REBELS Lots of action in Black and White game B6
NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK The hunt is on for the source of Quebec City’s legionnaires’ disease outbreak B1
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, AUG. 30, 2012
Seeds of controversy CLOUD SEEDING PROGRAM HELPING URBAN AREAS AT EXPENSE OF CENTRAL ALBERTA FARMS: PRODUCER BY JESSICA JONES ADVOCATE STAFF The hail reduction program meant to relieve damage in Red Deer is causing havoc on Central Alberta farms. The process is unfair and convoluted, said Brian Burrington, a farmer who lives south of Rocky Mountain House. He said the deductible amount in the hail and wind insurance policy for his farm, under Peace Hills Insurance, was raised from $500 to $2,500 after companies chose to “seed the clouds” in his area. He admitted that he has made previous claims, but unlike vehicle insurance, farmers have no con-
trol over hail caused by weather modification, he said. “The insurance companies are causing the hail, something we have no control over, and now we are paying for it. “Out here, we should be getting a reduction because they are deliberately dumping hail on us.” Cloud seeding enhances a cloud’s ability to produce precipitation and is intended to soften hail. In this process, planes fly into the clouds and shoot silver iodide into them, which can help induce the formation of ice. Dr. Terry Krauss, project director of the Alberta Severe Weather Management Society, who oversees the cloud seeding program Alberta Hail Suppres-
sion, said Rocky Mountain House is in the program’s target area as storms come from the foothills. The program, he said, is funded by the Alberta Severe Weather Management Society, which was created by approximately 20 large insurance companies. The companies have collectively invested $2.5 million in the program, which runs from June 1 to Sept. 15. This pays for two aircraft in Red Deer, two in Calgary and for the operation of radar at the OldsDidsbury Airport. “If the (insurance) rates haven’t increased until now, it is an indication of success, not the other way around,” Krauss said.
Please see SEEDING on Page A2
Last runs of the summer
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Walking along the QE II Highway north of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame from the left Josh Nelson, Christian Nelson, Johann Danielson, Tristin MacDonald and Tyler Fudge make their way to the Red Deer River Wednesday. Enjoying their last week of summer holidays the boys were intending to float from the highway bridge downstream to Bower Ponds on a sunny afternoon.
Motorists Merger expected to lead to still driven savings for Co-op members to distraction RED DEER CO-OP, CENTRAL ALBERTA CO-OP PROPOSE AMALGAMATION
TALKING ON CELLPHONES, TEXTING STILL VERY COMMON PROBLEMS BEHIND THE WHEEL BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Motorists are not hanging up the phone on distracted driving. Red Deer City RCMP have written an average of 149 tickets a month for distracted driving since the new legislation was implemented nearly a year ago. Sgt. Bob Bell of the Red Deer City RCMP said by far talking on cellphones, followed by texting, is the largest distraction. Bell said the drivers aren’t trying to hide it either. He said they are clearly holding their phones in hand while they navigate city streets. And the majority of the collisions are a result of distracted driving. He said the drivers are chatting and texting on mobile phones, looking around at the drivers in the next lane and on the sidewalks, or trying to find an address.
Please see DISTRACTION on Page A2
PLEASE RECYCLE
BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR
Red Deer Co-op and Central Alberta Co-op are moving toward an amalgamation of their operations. The boards of the two cooperatives have struck a tentative deal to merge, effective Feb. 1, 2013. The agreement still requires approval from the members of both co-ops, which could come at special meetings scheduled for October. Red Deer Co-op’s operations include two grocery stores, two gas bars, two liquor stores, a home and gar- Jim Dick den centre and a bulk fuel station in Red Deer; a grocery store, a gas bar, a liquor store, a bulk fuel and cardlock station in Lacombe; a cardlock and a bulk fuel station in Stettler; and a cardlock station in Elnora. It’s also developing a gas bar in Stettler. Central Alberta Co-op has grocery stores, home and agro centres and gas bars and cardlock stations in Innisfail and Spruce View, as well as a bulk pe-
WEATHER
INDEX
Mainly sunny. High 22. Low 5.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5,A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6-B8
FORECAST ON A2
troleum station and a fertilizer supply facility in Innisfail. Jim Dick, president of Red Deer Co-op, said joining forces makes sense for several reasons. A combined co-op would enjoy cost savings, he pointed out, with these estimated at nearly $500,000 a year. Members would have more stores to shop at, he added, and each of the co-ops would benefit from the different offerings of their counterparts — such as pharmacies and liquor stores in the case of Red Deer Co-op, and fertilizer products in the case of Central Alberta Co-op. Both have strong balance sheets, said Dick, and their employees should enjoy greater opportunities in an expanded business. “We go from $140 million in sales for Red Deer to $212 million for Central Alberta in total,” he said. Members of both co-ops would have their equity transferred into the combined entity, said Dick, and cash payments under their profit-sharing programs would continue. “The way things are looking, it should be pretty good,” he said of the future payout potential. Members of Red Deer Co-op would also become eligible for a full payout of their equity allocation at age 65, instead of 70 as is currently the case, to match Central Alberta Co-op’s policy.
Please see MERGERSS on Page A2
CANADA
ALBERTA
WITNESS HEARD POLICE COLLEGE THREAT ABOARD PLANE CANCELLED The Crown says a witness heard a senator’s wife say she would slit her husband’s throat during a fracas on a flight from Ottawa to Saskatoon. A5
Just weeks after Alberta government awarded the construction contract to build a long-awaited police training college in Fort Macleod, Solicitor General Jonathan Denis cancelled the project Wednesday. A3