PERFECTION PAWS-ITIVE WORKOUT
Hernandez pitches perfect game against Tampa Bay B4
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CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, AUG. 16, 2012
Lake toxins a health issue BY JESSICA JONES ADVOCATE STAFF Toxins produced by blue-green algae blooms in lakes, including the region’s own Pine Lake, have potential implications for human health, a national study revealed. A study published by 16 scientists in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science on Tuesday surveyed more than 250 lakes across the country. The researchers found the highest concentrations of potent liver toxins, known as microcystins, were found in many of Alberta’s lakes. Diane Orihel, lead author of the study and PhD candidate with University of Alberta’s Department of Bio-
logical Sciences, said all of the water samples that were collected from Pine Lake — a popular spot among swimmers, boaters and water-skiiers about 44 km southeast of Red Deer — had detectable concentrations of microcystins. Believed to cause cancer in humans, microcystins are produced by bluegreen algae. Algae growth is dependent on the availability of nitrogen and phosphorous. “The data we have for Pine Lake is that often the (microcystins) levels are low and not a concern but when you have an accumulation of the algae blooms along the shoreline you can get situations where you have concentrations above drinking water guidelines,” Orihel said.
“A big concern is also with pets, if they drink at the shoreline and get a potent dose.” Orihel said the link between pollutants, such as sewage, runoff and fertilizers, and algae blooms is widely known. However, what scientists recently found is that high doses of microcystins can cause liver hemorrhages and, possibly, cancer. “Especially in Alberta, drinking the water or having recreational contact with the water of some of the lakes can be a concern at high enough doses,” Orihel said. She says they have also learned that concentrations of the toxins peak in lakes where natural wetlands and vegetation have been removed from the
shoreline. “When we take out the vegetation we are stopping the last line of defence for the lake,” she said. In Alberta about 45 lakes were surveyed in the study. Sturgeon, Haig and George lakes were among the lakes with the highest amount of microcystins. Microcystins were also found in Blackfalds Lake, a small lake located east of the town but not normally used for recreational purposes. The information is a reminder that more needs to be done to understand the links between algae and microcystins, Orihel said.
Please see TOXINS on Page A2
‘The Long Road’ to the screen RED DEER ACTOR SHOWING DIRECTORIAL DEBUT AT CALIFORNIA FILM FESTIVAL BY BRENDA KOSSOWAN ADVOCATE STAFF Such familiar icons as pickup trucks, power lines and a prairie kitchen set a comfortable backdrop for a film that lays open some very uncomfortable realities. Red Deer actor Lori Ravensborg, a part-time instructor at Red Deer College, makes her debut as a director with her 28-minute film The Long Road, being screened on Saturday at the Oceanside Film Festival in Oceanside, Calif. People in cities or on islands in the ocean may not be able to identify with the landscape, but they will be able to identify with the emotional challenges facing an Alberta family, the father and his adult children as they deal with the death of his wife of 41 years, Ravensborg said. Raised in Brooks and educated at Red Deer College, Neighbourhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York and Charles Sturt University in Australia, Ravensborg wrote, produced and directed the film, and also wrote and sang background music.
Contributed photos
Red Deer actor Lori Ravensborg (middle), wrote, produced and directed the 28-minute short film ‘The Long Road’ for her thesis at Charles Sturt University in Australia. She also wrote and sang the background music for the film, which she’ll screen this Saturday at the Oceanside Film Festival in Oceanside, Calif.
Please see FILM on Page A2
Profound grief expressed at meeting into mall collapse BY COLIN PERKEL THE CANADIAN PRESS
ELLIOT LAKE
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. — Residents of this northern Ontario community stood at microphones Wednesday to express frustration, anger, and above all the profound sense of loss caused by the collapse of the town’s mall. The lingering grief was palpable at an informal public meeting of the judicial inquiry they hope will explain why the tragedy struck them almost two months ago. As Commissioner Paul Belanger listened, several residents spoke as if the family home had burned down. “The emotional impact is going to be long-term for many people in this community,” said long-time resident Fran Perkins, who was in the mall on June 23. Speakers noted just how central the
‘IT’S HARDER NOW THAN WHAT IT WAS WHEN THEY TOOK HER BODY OUT ON THE 27TH OF JUNE. IT’S SETTING IN THAT SHE’S NOT COMING BACK HOME.’
PLEASE RECYCLE
— GARY GENDRON ELLIOT LAKE RESIDENT
mall was to their daily lives — as both a shopping destination but also a favoured place to meet, exchange chat, share a coffee, or catch up with the world at the library. The partial collapse of the rooftop garage not only killed two people, it also destroyed 60 per cent of the town’s retail space, including several lowercost stores. Some residents noted that scores of younger people had lost their jobs, while others talked about the difficulty
WEATHER
INDEX
Sunny. High 23. Low 5.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2,C3 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C6 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C7 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B6
FORECAST ON A2
“This distinction can be frustrating for members of the public who want to see the perceived wrongdoers penalized,” Belanger said. “Punishment or penalty may follow but not as part of the public inquiry itself.” Belanger also expressed his condolences to the community, saying the tragedy “shook all Ontarians and all Canadians.” For Gary Gendron, whose fiancee Lucie Aylwin, 37, died in the rubble, the loss has only become more acute. “It’s harder now than what it was when they took her body out on the 27th of June,” Gendron said after the meeting. “It’s setting in that she’s not coming back home.” Gendron was to meet privately with Belanger, as were relatives of the other victim, Doloris Perizzolo, 74.
and expense of getting to surrounding communities to buy everyday items such as socks or underwear. Formal hearings are expected to begin early next year as the commission seeks to find out why Algo Centre Mall collapsed and the emergency response, and to make recommendations aimed at preventing a recurrence. In his opening remarks, Belanger said the inquiry’s task is to find out what happened, but not to assign blame.
Please see MALL on Page A2
ALBERTA
BUSINESS
PIPELINE WON’T DISRUPT GARDEN
CANADA, GERMANY TALK
Plains Midstream Canada has backed off its plans to start construction of a pipeline that would have destroyed a summer’s worth of work by some community gardeners. A3
As Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicked off their visit Wednesday, a major German warshipbuilder and a leading Canadian defence contractor were among 10 companies poised for talks of their own. C2