Red Re ed Deer 1 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
RED DEER
ECOTOURISM IN LAS ISLETAS
ADVOCATE
Ever wonder would it would be like to have your own island?
WEEKEND EDITION BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013
NHL PLAYOFFS
PAGE B1
The Pittsburgh Penguins advance with a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators PAGE B4
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
RCMP Cpl. Sarah Knelsen and City of Red Deer parks enforcement peace officer Simon Butler cruise along the bike path in Rotary Park recently.
A WARNING FOR TRAIL USERS Red flags were raised when a young man was stabbed once in the belly during an apparently random encounter between two groups at about 1:30 a.m. on May 11. Cpl. Sarah Knelsen, media liaison officer for Red Deer City RCMP, said a few days later that police were still investigating the stabbing, which occurred at a time of night when people are discouraged from using the trail system. It was believed to be a random incident and not indicative of any trends, other than the trend for more people to be out after dark, now that the winter has melted, says Knelsen. She is among the police and bylaw officers who conduct regular patrols on the trails, riding either bikes or Segways. Knelsen says she prefers the bikes because they can travel farther and faster without the limitations that affect the Segways, which are battery powered and computer controlled personal transportation machines. Knelsen and Poth both say they appreciate hearing from any trail users who see something amiss, including graffiti, camps, vandalism or activities that raise suspicion. David Kingston, superintendent of civilian staff at the Red Deer City RCMP detachment, says people go into the parks late at night for a variety of reasons, some of which can pose danger for others, directly and indirectly. Some of the people who are on the trails after 10 p.m., when the regular patrols shut down, will be of the sort that daytime users would not like to meet on a dark trail in the middle of the night, says Kingston.
BY BRENDA KOSSOWAN ADVOCATE STAFF Good times, bad times — pathways through and around Red Deer have their share, and it’s mostly good, say people out for a stroll or a bike ride on a sunny day in spring. The Red Deer area’s Waskasoo Park system includes 4,100 acres of space, connected by a network of trails that was first developed in the early 1980s. What started with 25 km of trail has grown to 130 km in total. People visiting the park for the first time are often awestruck by the extent of the trail system and the feeling that they have, essentially, escaped to the mountains. Permanent residents in the park, including moose and deer, help round out the visual experience alongside the wafting aromas of wild shrubs and spruce needles. Cyclists Krestina Haberger and Sandi Studholme, accompanied by a shepherd-collie cross named Kramer, give thumbs up for a trail system that they feel far exceeds anything they have found in the cities where they’re from. Haberger, who has lived in Red Deer for about four years, says there’s nothing like it in her home town. “It’s manicured trail, but it still feels like you’re in the wilderness. I’m from Vancouver, originally. This is as good or better. There’s not a trail system like this in Vancouver,” says Haberger, who lives in Grandview. Studholme was visiting Haberger and Kramer from her home in Barrie, Ont. Aside from some difficulties finding her location on the trail mark-
PLEASE RECYCLE
File photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate Staff
A young moose explores the area just off a walking path at Mackenzie Trails during an evening this spring. Moose, deer and other wildlife can often be spotted along the Red Deer trails. ers, she says the infrastructure is unmatched. “They have a bit of a rail trail (in Barrie), but it’s nothing as extensive as this. When I was on the bike yesterday, on my way back, I carried the bike part way up the steps. And then, as I was standing there catching my breath, I was looking at the stairs and then I noticed that there was a rail on the side ... to walk your bike up.” Trevor Poth, parks superintendent for the City of Red Deer, says the trail infrastructure was designed to give people a safe and natural experience, evolving from the initial
WEATHER
INDEX
Rain. High 10. Low 5.
Five sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C7,C8 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1-E5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D8 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . C4-C6 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B8
FORECAST ON A2
design of the early ’80s. Trail and park users now have access to a network of multi-use asphalt and shale trails connecting facilities that include full-scale picnic grounds and playgrounds, such as Rotary Park and Kin Kanyon. At its far reaches, the trail winds through Heritage Ranch, River Bend Golf and Recreation Area and Westerner Park. But all that fun comes with a word of caution. Police and bylaws officers warn users that they must be cautious about when and where they travel on the city’s trail system. LOCAL
CANADA
COUNCIL GETS FIRST LOOK AT NATIVE FRIENDSHIP SITE
FORD DENIES USING CRACK COCAINE
On Monday Red Deer city council will weigh in on the new proposed site for the long awaited cultural centre and affordable housing project by the Red Deer Native Friendship Society. A2
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Mayor Rob Ford broke his week-long silence Friday to deny he smokes crack cocaine and to lambaste the media for judging him. A4
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