Red Deer Advocate, January 22, 2013

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Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate

GOLDEN GODDESS Tumeric is more than just a spice to flavour your curries B1

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE Flames comeback against Ducks falls short B4

CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER

BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

TUESDAY, JAN. 22, 2013

Smoke-free bylaw clears hurdle BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF

CITY COUNCIL

Smokers may soon have to butt out at outdoor places where children hang out as early as next month. In an effort to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke, city council gave first reading by a vote of 7 to 1 to a revamped smoke-free bylaw. Under the new bylaw, smoking within 10 metres of playgrounds, sports fields, spray parks, skating rinks, toboggan hills and skate parks is banned. As well the definition of smoking has been expanded to include other lit substances like cannabis that generate

second-hand smoke. But the bylaw does not extend to all outdoor public places like parks or events such as outdoor celebrations and festivals. Coun. Paul Harris said that’s one reason he voted against the bylaw. “I think we’re spending way too much time doing research when really we should just get it done,” said Harris. “We’re making a meal out of a snack. It’s smoke-free in the public market. It’s already selfregulating. I think we should get it done and put it to bed.”

After some discussion about leaving these areas out of the bylaw, city council directed administration to bring forward another report to explore further amendments to the bylaw to include outdoor public events, festivals and special events. Coun. Cindy Jefferies said council has been presented with a lot of good information to base future amendments to the bylaw. “I encourage places like the market and city events to try and promote smoke free environments a well,” said Jefferies. “I think we will move to it eventually.”

Please see BYLAW on Page A2

JACKPOT

PROVINCIAL BUDGET

‘This is not going to be a fun budget’ BUT IT’S NOT TIME TO TALK ABOUT TAXES, YET: FINANCE MINISTER BY LAUREN KRUGEL THE CANADIAN PRESS

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

From the left, Tanner Kotowich, Kaeden Skinner and on the groun Kaleb Skinner try to tackle Alex Brown as they play a game of Jackpot after school. With an early dismissal Monday, the boys took advantage of the fine winter day for a little fun in the snow before heading home from Holy Family School.

Snowmobiler in critical condition after crash near Caroline BY LAURA TESTER ADVOCATE STAFF A snowmobiler was airlifted to a Calgary hospital in critical condition on Monday morning after being alone and injured for some time following a crash just southeast of Caroline. STARS air ambulance spokesman Cam Heke said it’s believed the 33-year-old man, now at the Foothills Medical Centre, may have been out in the bush since the night before after crashing his snowmobile into some trees. Rocky Mountain House RCMP, Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services, Sundre and District Emergency Medical Services and Clearwater County Highway Patrol were called to the scene at about 7:30 a.m.

PLEASE RECYCLE

Rocky RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Shawna Lozinski said a passerby first alerted emergency responders after coming across the crash site at a ‘T’ intersection near Caroline. Police believe that the snowmobiler was westbound on a township road that came to a dead end and he continued west across the T intersection and into the trees. The man wasn’t wearing a helmet, said police. Lozinski said they’re not sure how long the man had been lying there. The Caroline area resident hadn’t been reported missing, she added. Police are waiting to talk to the man, Lozinski said. Heke said that STARS was called to respond at about 8:30 a.m.

They landed on the road at Hwy 54 and Range Road 52. When the medical team arrived, they found that firefighters and the other emergency responders were working hard at rescuing the man, who was found down an embankment. “He was in critical condition en route to hospital after he had sustained life-threatening injuries from the snowmobile accident,” said Heke. “We understand he was discovered by a passerby who saw tracks leading off the roadway.” Heke said the man sustained life-threatening injuries but no other specifics were provided. RCMP continue to investigate. ltester@reddeeradvocate.com

WEATHER

INDEX

Cloudy. High -12. Low -15.

Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3,C4 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D3 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B6

FORECAST ON A2

CALGARY — Alberta’s finance minister says plummeting oil revenue means the next Alberta budget isn’t going to be pretty, but the province isn’t ready to consider raising taxes — yet. “This is not going to be a fun budget. This is going to be a budget that will show that we are serious about reining in spending,” Doug Horner told a Calgary business audience on Monday. In the medium term, he said, there’s still the opportunity to trim spending and work to make sure government services are being delivered in the most efficient way possible. “And then you can probably have a discussion about whether or not we have the right mix of taxation to accomplish the job, but that’s a little ways out yet.” The “tough” 2013 budget, which Horner is set to deliver on March 7, will explore “different ways of doing things” and “belt-tightening,” but no new taxes to shore up the revenue side, he said. “The first thing that we do is we look to our own house before we dig into the pockets of those in your house,” Horner told reporters. That echoes a commitment Premier Alison Redford made earlier this year. But Horner said there are serious structural issues with the province’s finances. Alberta’s coffers are being hit hard by the steep discount oilsands producers are getting for their crude versus other varieties. Alberta’s limited access to markets means its bitumen is fetching about $40 a barrel less than West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for landlocked U.S. light crude. The price gap widens to $50 when Alberta crude is compared to international benchmarks that can access the most lucrative markets by sea. A number of pipeline proposals to the east, south and west are in the works to expand market access for Canadian crude, but that won’t fix the situation in the near term. Horner says the province has been through tough times before, but this time it’s different. “Alberta has long been well-positioned to weather economic storms. We came through the 2008 recession better than most other jurisdictions,” Horner said in his speech. “We’re accustomed to the ups and downs of resource prices and we’re used to the boom and bust. But this is not your average storm. “This is a structural change in our key commodity and we must do more than wait for the storm to clear, and we are.” The provincial government held budget consultations in the fall with more than 6,000 Albertans.

Please see BUDGET on Page A2

CANADA

LOCAL

SASKATCHEWAN EXPANDING POLICE USE OF TASERS

LIBRARY TENDERS GOING OUT SOON

Saskatchewan is expanding the use of stun guns, allowing every municipal police officer across the province to carry them. A6

The second phase of Red Deer Public Library renovations will start in early March. C1


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Red Deer Advocate, January 22, 2013 by Black Press Media Group - Issuu