Red Deer Advocate, July 19, 2013

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CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER

BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

WESTERNER DAYS

Smiles keep carny going BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF

Photo by CRYSTAL RHYNO/Advocate staff

Seasoned carny Dennis M. shows Kristian Ludlow, 7, his mark at the Midway Boulevard on Thursday. Dennis has been in the carnival business for about 40 years.

Come on in, it’s your turn to win. Want to shoot a gun today? Seasoned carny Dennis M. WOOD CHARGES calls from his Shoot the Stars INTO FIRST IN booth on Midway Boulevard at PONY CHUCKS B1 Westerner Days. It’s early Thursday afternoon in Red Deer and people are beginning to trickle into the fairgrounds. Early morning and afternoons tend to be quiet on weekdays with the rush usually coming in spurts. Today Dennis is hoping to catch the attention of young families and teenagers who want to shoot a toy rifle at a star for a chance to win a large oversized stuffed animal. “Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a kid walk away with a smile on their face and a teddy bear as big as them tucked under their arms,” said Dennis, who is originally from Wetaskiwin. He asked that his last name not be used for personal reasons. Dennis has seen his share of faces throughout North America over the last four decades. He travels about six months a year with the North American Midway starting each May.

Please see CARNY on Page A2

CP Rail, CN reviewing safety procedures after disaster BY THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY — The disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que., has prompted Canada’s two largest railways to review their own safety procedures. Nearly two weeks ago, an unmanned train belonging to the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic railway carrying 72 cars of oil crashed into the town, setting off explosions that are believed to have killed up to 50 people. Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX:CP) said Thursday it’s strengthening some of its safety procedures following a review. “The recent situation gave us a chance to thoroughly review our safety procedures, as we do on an ongoing basis,” said Ed Greenberg, a spokesman for Canada’s second-largest railway. “The result is that we have now strengthened our operating procedures in some key areas that were identified from what recently occurred.” An internal staff memo from last week, obtained by the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star newspapers, said the changes were in anticipation of new Transport Canada rules. For instance, Greenberg said if trains must be left unattended outside a terminal or yard, the locomotive will be locked. In the past, that was only the case in some “high risk” locations. Brake-setting procedures — which Greenberg says already meet or exceed regulations — will also be strengthened. And trains carrying dangerous material will not be left unattended on main line tracks.

WEATHER

INDEX

30% showers. High 24. Low 11.

Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-C10 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2,C3 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5-D9 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D10 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . D1,D2 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B7

FORECAST ON A2

Redford ‘disgusted’ by MLA’s arrest BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

“Our railway continually reviews practices and procedures to identify ways to further strengthen operating safety,” he said. “For CP, we felt implementing additional safety measures at this time was the prudent step to take.” A spokesman for Montreal-based Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR) says the railroad is also reviewing its safety procedures in light of Lac-Megantic. Mark Hallman said Canadian National — Canada’s biggest railroad — already has “robust” policies in place to make sure its unattended trains are secure by relying on “multiple safety defences.” For instance, air brakes are applied on both locomotives and throughout the train and the hand brake is applied to the lead locomotive, Hallman said. All locomotives are also secured to prevent movement. The reverser — like a gear shift in a car — is removed from the control stand, so that a train cannot move forward or backward. All doors and windows are locked on locomotives, and two crew members continually communicate with one another to make sure everything is being done right. CN locomotives also have a device that prompts a full-service brake application if it detects movement or no response from the control stand — something Greenberg said CP also uses. Both CN and CP use two-person crews, whereas only one MM&A engineer was working when the LacMegantic disaster struck.

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Alison Redford says she is “disgusted” by the arrest of one of her caucus colleagues in a prostitution sting while on government business in the United States. Redford says Mike Allen’s conduct was “more than inappropriate” when he was attending a legislative conference in St. Paul, Minn. Allen was arrested Monday night by police and faces a possible charge of soliciting a prostitute. “You’ll know that in Alberta when I was justice minister, we started doing work with respect to the sexual exploitation of women and human trafficking. This is an issue that is very close to my heart,” Redford told reporters Thursday morning at her annual K-Days breakfast in Edmonton. “I was shocked and disappointed to see the conduct. It’s not at all the standard of conduct I would expect from anyone in our caucus.” Allen has resigned from the governing Progressive Conservative caucus, but he remains as an Independent MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. Redford says it’s up to people in Allen’s riding to decide whether he should continue to represent them. “He’s an elected member of caucus. He’s an elected person from Fort McMurray. I understand he has said that he will go back to his community, his constituents, to have that discussion. That is appropriate at this time,” Redford said.

Please see SAFETY on Page A2

Please see ARREST on Page A2

CANADA

BUSINESS

RIDING ASSOCIATIONS SITTING ON $30M

DETROIT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Riding associations for federal political parties are sitting on nearly $30-million of taxpayersubsidized cash, with little obligation to account for how the money is spent. C2

Detroit on Thursday became the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy, as the state-appointed emergency manager filed for Chapter 9 protection. C8

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