Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
NAILED IT IN OT
HOUSE OF CARDS
Oilers silence Coyotes 2-1 B6
Political drama debuts on Netflix C3
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 2013
HOMELESSNESS
Shelters packed during cold snap BY LAURA TESTER ADVOCATE STAFF Red Deer overnight homeless shelters have been running at capacity during this week’s cold snap. As temperatures dipped below -20C with windchills making it feel colder than -35, people without shelter have found ways to keep warm during the day and at night. One man, who goes by the street name of Savage, was sitting in the warmth of the offices of Central Alberta AIDS Network Society at 48th Street and 50th Avenue on Wednesday. He said he sleeps outside “over there” in the bush. When asked how he handles this bitter chill, he chuckles and says, “We don’t cry.” Savage has a tent and blankets. He doesn’t think about accessing any of the several indoor shelters provided to people. “The warriors are too strong,” said Savage. Moyra, who didn’t provide a last name, used to have a place to stay but she was evicted a couple of days ago. The first night she stayed at the mats shelter and the next night at a friend’s place. “Basically, I hang around here until the mats program is open,” said Moyra, sitting at the CAANS office on a couch. “If the mats program is full, they send you to the Winter Inn and that’s quite far away to walk when it’s cold.” Safe Harbour Society runs the “Mats” overnight shelter for 20 adults who are under the influence of substances. Plus, it operates the 23-bed emergency shelter People’s Place. Winter Inn, at Loaves and Fishes, provides 30 beds to those in need from November to May. It’s seeing a particularly busy season. The inn is running at maximum capacity, along with Safe Harbour’s other shelter programs. In total, the society provides shelter, housing, addiction services and support to about 175 Central Albertans each day. Stacey Carmichael, director of housing and outreach for the society, said the programs have been full, but they have been able to accommodate people. “We haven’t had to turn people away in the -40C weather,” said Carmichael. “We are busy, but people are being looked after.” Overall though, this year has seen a drop in numbers from previous years. People who become homeless appear to be in that situation for a shorter period, Carmichael said. The Red Deer Youth and Volunteer Centre’s Youth Winter Inn is seeing fewer youths this winter. It accepts teens aged 14 to 17 at the shelter from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at 4633 49 St. A couple of teens have stayed there since the weather turned cold. The shelter was open four years ago. Program manager Rose Hatfield said the trend is showing that attendance numbers are decreasing since youth seem to be finding houses or other places to stay. She’s not sure if they are all appropriate places for them. Hatfield said they’ve seen about 15 individuals come through the doors since the end of October. The shelter closes April 30. Warmer weather is forecast, starting Thursday with a high of -6C expected. ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
PLEASE RECYCLE
Photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
RCMP collision reconstructionist Cpl. Donavan Gulak, left, and his understudy Const. Tyler Hagel of Rimbey detachment try to determine how a truck and CN Rail train collided west of Sylvan Lake Wednesday afternoon, leaving the truck’s driver dead.
Fatal truck-train collision BY ADVOCATE STAFF A 21-year-old Benalto man is dead following a collision between a pickup truck and a Canadian National train, seven km west of Sylvan Lake on Wednesday afternoon. Sylvan Lake RCMP say the driver of the pickup truck was heading east on Township Road 385 just east of Range Road 23 when the truck may
have slid into the southbound train around 2:20 p.m. The driver was alone in the vehicle. RCMP Cpl. Kevin Halwa of the Sylvan Lake detachment said at the scene the man was alive when Sylvan Lake Emergency Services arrived, “but he succumbed to his injuries.” STARS Air Ambulance was initially called but stood down after the man died.
The identity of the man has not been released. The truck came to rest upside down on the east side of the tracks. Township Road 385 was snow covered and slick at the time of the incident. RCMP collision reconstructionists were on the scene attempting to determine what happened. CN police were also on the scene.
‘Revolutionary’ plant promises to turn local garbage into diesel fuel COMPANY HOPES TO HAVE COMMERCIAL-SCALE PLANT OPERATING BY AUGUST BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR A Red Deer company wants to turn local garbage into fuel — and it insists it’s got the technology to do so. Blue Horizon Bio-Diesel Inc. conducted a demonstration in a Blindman Industrial Park shop on Wednesday, feeding a mix of municipal waste, sawdust, used motor oil and a special “catalyst” into a scaled-down plant, which churned out a small quantity of diesel fuel a short time later. About 60 people watched the display, including Red Deer Mayor Morris Flewwelling and officials from at least three other municipalities. Also in attendance were representatives of the provincial and federal governments, investors and officials from recycling companies, said Don Allan, president and CEO of Blue Horizon. “What you’re looking at is revolutionary,” he told his audience. “We believe garbage is the wave of the future for us. We believe it’s a multi-trillion dollar business.” Allan said later that Blue Horizon hopes to begin work on a commercialscale plant immediately. It would produce about 700 litres of diesel fuel an hour, as compared with the approximately 50 litres per hour that the dem-
WEATHER
INDEX
40% flurries. High -2. Low -6
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,C6 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6-B8
FORECAST ON A2
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Blue Horizon Industries Inc. president and CEO Don Allan, left, talks with plant operator Peter Shushmaruk and executive vice-president Darcy Grahn, right, during an open house at the Blindman Industrial Area business on Wednesday. onstration plant generates. “If everything goes well, we’ll be in operation by late August,” he said, adding that there’s some uncertainty about the timelines required to obtain regulatory approvals. Allan said Blue Horizon would like to locate the plant at Red Deer’s waste
management facility, and ultimately connect it to five other similar-sized facilities. “Our goal is to have 35 million litres a year being produced right here in Red Deer.”
CANADA
BUSINESS
SPY FACES SENTENCING HEARING
RIM BOWS BB10
Intelligence and justice officials around the world will be watching Thursday as a navy officer convicted of selling military secrets to Russia becomes the first person to be sentenced under Canada’s Security of Information Act. A5
Please see DIESEL on Page A2
After numerous delays that cast doubt on whether a new BlackBerry would ever see the light of day, Canada’s smartphone pioneer revealed its new phones Wednesday. C5