Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
BLUE JASMINE
Keystone a ‘global’ issue President Obama emphasizes pipeline’s climate implications
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Cate Blanchett delivers a stunning performance
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CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
THURSDAY, AUG. 1, 2013
Flood fears stall project near creek BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR Ripples from the June flood in Southern Alberta seeped into the Red Deer municipal planning commission meeting on Wednesday. The commission was considering an application for redevelopment on a residential lot near Waskasoo Creek,
MUNICIPAL PLANNING COMMISSION when the issue of municipal liability in the event of a severe flood came up. The 4535 52nd St. property, which is adjacent to Coronation Park, encroaches slightly into the flood fringe area identified by the province — prompting Planning and Development staff to
recommend a number of conditions to mitigate the risk. These included adding fill so that the property would be 0.3 metres above the one-in-100-year flood fringe level. But Jim Marke, a citizen representative on the commission, wondered if
the conditions were sufficient. He wondered if the designated flood fringe area might prove inaccurate in light of changing weather conditions, or if mitigation guidelines could become different in the future. “I do think the city is taking an unnecessary risk with this.”
Please see LIABILITY on Page A2
DISCOVERY WILDLIFE PARK
Giant metal bear mascot a dream come true BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Doug Bos of Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail is hoping his giant mechanical bear will be up and operating by this weekend.
Discovery Wildlife Park is getting an eye-catching, possibly even recordsetting, seven-metre tall grizzly bear that will be visible to motorists driving along Hwy 2. When the giant metal bear mascot that’s mounted onto an oilfield pumpjack raises onto its hind legs beside the zoo’s sign along the highway this weekend, it will be the fruition of owner Doug Bos’s long-held dream. Bos had the idea of designing a moving giraffe mascot for the zoo even before receiving a donated out-of-commission pumpjack some 11 years ago, said his wife Debbi Rowland. Since the wildlife park has 13 bears, but no longer has giraffes, Bos’s younger brother, Bert Bos, suggested designing an animated bear mascot instead. The metal bear would go up and down, along with the action of the pumpjack, potentially making it one of the largest animated bears in the world.
Please see MASCOT on Page A2
Colleges assessing if students affected by diplomats’ job action Red Deer College officials are scrambling to help incoming international students affected when federal visa officers walked off the job at 15 foreign offices. The move announced on Monday was the latest salvo in a labour dispute between the union representing foreign diplomats and the federal government. Offices in Beijing, Mexico City and New Delhi, London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, among others were affected. “This has been something we have been watching for a while,” said college president Joel Ward. Sixty-six international students were expected to start studies in Red Deer this fall and a number of others
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here are continuing their studies. Ward said the college’s women’s basketball coach is already helping two players from the Congo, who are stuck in Los Angeles trying to get their paperwork completed.
plans are up in the air and may have to rethink their school of choice. “We’re concerned that if they can’t get in (to Canada) they will choose to go elsewhere like the United States or Britain.
FOREIGN STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE AN ESTIMATED $8 BILLION ANNUALLY TO THE CANADIAN ECONOMY, AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY SAYS IT COULD LOSE $280 MILLION BECAUSE OF THE JOB ACTION. “It’s really a challenge because they can’t get their visas processed right now because of the work action.” Another student who wants to play for the men’s basketball team is among the dozens of others whose Red Deer
WEATHER
INDEX
Mainly sunny. High 22. Low 10.
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“I know that every one of my colleagues across the country is dealing with this issue in one form or another.” Ward said the college’s registry staff are going through each international student’s application to determine
the status of their study permits and whether they can start school in the fall. The college has also taken its concerns to local MP Earl Dreeshen’s office, and Ward said MPs across Canada are undoubtedly taking the same calls from post-secondary institutions. Foreign students contribute an estimated $8 billion annually to the Canadian economy, and the tourism industry says it could lose $280 million because of the job action. “We’re hopeful that the federal government will intervene and try to get things moving again. But we only have another month before classes start,” said Ward. “We’re a little worried for those international students, so we will continue to do our best.”
Please see VISAS on Page A2
ALBERTA
SPORTS
CALGARY ZOO PARTIALLY RE-OPENS
JAYS TAKE A’S IN EXTRA INNINGS
The popular Penguin Plunge was one of the exhibits on view as the Calgary Zoo welcomed visitors on Wednesday for the first time since the animal park was heavily damaged in June’s flooding. A3
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R.A. Dickey still believes the Toronto Blue Jays can make something of this season, even sitting in last place in the difficult AL East. They won on Wednesday despite four errors. B4
Perennials 10 for $49.99 Reg. $6.99/each
Garden Furniture 20-50% Off
“back to the roots”
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BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF