Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
TEAMS MATCH UP WELL
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Rebels, Raiders close in many categories B4
Chinese films struggle to find an audience abroad C6
CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013
Gun battle injures three BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF
BALMORAL HEIGHTS
Two people are in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and a third is in hospital after a gunfire was exchanged in a Balmoral Heights residence, injuring all three men early Tuesday morning. The victim, who was found in 55 Balmoral Heights with a gunshot wound, was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, and is in serious but stable
condition. The other two were treated for gunshot wounds at Red Deer hospital and are in police custody, but charges have not been formally laid. Blackfalds RCMP were called to the residence in the rural subdivision east of Red Deer after midnight on Tuesday to a report that a male had suffered gunshot wounds. When police arrived, they found the
Marks pleased ward vote going ahead
victim but the suspects had fled. Shortly after, there was a report of a collision in Northwood Estates, a mobile home park in north Red Deer, to which police responded. Officers found two males who had been in the vehicle, both suffering gunshot wounds. Police said the investigation indicates all injured parties are associated to the Balmoral Heights incident and all are believed to be known to each other.
Please see SHOOTING on Page A2
OPTIMIST CHIEFS ADVANCE
BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF The man behind the Let Us Vote petition says Red Deer city council’s about-face on the wards plebiscite issue was surprising but the right move. Garfield Marks said he didn’t mind spending $3,000 out of his own pocket to set up an office, take out ads in the Red Deer College newspaper, and print flyers and petiHow they voted on a tions because Red plebiscite on a ward sys-Deer residents now tem: have the chance to March 18 vote on a ward system. In favour: Mayor Mor-“I think it was ris Flewwelling, Council-worth every sense l ors Frank Wong, Chriss because it is our deStephan, Tara Veer and d mocracy,” said Marks. Dianne Wyntjes. “A lot of people were Opposed: Councillorss excited that somebody Cindy Jefferies, Paul Har-stepped up and took ris and Lynne Mulder. that first step. That’s Absent: Coun. Buckk all I did. I took the Buchanan. first step and I put up a sign and said, ‘Let’s Feb. 4 start here.’ ” In favour: Buchanan,, By a vote of 5-3 on Stephan and Wong. Monday, Red Deer Opposed: Flewwelling,, city council reversed Veer, Harris, Mulder and d a Feb. 4 decision that Wyntjes. rejected going to a Absent: Jefferies. plebiscite on a ward system in conjunction Affirming at-large sys-with the Oct. 21 civic tem: election. April 30, 2012 After the Feb. 4 reIn favour: Flewwelling,, jection of a plebiscite, Veer, Harris, Mulder, Jef-Marks took matters feries and Wyntjes. into his own hands. Opposed: Buchanan, He began the proS ep St phan and Wong g. cess to start a Let Us Vote petition calling on council to go to a plebiscite. He took out a three-month lease on office space. Canvassers were set to begin circulating the petition on April 1. Marks said the support from the community was overwhelming. Last week, city officials and councillors paid him a visit to discuss the petition and why he wanted a plebiscite. While he was pleased, Marks said some of his supporters are worried about the wording of the plebiscite question and the rollout of public education on systems of representation from the city. Mayor Morris Flewwelling, Coun. Dianne Wyntjes and Coun. Tara Veer changed their original votes from Feb. 4 to support a plebiscite. “One of the things I learned in public life is that you formulate ideas and you formulate visions but you also listen,” said Flewwelling. “You listen very carefully. ... My soundings told me that maybe we didn’t do the right thing in dismissing the plebiscite. I still argue against wards. That hasn’t changed my view.”
HOW COUNCIL VOTED
Please see PLEBISCITE on Page A2
PLEASE RECYCLE
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Red Deer Optimist Chief Rory Davidson and Calgary Buffaloes Owen Johnson clash during first period action at the Arena in Red Deer on Tuesday. The teams were playing Game 5 of the South Division playoff final. The Optimist Chiefs won 6-1. Please see related story on page B4.
Low price prompts dairies to drop organic milk production BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR Three Central Alberta dairies have pulled the plug on organic milk production because of low prices that they say are insufficient to cover the cost of their operations. Clearview Organic Dairy near Springbrook, A.K.A. Dairy Ltd. of Lacombe and Simply Organic Dairy of Condor have all decided to switch from organic to conventional milk production. Clearview and A.K.A., with 100 and 200 cows respectively, made the change effective March 1, while Simply Organic, with 40 head, will be about a month later. Bill Wyntjes of Clearview and Phil Tenbrinke of A.K.A. said the problem is the premium that dairies
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INDEX
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Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B3 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6,A7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D4 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C6 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B7
FORECAST ON A2
receive for organic milk. When the industry was developed in 2007, prospective participants were told they would receive a 30-cent per litre premium for organic milk. But the figure has been about 18 cents. “The premium promised was more than adequate,” said Tenbrinke. Wyntjes said he and his son Dustin were also enticed by the lucrative premium. Six years later, they’re leaving frustrated. Mike Southwood, general manager of dairy industry association Alberta Milk, said the proposed premium was based on the numbers being paid in British Columbia.
Please see MILK on Page A2
CANADA
BUSINESS
FLAHERTY SETS BUDGET PRIORITIES
RBC FORECASTS SMALL GROWTH
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is signalling he’ll make skills training, modernizing the country’s crumbling infrastructure and helping the manufacturing sector the key priorities in Thursday’s budget. A6
Canada’s largest bank is forecasting the economy will do slightly better than most expect in the next two years, and one reason why is that the Canadian dollar won’t. B1