Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
CANADIAN ROOTS
BACK TO ‘DUB LIFE’
Oscar statue made under the watch of an Ontario company C6
Mathew Dumba reflects on ‘cool’ NHL experience B4
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
ELECTRICITY
Buying rules changing to relieve rate shock
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 2013
Picket line showdown
BY DEAN BENNETT THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — The Alberta government has announced changes to electricity rules aimed at giving consumers a break from high power bills and ensure value for money on future big-ticket power lines. Energy Minister Ken Hughes said that utilities that sell power to two out of every three Albertans on the socalled regulated rate option will now be able to buy the juice four months ahead of time, rather than on the old deadline of six weeks. Hughes said that will bring more cost certainty for companies, and reduce the risk of price spikes brought on by heat waves or cold snaps. Albertans “want the lights to go on, and they want a fair price for their power,” Hughes told a legislature news conference Tuesday. “There will be less (price) fluctuation, and overall prices are being managed as tightly as possible.” Hughes also announced that an 11-month freeze on the administrative portion of power bills, instituted to coincide with a review of the pricing system, is now being lifted. Any fee hikes held in abeyance since last February will now be added to power bills, but over a graduated period to avoid price “shock,” he said. Hughes couldn’t quantify the cost to consumers from the fee thaw, but said it will be “very modest.” Hughes made the announcement as part of his department’s response to an independent panel report on the electricity pricing system. The report by the Retail Market Review Committee was commissioned last February by Premier Alison Redford to look for long-term solutions to power bills. About one-third of Alberta’s power customers buy their power on fixed contracts through private retailers under the province’s deregulated system. The remaining two-thirds have not signed up for a contract and, by default, buy their electricity at the government-mandated regulated rate option, which has been susceptible to steep rises in price. Hughes said he rejected the committee’s suggestion to eliminate the regulated rate option. He said some Albertans don’t see the need to sign fixed contracts and he doesn’t believe it’s the government’s job to force them. Hughes also announced that the arm’s-length Alberta Utilities Commission will have greater authority to review the costs associated with new power lines, given that taxpayers foot the bill for the projects. The government came under fire for green-lighting three major multibillion-dollar power lines last year that critics say are not needed. One line is near Edmonton, while the other two run north-south down the eastern and western sides of the province. The lines bypassed the normal public needs assessment because they were deemed critical infrastructure by former premier Ed Stelmach. Hughes said the transmission companies will now be forced to prove all the related costs for the projects are necessary. Under the old rules, consumers had to show why they believed the costs were unreasonable. “We are shifting the burden of proof,” said Hughes. Vittoria Bellissimo of the Industrial Power Consumers Association of Alberta said utilities commission oversight is critical, and might have prevented the three lines from getting approved all at once.
Please see ELECTRICITY on Page A2
PLEASE RECYCLE
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees keep a security vehicle from entering the parking lot at the Symphony Senior Living Aspen Ridge complex while also stopping a security van thought to be transporting replacement workers off the property Tuesday afternoon. BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF Despite bitter cold, AUPE strikers had toasty hands and toes as they walked the Symphony Senior Living Aspen Ridge picket line for the second day on Tuesday. “We’ve got hand warmers, foot warmers. Residents brought them out. Brought us some coffee, some doughnuts,” said Cherie Lamb of Penhold, a full-time kitchen employee at the Red Deer seniors facility. About 35 Alberta Union of Public Employees members were on picketline duty at 3 p.m. on day two of the strike/lockout. “We were scheduled to come out first thing this morning. We came out here, but it was just far too cold with the windchill to carry on without endangering the employees.” They were back at 1 p.m. Staff intend to picket from 6 a.m. to
6 p.m. daily, depending on the weather. Nearly 130 licensed practical nurses, health-care aides and other staff walked off the job on Monday after contract talks failed. AUPE rejected Symphony Senior Living’s demand for the right to terminate any employee without cause. Symphony argued it was a matter of having the ability to remove a worker for non-cause Deron Bilous reasons such as lack of empathy, passion or dedication to seniors. Lamb said she just wants a fair contract and termination without cause is a huge concern.
“It would be nice to walk in there and not have to walk on eggshells wondering if I’m next on their list,” Lamb said. “I’d like to know my job is secure.” Symphony, a privately owned and operated seniors care facility located at 3100 22nd St., has 152 suites with a total of 157 residents. Symphony has been contracted to provide 49 care beds for Alberta Health Services. But last week, Symphony announced it is cancelling that contract over the coming year. The contract includes 40 assisted-living beds for dementia patients, four assisted-living beds for non-dementia patients and five transition beds for people coming out of hospital. Deron Bilous, NDP MLA for Edmonton-Beverely-Clareview, said Symphony is a company that’s been getting subsidized by the government and refuses to pass that money on to staff.
Please see STRIKE on Page A2
Cold weather a temporary inconvenience BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF The cold that beset much of Alberta on Monday should leave just as quickly as it arrived, according to Environment Canada. An arctic ridge of high pressure and wind chills reaching -40C rolled through Central Alberta on Tuesday morning. Bill McMurtry, an Environment Canada meteorologist, said temperatures have dropped as low as they are going to go in this weather system. “It has allowed for some quite cold air to move down from the north across the province,” said McMurtry. “On the leading edge of that cold air, there is some very strong winds associated with that.” Included in that air mass was some snow on Monday evening and a mix-
WEATHER
INDEX
Snow. High -18. Low -20.
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FORECAST ON A2
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
As if walking a picket line is not bad enough for locked-out employees of the Symphony Senior Living Aspen Ridge the bone chilling cold coupled with the wind made their day even more uncomfortable. Laurel Fiege, left, and Val Jugueta bundled up in multiple layers of clothing, hats scarves and mitts to take on the cold Tuesday. ture of blowing snow warnings for some areas, including Red Deer and areas to the east of Red Deer, as well as wind chill warnings for areas north
and northeast of Red Deer.
BUSINESS
CANADA
CONSUMERS SEND MIXED MESSAGES
NDP WANTS TIME OUTS FOR NAUGHTY MPS
Canadian and U.S. consumers appear to be heading in opposite directions in terms of their confidence in the economy going forward — it’s up in Canada and down south of the border. B1
Please see COLD on Page xx
The NDP wants to bring civility to the raucous House of Commons with measures that would impose suspensions and even loss of pay for MPs who go too far with personal comments or attacks. B7