Serving the Heart of Central Alberta for 105 years
VOLUME ONE HUNDRED SIX
PM40011853 R08546
NUMBER THIRTY-ONE
STETTLER, ALBERTA
August 1, 2012
PRICE – $1.09 Plus GST
Communities in Bloom judges give Stettler a green thumbs-up RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter With the sun shining brightly and Stettler striving to capture its first Communities in Bloom title at an international level, the town was in the spotlight when the judges visited Monday. “One thing that comes clear during the tour is that so many people care and take great strides to make their homes and the community better,” said Rob Spencer, who chairs the Heartland Beautification Committee. Lorna McIlroy and Diana Weiner gave the town rave reviews for its beautiful and appealing appearance. “We had a wonderful day and saw all the results of all the hard work,” said McIlroy, a Grande Prairie resident who has judged Stettler in previous years. “You have a lot to be proud of. The community gardens looks very good and the parks department is doing a great job — and we enjoy the landscape.” McIlroy said she also valued the opportunity to meet many local residents and people who return to Stettler because it’s “a good place to live.” “You can see the progress every year and it gets better and better,” said Weiner, who travelled from Pennsylvania. Arriving in Stettler, she was immediately attracted to the modern office building that houses the Town of Stettler and Clearview School Division administration. “I was really impressed with the new town building,”
RICHARD FROESE/Independent reporter
Stettler bed-and-breakfast owners Dave and Barbara-Lynn Goodwin describe their gardens and house to Communities in Bloom judges Lorna McIlroy and Diana Weiner, along with Heartland Beautification Committee chairman Rob Spencer, during Monday’s tour of the town.
Weiner said. “And the landscape downtown is beautiful and progressive.” As an agronomist, she was happy to see how the town is able to use the best soils to maximize the beauty of parks and landscapes. Stettler representatives remain optimistic the town can compete with other communities outside of Canada. “We will receive our evaluation results in midOctober and are confident that we’ll keep our fivebloom status, and we hope
to be successful against our international competition,” Spencer said. “We are confident that we have done a good job representing the great aspects of life in Stettler and look forward to continuing to move forward on future initiatives.” The winners will be announced in Edmonton at the National Awards and Symposium, which is set for Oct. 10 to 13. Stettler was a national champion last year. All of the varied
communities are judged for tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape, turf and groundcovers, floral displays and community involvement. Judges provided valuable comments during the tour, Spencer said after the daylong visit. “We were able to show them all of the great projects and initiatives that have been launched in the past year or so,” he said. “We showed them what the town council and staff,
the beautification committee and subcommittees have been working on, as well as all of the effort and energy that has been put in by community residents. “The town looks great.” Stettler has been challenged by the Alberta communities of Forestburg and Gibbons, as well as Trail, B.C.; Assiniboia, Sask.; Neepawa and Killarney-Turtle Mountain, Man.; Fogo, N.L.; Aya Town, Japan; Smrzice, Czech Republic; and St. Martin’s Parish, Guernsey,
Channel Island, British Isles. The local committee announced Hans Cluver as this year’s Stettler beautification champion, though he was unable to receive the award at the judges’ dinner Monday. He was recognized for his special “above and beyond,” behind-the-scenes efforts “to help make Stettler a more beautiful place, by growing things in his neighbourhood and helping a lot around the community gardens.”
‘Home-cooking’ back on the front burner Some current meals locally ‘not as good as TV dinners,’ says Stettler senior RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter With reports of poorquality food in the longterm-care facility at the Stettler hospital, residents are happy to hear that home-cooked meals are slated to come back this winter, with enhanced food services. “Everybody is so happy about it — that we’ll have home-cooked meals,” said Jim Ellwood, a resident of Heritage House. “It hasn’t been that good for the last two years. We are going to be pleased to get some good food.” After hearing concerns from Stettler and other communities in the province, Health Minister Fred Horne last week ordered Alberta Health Services to end the practice of preparing meals off-site. He stipulated a return to home-cooked meals made on-site to provide fresher food that better meets residents’ dietary needs and preferences.
“Alberta Health Services is complementing its longterm-care centre menus as part of a larger initiative called Closer to Home, which will expand in the fall with on-site preparation of food in the centres, and more choices for residents, allowing them to enjoy more local favourites, familiar foods and specialties,” said Heather Kipling, communications advisor for Alberta Health. Local residents in Heritage House and their families are invited to express their food preferences for the facility. “We are talking to residents and their families — local community residents about the food we serve, what’s most important to them, and what menu items we could introduce again,” reads the Closer to Home information sheet. As part of the program, families and local residents would be invited to testtaste the food and volunteers would be encouraged to serve in the “Golden Soup” program. As part of that program, they would be trained to assist nursing staff during mealtimes and “help provide a safe, comfortable and supportive environment which
RICHARD FROESE/Independent reporter
Fresh foods like the vegetables on display at the Stettler Farmers’ Market on Tuesday are projected to be on the menu for Alberta seniors’ residences, after an edict last week from Health Minister Fred Horne. Recent reports had highlighted substandard meals being served at such homes, including the long-term-care facility at the Stettler hospital.
ensures nourishment and a fun new social connection with residents on-site.” The health minister, Horne, said he’s eager to respond to concerns from residents and their families. “We’ve heard what residents and their families have said about the quality of food in our long-termcare facilities and, today, we are taking action to
improve that,” he said last week. “They deserve to live in comfort and dignity and enjoy food that is not only nutritious, but looks and tastes home-cooked and satisfies cultural food preferences.” Alberta Health will be required to prepare meals within provincial facilities that improve the taste and appearance over the food
currently served, while at the same time designing meals “that better reflect flexibility and choice for residents.” Alberta Health plans to consult with residents, families and staff to develop and present a plan of action to Horne by October, with full implementation of on-site and locally based meal preparation planned by December. Ellwood said the current Stettler meals taste more like TV dinners. “Some of them are not as good as TV dinners,” he said. Since the food has been prepared off-site, the meals have been less appetizing, he said. “The roast is so dry and tasteless, it has no aroma,” said Ellwood, a resident in the facility for about six years. “Some of the meat has so much coating, there’s hardly any meat. Vegetables are way overcooked — they’re kind of like mush.” A retired Calgary rancher, Grant Fawcett, has offered to pay for carrots and potatoes for the longterm-care homes. His plan for the Stettler facility was to provide fresh vegetables
from a Hutterite Colony in Byemoor. T h a t o ff e r, h ow ever, was turned down by Alberta Health, Fawcett said Tuesday. “They say they can’t use food that isn’t provincially inspected,” he said. “They should be glad they’re getting free food. “What’s happening is disgusting. People are eating unpalatable food.” Concerns came to the forefront in June when a Calgary Herald report highlighted an Alberta Union of Public Employees video called “Hard to Swallow.” Herald food writer and restaurant critic John Gilchrist sampled a meal at the Stettler Hospital and Care Centre. “ T h e g r av y i s j u s t glue — the potatoes are obscene,” Gilchrist said. The dinner he sampled “reminded me of the TV dinners of the early 1960s, with the watery potatoes and the glossy gravy that came from no place natural, and the meats that really have no texture or taste,” he reported. “I’ve eaten a lot of bad food in a lot of dodgy situations. This is the worst food I’ve had in years, Absolutely dreadful.”
Readers can also find the Stettler Independent at stettlerindependent.com