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CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
Harris battles expressway
TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
College cuts hurt economy: AUPE
NEW ROOF FOR CHURCH
RDC, STAFF DISAGREE ON NUMBER OF LOST JOBS
BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF One Red Deer city councillor continues to fight the construction of a six-lane expressway through Red Deer. Coun. Paul Harris said overall it’s a bad plan and nothing good will come out of the full build out of the proposed 20th Avenue expressway, part of the North Highway Connector linking Hwy 11A, Northland ‘IF WE KEEP Drive, 20th Avenue and McKenzie Road. TALKING ABOUT On Monday night, HarSIX LANES, IT ris did not hold back his thoughts on the expressWILL BECOME way that he said will cost SIX LANES. I the community in health, DON’T THINK financial sustainability, land and money. Harris 1980S THINKING said the money should be SERVES US spent on other priorities in Red Deer. IN THE 21ST The eventual expressCENTURY.’ way is expected to be developed in phases, with — COUN. PAUL HARRIS two lanes over the next decade, four lanes in the next 20 years and potentially six lanes by 2040 depending on city growth. “I believe what we talk about will become a reality,” said Harris. “If we keep talking about six lanes, it will become six lanes. I don’t think 1980s thinking serves us in the 21st century.” City manager Craig Curtis said he felt it somewhat offensive to suggest this is 1980s thinking but what he would suggest is that it took 30 years to get to this stage. Curtis said council will direct administration to build the lanes in a phased approach and would not build lanes that were not needed. Harris said there has to be a better way to move people across the city in a timely way without the cost.
BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Roofers work to remove old shakes and roofing material from the roof of the Sacred Heart Parish on 55 Street in Red Deer on Monday as the church gets a new roof.
Please see TRAFFIC on Page A3
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says 34 people lost their jobs at Red Deer College, two more than the number reported by the college last week. As the result of a loss of provincial funding, post-secondary institutions across the province cut back on spending, resulting in job cuts and program losses at RDC. An AUPE spokesman said the cuts directly impact the community. “Taking $6 million out of post-secondary in Red Deer means taking $6 million out of the local economy,” AUPE vicepresident Jason Heistad. AUPE blamed the provincial government for the job losses after the province cut 7.3 per cent from operating funding to post-secondary institutions as part of its March 7 budget. The cut ended up costing Red Deer College $6 million to balance its $92 million budget. While AUPE said 34 people lost their jobs, RDC said they cut 32 positions.
Please see RDC on Page A2
OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRE
Wildfire nears hamlet HISTORIC MINE SITE ALSO IN DANGER BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF An out-of-control wildfire reported a week ago moved to within 1.5 km of the hamlet of Nordegg and 500 metres of the community’s historic mine site on Monday. The fire also grew significantly, to 778 acres from 271 on Sunday. “It has been a very difficult fire. Winds have been our major challenge and very dry fuels,” said Barry Shellian, fire information officer with Rocky Mountain House Wildfire Management Area, on Monday. “The fire guards we’re building are
PLEASE RECYCLE
getting much larger than they were before.” The fire crossed Forestry Trunk Road. The road is closed from Hwy 11 to the North Fork Road. Hwy 11 may be closed or controlled. Bulldozers worked through the night to strengthen and reinforce the guards that are now the width of seven bulldozer blades, he said. “What they do is create a fuel-free guard. Pushing all the wood, anything that is combustible, to the outside of the fire. “Then the air tankers and helicopters can drop water and foam and retardant on that, followed up by ground crews.” More than 100 firefighters, various heavy equipment, air tankers and six helicopters were working to extinguish the wildfire.
WEATHER
INDEX
Cloudy. High 16, low 5.
Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3,C4 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D4 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5-B7
FORECAST ON A2
Photo by ALBERTA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
The wildfire near Nordegg crept closer to the hamlet on Monday. On Sunday at 6 p.m., about 150 Nordegg and area residents were evacuated to a curling rink in Rocky Mountain House. They had been on a one-hour evacuation alert since May 9. They remain away from their homes. Sprinklers and water hoses have been deployed in the community to protect key structures, including the
Please see FIRES on Page A2
ALBERTA
ENTERTAINMENT
ALBERTA TO IMPOSE NEW TEACHERS LABOUR DEAL
JAZZ AGE REVISITED AT GRAVEYARD
The Alberta government is bringing in legislation to implement a new labour deal for its 40,000 teachers. A3
coal mining site. A volunteer team with Canadian Red Cross has supplied about 50 cots and is running the reception centre and shelter for evacuees to support Clearwater County. As of Monday, 63 people had registered.
A plot of land, at Rockville Md. is easy to miss. It’s the final resting place of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. C5