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News of the Red Deer Region
snippets and
summaries of news from local resources including media, press releases
and personal knowledge
November 2011 Part
1
Nov. 14, 2011
Agri-Trade Has Biggest Attendance Ever
This year's Agri-Trade show at Westerner Park is the biggest show in its
28 years with attendance increasing by around 2,000 people over last
year's event. It attracted 530 exhibitors filling the entire grounds
inside and out. It is estimated the 4-day event attracts $12-$15 million
in tourism for the Red Deer area. The event is often described as the
gathering place for the farming community and includes product displays
and information about changes in the industry attracting vendors from
all over Western Canada as well as the U.S.
Feedback Sought for New Penhold High School
Chinook's Edge School Division is still looking for feedback on the
design of a new regional high school to be built next to the Penhold
Regional Multiplex by 2014. A forum held recently drew about 100 students, parents and
residents to discuss how the 500-student, 4,000 square metre, Grade 7-12
facility will function and what it will need. The school division is considering the concept of phasing in
the higher grades over a few years. The school will be built as a P3
partnership in which a company will build and maintain the facility for
30 years.
Nov. 11, 2011
Blackfalds Fieldhouse Expected by 2014
The Town of Blackfalds has made a presentation to Lacombe County hoping
to get support in the form of $3 million for a $15 million field house
and outdoor pool complex that is estimated to be completed in 2014. The
facility would include space for a wide variety of indoor sports from
floor hockey and basketball to soccer, lacrosse and tennis. Included in
the project is a fitness centre, indoor playground, administration and
community space and third-floor jogging track. A small section of the
Trans Canada Trail will go through the building. Design work will be
completed in mid-2012 with construction expected to commence later in
the year. The Town has contributed $3 million for land as well as
servicing and will borrow $6 million. The remainder of the cost will
come from community organizations, corporate donations and government
grants including the Town's portion of Municipal Sustainability
Initiative funding.
Nov. 10, 2011
Sylvan Lake Marina Concept Under Scrutiny
A $16.5 million project along the town's waterfront to expand the Sylvan
Lake Marina from 180 slips to 205, build three 4-storey condominium
buildings that would contain 55 suites and ground-floor retail space in
one of the buildings and provide 153 parking spaces, has raised some
concerns at Lacombe County. The proposal was submitted by the town to
the county for comment as both municipalities are on the Sylvan Lake
Management Committee, as are five summer villages around the lake.
Although the County likes the project, it would like to see more
environmental and storm management studies done as well as a clear open
spaces plan around the project. Approval has already been obtained from
Alberta Environment. The developers hope to start the project in the
spring of 2012 but no subdivision has so far been applied for from the
town.
Russian Farmers
Impressed With Agri-Trade
A delegation of four Russians, three of whom own farms, visited Agri-Trade
at Westerner Park in Red Deer this week as part of a trip to Alberta.
The visitors were impressed with the size of the trade show and the
broad range of agricultural equipment and products as well as the newest
in farm technology and innovation. Both the delegation and officials
with Agri-Trade and 'Central Alberta: Access Prosperity' (a regional
economic partnership seeking to attract foreign investment to the area)
agreed that there are significant opportunities for the Canadian
agricultural industry to benefit from the modernization of Russian
agriculture.
Nov. 9, 2011
Local
Chamber Credited With CWB
Reform
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz met with Red Deer Chamber of
Commerce directors and policy committee members recently and credited
the local business association for pushing for Canada Wheat Board (CWB)
reform. A policy resolution of the local group advocating for market
freedom for western farmers was adopted by both the Alberta and Canadian
Chamber associations and forwarded to the federal government.
October Housing Starts Up Over Year Ago
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHA) reports that there were 45
housing starts in Red Deer during October, an increase of 36% over the
33 starts in the same month in 2010. Year to date, residential starts
stood at 479 compared to 502 for the same 10-month period a year ago.
Nov. 7, 2011
Corridor Groundwater Atlas to be Released
Staff at Alberta Environment and Water and the Alberta Geological Survey
will release this week an atlas of groundwater systems through the
Edmonton-Calgary corridor that will show water quality characteristics,
aquifers, water tables, flow directions, precipitation, recharge areas
and discharge information. The $8 million project took about three years
to complete and will be available at no charge.
Nov. 5, 2011
City
Housing Starts Expected to be Higher in 2012
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) in its quarterly report expects
that total housing starts in Red Deer to number 560 in 2011 compared to
585 in 2010. Although single detached homes are likely to decrease 12%
from 353 to 310, multi family units are likely to increase 8% from 232
to 250. The new numbers are higher than the 505 total starts projected
in August. For 2012, the agency predicts 625 starts consisting of 340
single detached and 285 multi family. A growing economy, job creation,
rising incomes and new households are expected to factor in the
anticipated increase. CMHC also predicts a 9% increase in resale homes
this year with average prices slightly higher over 2010 at $270,000. An
increase in both sales of existing homes and average prices is expected
in 2012.
Nov. 3, 2011
Red
Deer Airport Rebrands Itself
The Red Deer Regional Airport Authority has announced a new branding
that drops the word 'regional' from the airport name. A new Red Deer
Airport logo with the slogan "going places. together" accompanies the
change. The shorter name reflects the
location rather than its operations. Built during the Second World War
to train pilots, the airport continued to be an air force training
facility until 1965. The City of Red Deer operated it as the Red Deer
Industrial Airport until 1999 at which time a partnership between the
city, Red Deer County and the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce formed the
Red Deer Regional Airport Authority.
City October Building Permits Up From 2010
Red Deer issued $15.3 million in building permits in October, up from
$9.5 million issued in the same month in 2010. The tally included $4.6
million in industrial work compared to only $334,000 last year. Two
major projects accounted for this year's increase, a $2.5 million
shop/office building for a pipeline company in Burnt Lake Business Park
and $1.3 million expansion of the milk delivery bay and new shipping
terminal at the Saputo plant downtown. Residential permits accounted for
$6.1 million compared to $5.4 million last October and commercial
permits accounted for $3.5 million compared to $3.6 million last year.
Public permits represented $1 million.
Nov. 2, 2011
Expansion Announced at Alix
Malt Plant
The Rahr malting plant at Alix has announced a major $6 million
expansion that will triple its barley storage capacity with an
800,000-bushel addition. Although the addition will not change the
plant's output, expansion of production is being considered for the
future. Current production capacity is 180,000 tonnes of malt per year
with barley feedstock received from Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers.
Federal officials credit the expansion a result of upcoming changes to
the Canadian Wheat Board which will provide farmers with greater
marketing freedom which in turn attracts investment and jobs. The plant,
owned by Minnesota-based Rahr Malting Co., opened in 1993.
Concern Expressed About
Drilling at
Historic Site
Parks Canada is evaluating a proposal to expand natural gas operations
at the 233-hectare Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site where
five fur trading forts once stood. An area historian, Pat McDonald, is
raising concerns that the drilling will disturb Cree, Blackfoot, Metis
and fur trader graves scattered throughout the park site. In 1865,
missionary Thomas Woolsey described the area as the 'City of the Dead'
and the largest graveyard he had ever seen. Devon Canada, which has
operated at the site for four decades and before it was purchased by
Parks Canada, has indicated that more drilling is necessary to keep up
production for their plant. The company also indicated that two
archeologists will be present during horizontal drilling and the
underground pipeline will be at a bedrock depth of 24 metres, well below
any burial sites.
Former Travelaire Site Rezoned Commercial
Red Deer city council has approved the rezoning of the 7.4 acre former
Travelaire recreational vehicle manufacturing site along 67 Street from
industrial to commercial uses. Details for the development of the site
have yet to be determined but will likely be used for some form of major
arterial business.
Greyhound Announces Express Bus Service
Greyhound has announced that it is bringing its Express Service to
Alberta later this month with stops only at Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer
and Fort McMurray. The new buses will have free wi-fi, power outlets,
leather seats and expanded leg room. Greyhound's existing schedule at
Red Deer will not be impacted by the new service.
Clive Arena, Bentley Library Get County
Funds
Lacombe County has approved a grant of $116,666 to the Clive Athletic
and Agricultural Society for a major $350,000 upgrade to the village's
arena that includes a $200,000 ice plant replacement. The concession and
storage areas will be expanded and the building will be made wheelchair
accessible. The County also approved a grant of $25,000 to the Bentley
Library for a $95,000 upgrade to the facility that includes wheelchair
accessibility to the building and washrooms. Built in the 1950s as a
creamery, the building later became a steam bath, school/church and
various retail businesses before being converted into the town's library
in 1992.
Real Estate Activity Better Than Year Ago
The Central Alberta Realtors Association reports that 127 homes were
sold in Red Deer through the MLS system in October, up 67% from the 76
deals recorded a year earlier. In the outlying area, 175 homes were
sold, up 28% from a year earlier. The average selling price in the city
was $300,660 last month, down from $304,619 in October 2010, and
$260,141 in outlying areas, up from $242,821 a year earlier. Year to
date, sales are up about 15% in the city and up about 27% in outlying
areas.
Nov. 1, 2011
Gull Lake
Stabilization Deal Near
Ponoka County council has agreed to provide 40% of the power costs for
pumping water from the Blindman River to Gull Lake during dry periods.
In the deal, Lacombe County would also contribute 40% with the Summer
Villages of Gull Lake and Parkland Beach providing the balance. An
association has to be formed before the deal can be closed. Alberta
Environment and Water has agreed to fund maintenance and capital costs
of the stabilization project but announced in 2009 that it would no
longer cover the electricity costs. The 80 square kilometre (31 sq. mi.)
shallow lake is only replenished by springs and rainfall with no natural
input from a river or creek so levels can fluctuate dramatically from
year to year. The program began in 1977, after several years of
declining levels, to increase the water level in summer months when the
lake drops below a certain level but only when the Blindman River is
high enough to provide water. Several developments have been approved
around the lake.
Model Train Show Draws Over 1,000
The second annual Red Deer Model Train & Hobby Show was held on the
weekend with over 1,000 people attending. There were several model
railroad displays in several scales as well as slot cars, Lego displays,
miniature farm equipment, historic societies, a wide range of plastic
models, vendors and demonstrations. Highlights included an in-progress
working model of CNR steam locomotive 6060 in 7.5 gauge (1/8 scale) and
a large HO scale (1:87) modular 'Free-mo' layout.
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