Red Deer Advocate, September 11, 2013

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Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate

TRAINING CAMPS TO BEGIN AFTER SHORT OFFSEASON

STILL FOOLIN’ ’EM Billy Crystal is your typical baby boomer

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Red Deer Advocate WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2013

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Space in short supply AVERAGE VACANCY DIPS TO 3.1 PER CENT FROM 3.44 PER CENT IN 2012 BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR

INDUSTRIAL PARKS

Industrial space in Red Deer is growing increasingly tight, says a local appraisal company. And higher rents are the consequence.

Soderquist Appraisals Ltd.’s July 2013 survey of more than a dozen industrial parks in and around Red Deer revealed an average vacancy rate of 3.1 per cent, which was down 0.34 percentage points from the 3.44 per cent figure calculated for the same

month in 2012. The year before that, the vacancy rate was 3.7 per cent. “The economy, on the industrial side, is very, very strong,” said Mike Garcelon, CEO and senior appraiser with Soderquist. “So I can see the vacancy rate potentially going even lower than this. It might be sub-three next year.”

Please see VACANCY on Page A2

Mice biting patient’s face prompts care review

STANTEC COMMUNITY DAY

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Todd Simenson, senior principal with Stantec in Red Deer shows some flare as he flips a chicken burger off the grill at City Hall Park Tuesday. ‘It’s Stantec Community Day,’ said Russ Wlad, Stantec vice-president in charge of operations for Alberta Central Northern region. ‘We have basically taken all the resources of Stantec in Red Deer and focused them on a common effort and we chose the food drive (for the Red Deer Food Bank) because there is such a great need for food in the community,’ said Wlad. ‘Our goal is to have a couple of tons of food by the end of the end of the day.’ Cash donations and funds raised from the sale of burgers will also go to helping the Red Deer Food Bank.

EDMONTON — Alberta’s health minister has ordered an investigation into a complaint that mice were found nibbling on the face of a dementia patient at a long-term care home. Fred Horne said Tuesday the probe will be conducted under the Protection for Persons in Care Act, along with a review into whether health standards were breached at the Lethbridge facility. “I’m extremely angry about this,” he told reporters outside his office. “This is completely unacceptable. It’s intolerable in this province or any other province, and we will get to the bottom of it.” A health-care advocacy group has alleged that staff at St. Therese Villa found mice on the face of the patient on Sept. 1. The woman has disabilities and would not have been able to move the rodents away. Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said a nest of mice was later found in the woman’s closet. She has been given medication to prevent infection and is also suffering emotionally. Azocar said staff at the care home first complained about mice a year ago and they have also been fighting a bed bug infestation. The 200-bed facility is operated by Covenant Health, a Catholic health-care organization. Its vicepresident, Shelley Murphy, has acknowledged that St. Therese Villa has had mice problems in the past but said audits ensure standards are met and all of its buildings are kept clean. Horne said he’s concerned to hear that concerns of St. Therese staff may not have been heard by management. “My hope is that by ordering this investigation it will make it clear to everyone that we want the information, that people are free to tell their story, that they actually be encouraged to bring their concerns forward.” Horne doesn’t know how long the two reviews will take but said the results of both will be made public. As well, Alberta Health Services workers are monitoring operations at St. Therese Villa. Horne added that George VanderBurg, associate minister of seniors, will start touring various care homes across the province this fall.

Please see REVIEW on Page A2

Trial hears steak knife, vacuum cleaner used in brawl BY BRENDA KOSSOWAN ADVOCATE STAFF Trial is underway for a Coronation man accused of stabbing an acquaintance who refused to join him for a beer. Daniel Malcolm Holland is charged with assault, aggravated assault and using a knife for a criminal purpose in connection with an incident at the home of Steven Polege in Coronation on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010. Polege, 40, testified before Justice Monica Bast in

WEATHER Sunny. High 25. Low 8.

FORECAST ON A2

INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B3 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . C6 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B7

Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday that he got home late from work to find the house locked and the stereo blaring. Questioned by Crown prosecutor Tony Bell, Polege said he had some words with Holland after being let into the house. Polege told Bell he showered, changed clothes, joined Holland for a drink and then retired to his bedroom to watch a movie and get some sleep. He testified that Holland came to his door a number of times because he wanted someone to party with him. On the last occasion, Holland came into the room with a steak knife in his hand.

“He said, ‘Do you want a piece of this?’ ” Polege said the fight was on when Holland poked him in the stomach with the knife. He said he grabbed a small vacuum cleaner that was in the hallway outside of his door and hit Holland a couple of times in the head with it, continuing to punch the man after machine broke into pieces. He confirmed for defence counsel Molly McVey that he “slammed” Holland to the floor and continued to punch him after prying the knife from his hand.

Please see COURT on Page A2

Diplomatic split threatens Syria deal The United States and France were at odds with Russia on Tuesday over the threat of force in a UN resolution. Story on PAGE A6

PLEASE

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