in 2012.
Heliport Consulting Service Sets Up at Airport
GroundEffect Aerodrome Consulting Ltd. has set up a heliport design and
consulting service at the Red Deer Airport to provide services to hospitals,
law enforcement agencies, private and commercial operations,
helicopter companies, airport commissions and municipalities. Working
together since May, partners David Brown and Keith Walker believe they
have completed more helicopter projects in Western Canada over the past
several years than any one else.
Chamber Survey Indicates Business Optimism
A recent survey by the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce indicates that,
although most businesses are still recovering from the economic downturn
of the past few years, 67% of the 125 businesses surveyed anticipate
moderate to significant growth over the next few years. As recent as the
spring of 2010, two-thirds of businesses indicated they were
experiencing moderate to significant losses as a result of the faltering
economy. Many businesses are still concerned about the potential impact
of economic challenges in the U.S. and Europe.
Nov. 16, 2011
New Red Deer to Kelowna Flights Postponed
Northwestern
Air Lease planned to inaugurate passenger air service between Red Deer
and Kelowna starting November 18 but the plan has been postponed to
early next year due to concerns from Transport Canada which has
requested further information before approving the service. The concerns
are related to flying into a mountain community using Jetstream 32
aircraft. Northwestern believed it had met all the requirements and the
last-minute request by Transport Canada came as a surprise. The aircraft
are already at the airport and will be used for charter service until
the scheduled service is approved.
Sundre to Get Best Western Hotel
Totem Golf Ltd., owner of Sundre Golf Course, is building the 80-unit
Best Western Mountain View Inn & Suites, Sundre's first
nationally-branded hotel. The facility, expected to open next fall, will
offer a pool, fitness area and conference room that will accommodate
30-40 people.
Top of page
|
