Red Deer Advocate, July 22, 2013

Page 1

Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate

RELIC RETURNS Missing Metis bell goes home A5

CFL Roughriders run all over Tabbies B1

CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER

BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013

Wild finish to fair RCMP ORDER FIRST EVER COMPLETE EVACUATION OF WESTERNER DAYS FAIR AS STORM HITS BY BRENDA KOSSOWAN ADVOCATE STAFF A fearsome thunderstorm bringing high winds and heavy hail caused damage throughout the city and forced police to order an evacuation at the Westerner Days fair on Saturday night. Westerner Park manager John Harms said on Sunday that he had seen a series of storms forming on the weather radar, which he watches through each day of the fair, just in case. The first storm had blown in and the midway was already shut down at about 10:30 p.m. when RCMP patrolling the grounds ordered that the entire facility be evacuated. The fair had been busy and the Centrium was full of people taking in the Dean Brody concert when the evacuation was ordered, said Harms. It was the first time an evacuation has been ordered in the Westerner’s history. There have been previous occasions in which people were asked to take shelter inside, but they’ve never before had to leave the property altogether, he said. While there were some traffic jams in the process, the parking lots were emptied by 11 p.m., leaving Westerner crews the task of cleaning up the leftovers. Harms said there was no damage on the midway, but one ATM machine was blown over by a gust of wind and storm drains were blocked up with leaves that the hail had stripped off of the trees.

Image contributed by KATRINA KINDRAT

Fairgoers enjoy a ride straight up as a storm closes in at The Westerner on Saturday evening.

Please see FAIR on Page A2

Photo by BRENDA KOSSOWAN/Advocate staff

Dominic Thomsen, 5, of Blackfalds, got to test drive some of the new Hot Wheels toys and cars to be released this fall. Hot Wheels made the Westerner Days one of its 55 stops for its 2013 Road Trip.

Man’s life on the street takes turn for the better LESS DRINKING, MORE EFFORT INTO ART WORK MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Photo by CRYSTAL RHYNo/Advocate staff

Virgil Frencheater, 45, has lived on and off the streets for most of his life. These days he’s rebuilding his life and tapping into his artistic side to paint a mural on Little Gaetz Ave.

PLEASE RECYCLE

WEATHER

INDEX

Mainly cloudy. High 23, low 12.

Two sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8,A9 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5,A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8-B10 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B11 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B7 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B6

FORECAST ON A2

main difference is that he is thinking about his future. The identification will allow Frencheater to open a bank account and get his own place. While he does spend time at Safe Harbour, Frencheater is considering finding a home come winter.

Frencheater designed a picture of an eagle with four feathers. He has not been to detox Around this time last lately but he is staying sober year, Virgil Frencheater to get the job done. was drinking heavily while “All I got right now is scraping out an existence on the artwork that I do,” said the streets in Red Deer. Frencheater. “It’s mostly His days were spent with what I survive on these days. his street family hanging out, It gives scoring a deme that cent meal and ‘IT GIVES ME THAT CERTAIN SPIRITUAL certain finding a warm spiritual OPENING IN MY LIFE. IT JUST DOES and safe place opening in to sleep for the SOMETHING FOR ME.’ my life. It night. just does — VIRGIL FRENCHEATER something Little has changed in the for me.” last 12 months — but the changes are sig“I still want to get off the Frencheater says painting nificant. streets but because of my ad- the mural gives him pride T h e 4 5 - y e a r - o l d h a s dictions, it makes it a little because people believe in curbed his drinking, secured bit harder,” said Frencheat- him. And it helps to rebuild three pieces of identifica- er. his name in the community. tion and began painting and “Like I said last year — Years ago, Frencheater drawing. that’s what makes it harder was a popular grass dancer “I’m doing odd jobs now,” to get off the streets.” in Central Alberta. said Frencheater. A few weeks ago, His legs aren’t what they “Not really moving on Frencheater was picked used to be so he said, “like much but at least I am work- to paint a mural on one of Wayne Gretzky I retired a ing.” the buildings near Turning champion.” Frencheater says he’s do- Point at the south end of Liting pretty much the same tle Gaetz Avenue. Please see STREET on Page A2 things as last year but the BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF

ENTERTAINMENT

LOCAL

BRODY PERFORMS PATRIOTIC SHOW

DAUGHTER’S LIGHT SHINES

Country singer Dean Brody wasn’t shy about wearing his patriotism on his sleeve and waving the red and white for more than 3,200 of his fervent fans during Westerner Days at Red Deer’s Centrium. B7

A big collection of smiling faces — 134 in total — speaks volumes about the efforts family and friends of Stacy Regier have made to deal with their grief. A7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.