REBELS CAMP
CANADA REMEMBERS
rookies to start thiss weekend B6
Nation marks first anniversary of Jack Layton’s death A5, B1
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, AUG. 23, 2012
Olsen granted full parole MAN WHO ORPHANED FIVE CHILDREN MUST ABIDE BY TWO SPECIAL CONDITIONS ‘MAYBE SOMETHING GOOD WILL COME OUT OF HIS IRRESPONSIBLE, SELFISH, ARROGANT BEHAVIOUR, AND IF HIS ATTITUDE HAS CHANGED, THAT’S GOOD.’
BY LAURA TESTER ADVOCATE STAFF A drunk driver who killed the Red Deer parents of five children in February 2010 was granted full parole on Wednesday. Chad Mitchell Olsen, 25, formerly of Sedalia, was granted full parole after a 90-minute Parole Board of Canada hearing was held at the downtown Red Deer parole office. He was granted day parole last December after serving a seven-month term in federal prison for the deaths of Brad and Krista Howe, both in their mid 30s, early on Feb. 7, 2010. The two-member parole board panel ruled that Olsen, who has been living at a halfway house in Red Deer, did not pose undue risk to the public. Full parole would help him ease back into full integration with society as well. The parole board issued two special conditions — that he abstain from alcohol and that he attend psychological counselling, which he had been doing until recently.
Sandra Green
Chad Olsen
A parole officer will continue to monitor Olsen until his sentence formally ends on Oct. 26, 2014. Outside the parole board office, Sandra Green, the mother of Krista Howe, said she anticipated Olsen would receive full parole. “I am not mad at him, but angry at the legal system,” said Green. Near the end of the hearing, Olsen wiped tears from his eyes as he said sorry to Sandra Green “for all the suffering that I have caused her and her
family.” Green said that Olsen shed tears during his sentencing, so seeing that kind of emotion was nothing new to her. If Olsen was earnest and sincere in speaking about his commitments to give back to the community, including plans to talk to high school students about the dangers of drinking and driving, then full parole is a good thing, Green said. “Maybe something good will come
out of his irresponsible, selfish, arrogant behaviour and if his attitude has changed, that’s good,” said Green. Green added she would welcome Olsen to join her in fighting for increased drinking and driving penalties. “We can’t change what he did,” said Green. “It’s the way it’s going to be, but it might not have to be that way for all those other Canadians who are joining our ranks, those other families who are losing their kids.” Green read a victim impact statement to the parole board, saying how much her daughter and son-in-law were devoted to their five children, their engineering jobs, their church and other community activities. The children, aged seven to 17, are now being looked after by Krista Howe’s sister, Karla Green. “They didn’t have the chance to fulfil their lifelong dreams and yet Chad still has that option,” said Green. “A stranger to us made a final choice. He gets seven months and we get life with no chance for appeal.”
Please see PAROLE on Page A2
BEE-UTIFUL WEATHER
Proposed union’s arms haven’t reached Rebels yet CAPTAIN SAYS NO ONE HAS CONTACTED HIM ABOUT FORMATION OF UNION FOR CHL PLAYERS
Basically, like all of the players interviewed by various media outlets regarding the attempted formation of the Canadian Hockey League Players Association, Red Deer Rebels captain Adam Kambeitz hasn’t been contacted by any of the organizers. “The only thing I’ve heard is just what I’ve seen floating around on Twitter,” Kambeitz said Wednesday. “I also read one article on it.” The proposed CHL players union, which is primarily seeking increased and extended education benefits for the players in the Western, Ontario and Quebec major junior leagues, has supposedly been 14 months in the making, said spokesman Derek Clarke, who went public just this week. “Players and agents feel this is long overdue,” Clarke told the Windsor Star. “The CHL has done a great job producing players and offering some education packages. The fact is more can be done. We’re hoping to get a positive reception from the CHL because this benefits kids and because it’s a positive step for education.” While Kambeitz had no prior knowledge of the union being formed, he admitted he heard from several former Western Hockey League players that it was a process that had some legs. “I mentioned it to some of the guys at the gym this summer who played in the league before and they just said they heard it was supposed to be happening for years now and it hasn’t happened,” said the Coaldale native. “Really, to the extent that I’ve heard about it, and that’s just seeing on Twitter . . . it just seems like it’s not a legit thing. To me it seems like it’s rumours
PLEASE RECYCLE
right now.” Not that Kambeitz would argue with a union stand that would allow WHL players to tap into the league’s education fund after the currently allotted time of 18 months following the completion of a player’s final season of major junior hockey. Players have within that time span to either turn to pro hockey or pursue an education, and if they sign an NHL contract the funds are no longer available. The proposed union stand would keep the education money available indefinitely, a stance Kambeitz would welcome. “I don’t think I have a problem with that. I do think the CHL does a really good job, the education fund they provide us with is phenomenal,” he said. “But I think that would be a pretty cool thing. (Extending the education money availability) would be a neat thing.” Clarke said a players union would also focus on Hockey Canada. “The CHL is profitable and has a great program of education and promoting players to the next level,” he told the Windsor Star. “Hockey Canada uses CHL players for the World Junior, Canada-Russia Challenge and some of that money should come back to the players.” Canadian Hockey League president David Branch released a series of statements Wednesday regarding the attempted organization of the 1,300 CHL players. “To date, the league has not received any formal notification on the formation of this association or any intent to organize our players,” said Branch.
Photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
A honey bee flies into a Red Deer garden’s sunflower blossom to collect pollen Tuesday. While the recent hot weather has certainly been a boon to all kinds of gardeners, forecasts call for a mix of sun and rain this week with highs on the best days reaching a seasonal norm of about 22 C.
Please see UNION on Page A2
WEATHER
INDEX
A few showers.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6-B8
FORECAST ON A2
ALBERTA
CANADA
FARMERS ANTICIPATE CAW DELEGATES VOTE RECORD CANOLA HAUL FOR SUPER UNION Statistics Canada says Prairie farmers are anticipating record canola production this year, as well as increases in wheat and barley. A3
Canadian Auto Workers delegates have vote unanimously to merge with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, combining two of Canada’s largest private-sector unions. C2
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BY GREG MEACHEM ADVOCATE SPORTS EDITOR