PLUMP WITH MEMORIES Making perogies isn’t about getting the job done, it’s about making memories
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Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, JAN. 7, 2014
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Your trusted local news authority GIANT QUINZEE
OPERATING BUDGET
Snow, core services expected to dominate debate BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Standing with his arms outstretched, Dallas Snider of Red Deer just reaches the ceiling of his quinzee. Snider got the idea to build the giant snow fort on his Christmas break from studies at Red Deer College. Using a snowblower, Snider piled snow in the yard outside his home to the height of about two and a half metres. Then he began the process of digging out a living space inside. Snider, 22, used shovels and a chainsaw to cut out blocks from the interior of the pile. The room that he and family members created has had as many as 26 people in it at one time. Complete with a couch, which he buried under the pile of snow, and decorative lighting, the quinzee was a labour well worth the effort, he says. In contrast to an igloo, which is made by cutting and stacking blocks of snow, a quinzee is made by hollowing out a pile of settled snow.
Ottawa funds gang reduction strategy in Maskwacis BY MYLES FISH ADVOCATE STAFF A gang reduction initiative modelled after one in Chicago that reduced shootings in that city’s most violent neighbourhood by nearly 70 per cent in its first year is coming to Maskwacis. On Monday, Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins announced $2.9 million for the community, formerly known as Hobbema, to implement the crime prevention program. The funding over five years comes from Public Safety Canada’s Youth Gang Prevention Fund. A main part of the successful program in Chicago sees former gang members engaging with youth who may already be involved in gangs to help mitigate conflict before it turns violent. Along with employing “violence interrupters” in the streets to resolve conflicts peacefully, Chicago’s CeaseFire program focuses on behavioural change of high-risk individuals and changing community norms. Samson Cree Nation band Coun. Kirk Buffalo has already seen some change in community norms stemming from citizens being fed up with the gang violence that has plagued the four First Nations — Ermineskin, Louis Bull, and Montana are the others — that make up Maskwacis. Gang activity has declined, he said, and after the last violent incident community members stepped up to assist RCMP to catch the perpetrator. “We understand and know we do have a problem of people that have been misguided,” said Buffalo.
WEATHER 30% flurries. High -7. Low -16.
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“It’s becoming friends and understanding who they are. Once that happens, we won’t be in the news. We can’t change things in five years, but we can definitely make choices and learn from what’s happened in the past to make tomorrow a brighter future,” said Buffalo. The community of about 12,500 has been beset by violent gang activity in recent years, highlighted by the 2011 shooting death of a five-year-old sleeping in bed by youth gang members. RCMP recently reported that the number of gangs operating in the community had fallen from 13 to five, with 150 to 180 active members, down from 300. The program at Maskwacis will get underway in the coming months and is being run by the Samson Cree Nation. Called the Maskwacis Conflict Resolution Program: Maskwacis Youth Initiative, it is intended primarily for approximately 600 aboriginal youth aged 14 to 25 who are either involved in gangs or at risk of getting involved in the violent lifestyle. Saying “the answers lie from within,” Buffalo wants to see people on-reserve facilitating the program and getting young people to talk. He said he hopes collaborative efforts like talking and justice circles will be part of the program, along with traditional ceremonies. “To me that’s where all the healing begins. That’s where all the connections begin, once you direct the youth to their cultural side, to who they are. The beauty of the ceremonies help develop an individual,” said Buffalo.
Please see GANGS on Page A2
Snow removal is expected to spark lively debate when Red Deer city council takes a fine-tooth comb to the 2014 operating budget this week. Starting today, city council will begin reviewing the administration-recommended $302.6-million budget that comes with a projected 3.8 per cent property tax hike. If the budget is approved without any changes, annual taxes on a $301,100 home would rise $66.12 to $1,896, compared to $1,830 in 2013. The monthly increase would be $5.51. Mayor Tara Veer said council has heard from the public that they want the city to improve its core services, find savings and invest in areas such as policing, residential snow clearing and the city’s snow and ice control policy. Veer said she hopes council will resolve those areas in the policy around the average snowfall events and residential snow clearing. “I hope we look at it from two perspectives,” said Veer. “One from average snow event and one in terms of our plans in an emergency basis. I think we have a couple of key areas to respond to public concerns. But I also do not want us to have a knee-jerk reaction to what has been an extreme snow event so we are over-collecting on taxes for an average year as well.” Veer said the budget reflects savings in areas through cuts in conference travel, consultant fees and by not filling vacant staff positions. Veer hopes when councillors review the budget, they will consider city surveys, what they heard on the campaign trail and the practical realities of funding shortfalls. City chief financial officer Dean Krejci said the tax increase is in line with previous years. Last year, taxpayers received a 4.28 per cent increase on their bills. Krejci said there was more revenue generation, mostly on the tax supported side, that helped offset tax increases rather than belt tightening. “Based on the snow and ice issue that we are facing, I would hazard to guess it (the projected 3.8 per cent tax hike) would increase,” said Krejci. He would not give an idea of the increase or impact. Some key ongoing initiatives in the budget include the RCMP fee agreement, police officer and municipal employee staffing and the corporate fleet of vehicles.
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Flu death toll rises to 10 BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Health says 10 people have died in the province after getting the flu, with 40 others in intensive care and another 300 being treated in hospital. Health officials say they are also rethinking the best way to go about distributing flu shots. Dr. Jim Talbot, chief medical officer, says they’re looking to concentrate more on supplying large mass clinics and not so much on individual pharmacies. He says it’s too difficult to maintain a system with 1,500 entry points. He says supplies of the flu vaccine are not infinite, but by centralizing its availability it should cut down on patient frustration. In Prince Albert, Sask., a shortage of flu vaccine has forced the Parkland Health Region to cancel a drop-in immunization clinic in the city.
Protesters evade Prime Minister’s security A pair of climate-change protesters walked onto a stage within touching distance of the PM before they were whisked away. Story on PAGE A5
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