A2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014
Albertans urged to take flu precautions BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF
H1N1
Alberta Health said Tuesday that nine people have died from the flu in Alberta as of Monday. As well, 288 people in Alberta are hospitalized with the H1N1 virus, and 70 of those people are being treated in intensive care units across the province. In the Central Zone, which includes Red Deer, as of Monday there are 190 confirmed cases of influenza, of which 165 are H1N1, with 24 of the total being hospitalized with the H1N1 flu. On Dec. 28, the Central Zone numbers were 83 confirmed cases of flu, with 79 being H1N1, and 10 in hospital. Alberta Health said it would be able to break out the numbers of deaths and those in ICU by zone on
Wednesday. Health officials have not confirmed if there were any deaths in Central Alberta, but rumours persist that one Central Albertan has died. At a press conference on Monday, Dr. Jim Talbot, chief medical officer for Alberta Health estimated slightly higher numbers than what Alberta Health announced Tuesday evening. Talbot said those who died were between 18 and 64. Many had underlying illnesses but some were young healthy adults. Five people had died as of Jan. 1, three in Edmonton and two in Calgary. H1N1, which is one of three strains included in this year’s flu vaccine, has been the dominant flu
STORIES FROM PAGE A1
COLLISION: Significant traumatic injuries Three other passengers were in critical condition and sent to Foothills Hospital in Calgary. Two of those were airlifted by STARS. The remaining passenger was taken by ground ambulance to Olds General Hospital in stable condition. He was the only one ambulatory at the scene, said Const. Rob Power of Olds RCMP, who was one of the first responders. Power said two of the victims are now stable and progressing well. The third victim recovering in Calgary is still in critical but stable condition. “All patients sustained significant traumatic injuries as a result of the collision, varying from internal injuries to fractures,” said Adam Loria, public education officer with Calgary EMS. Multiple emergency crews responded to the crash from Olds, Didsbury and Airdrie. Loria called the incident “very traumatic.” It is initially believed the SUV was westbound on the highway, a rural, undivided two-lane stretch of road. The van was heading east, towards Range Road 12, when the two collided. Police say early indications suggest the van veered into the westbound lane. “It would appear that is was just a minor driver error. The roads were good. Speed doesn’t appear to be a factor. Alcohol is not a factor — there is nothing to indicate they had been drinking. They’d just left work,” Power said. “Right now we’re just hoping that everyone who survived pulls through and making sure the families have the support that they need. ... It’s devastating tragedy.” The highway was reopened around 10:30 p.m. on Monday. Police will not be releasing the names of those involved in the collision. Mills’ son, Mark Mills, who is a musician in Calgary, posted a message honouring his mother on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning: “Twenty-nine years after bringing this fragile flesh of mine into the world, my mother passed on,” he wrote. “She helped me through every change in life, and asked for little in return. Her unconditional love will resonate through the ages. For all that I am, thank you mom. For sending me love 29 years straight, thank you mom. For teaching me how to nurture a child, thank you mom. I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my mother you’ll be . . . .” rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate.com
SUTTER: Cherry took it ‘totally the wrong way’ Sutter answered back Tuesday, less than 24 hours after arriving back in Red Deer. “My point is this — hockey is no longer Canada’s game. It’s an international game now, a world game,” said the Red Deer Rebels owner/general manger/ head coach. “These other countries have caught up to us in talent and speed and the way the game is played. I was asked what we need to do, how can we continue to grow our game to make it better? “My comment was that we need to continue to work on our skills and talent and get better in those areas. Every team at the world juniors was a tough
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Please see H1N1 on Page A3
game and the Russians and Swedes were probably played there were 15 or 16, so now you have more the most skilled and biggest teams in the tourna- players and less ice time, and that all has an impact ment. on development. That’s not saying we don’t have lots “It had nothing to do with how our kids played of talent, but we have to understand that other coun— they played hard and competed hard. They were tries have caught up to us in that department.” great kids, fun to be around. It was a great group to Sutter noted that the calibre of play at the world work with. That wasn’t the point, but the question is, juniors has increased big time since he coached now that it’s an international game, how do we get Team Canada to gold medals in 2005 and ’06. ourselves on top again? What are the things we need “It’s amazing how much the tournament has to do?” changed in eight years with how much talent and For starters, Sutter would like to see more prac- skill these other teams possess now,” he said. tice time afforded minor hockey players, a scenario Still, he admitted there was a major sense of disthat he admitted might be difficult to envision with appointment when the Canadians weren’t able to the lack of available ice time in local rinks. garner a WJC medal for a second consecutive year. “From talking to Benny (Team Canada assistant “The biggest thing between the players and staff coach Benoit Groulx) they don’t have as many issues and everyone involved, is you put so much time and with ice (time) (in Eastern Canada) as we have here,” effort into it. You’ve been working at it since June said Sutter. “Here, atom and peewee kids practise and then to come back with nothing is disappointonce or maybe twice a week and then play one or ing,” he said. two games on the weekend. It used to be a two-to-one Team Canada was headed in the right direction ratio from practice to games. Now these kids play 40 following a round-robin win over the USA and a subto 70 games a season and practice time is tough to get sequent quarter-final victory over Switzerland, but because ice isn’t available. then lost a semifinal to eventual champion Finland. “There is more focus on winning and losing be“The kids played hard. They were very coachable cause you’re always playing so many games. If there and receptive to everything and they became a team was more time for practice kids could work on their . . . so that part was great,” said Sutter. “But when we skills. That was my point — I wasn’t saying Canada is got into that semifinal game — and I talked to them no good anymore compared to some other countries. after about it — to a man they just froze in the moHe (Cherry) took that totally the wrong way.” ment. It was right through our whole lineup. Cherry, talking to the “It was unexplainable. Toronto Sun, also criticized You sit back now and re‘THERE IS MORE FOCUS ON the Team Canada player alize it’s something that selection process, claimyou’ll think about and WINNING AND LOSING BECAUSE ing the likes of Ontario dwell on for a long time, League skaters Max Domi YOU’RE ALWAYS PLAYING SO MANY because we were that and Darnell Nurse should GAMES. IF THERE WAS MORE TIME close.” have been on the national Sutter noted that the FOR PRACTICE, KIDS COULD WORK Canadian team was the squad. “The kids who weren’t second-youngest at the ON THEIR SKILLS. THAT WAS MY picked, like Nurse, Domi WJC and next year — and (Brent) Moran . . . POINT — I WASN’T SAYING CANADA when the tournament those kids are going to be IS NO GOOD ANYMORE COMPARED is held in Toronto and good players in the world Montreal — the national TO SOME OTHER COUNTRIES. juniors next year, at 19,” squad will be that much Sutter countered. “They (CHERRY) TOOK THAT TOTALLY THE better for the experience. weren’t ready this year. If the 2014 WJC was WRONG WAY.’ With how they’ve played Sutter’s last as the Team to date this season . . . they Canada coach, he went — BRENT SUTTER just weren’t ahead of the out with a renewed applayers we took. That’s preciation of the event what I was told by the (Hockey Canada) scouts. and the support shown by the thousands of Canadian “The team will have a lot of good 19-year-olds next fans who traveled to Sweden. year, but this year we took the best players available “It’s a great tournament and the support the Caand tried to the put the best team together.” nadian fans gave our team was tremendous,” he Cherry suggested league politics played a role in said. “We had over 4,000 fans there. We played our the Team Canada selections and also shrugged off round-robin games in a 5,000-seat rink and it was Sutter’s assertion that skill development is lacking full of mostly Canadians every game we played. at the grassroots level. You can’t really put into words how amazing it is to “Nine of the top 10 leading goal scorers in the have people come out and support you like that.” NHL are from the Canadian development system so But Team Canada fell short and the players were there must be something right about it,” said Cherry. convinced they had failed their country, something “The grassroots talent is there. I see it all the time in Sutter doesn’t feel is right. the rinks.” “Here in Canada we think it’s gold or nothing Sutter replied: “Don is referring to elite guys. I’m at this event, and I don’t know that’s fair,” he said. not talking about our elite. In 2005 we had 22 elite “There’s so much pressure put on everybody, and players (as the Sutter-coached Canadians dominated especially the players. The perception here is that the WJC at Grand Forks, N.D.), but they have talent hockey is Canada’s game when it’s not any more. It’s that God gave them. The question is, how can you a world game. You go over there and there are no make other players better? Minor hockey coaches guarantees you’re going to win it. have done a great job, but how can we get better? “Because of who we are it’s gold or nothing, but “We’re doing a good job, but can we get better with a mindset like that you put so much pressure on with maybe not emphasizing winning and losing so the players — you almost set them up to fail before much and creating more ice time to allow these kids they get there. Those kids should not leave that tourto develop at a younger age? nament feeling like they failed. No one should have “It comes down to ice time and kids don’t skate to feel that, yet to a man we all did, and it’s because on ponds any more. That’s how we got better as of our perception.” players, but you don’t see that now. There are also gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com so many teams in minor hockey. Nowadays, rosters in minor hockey consist of 20 players. Back when I
WEATHER LOCAL TODAY
strain making some people sicker than usual. As during the 2009 pandemic, H1N1 is affecting more young to middle-age adults. Talbot said the flu season is expected to peak in late January or early February. “There was recent paper in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that showed that Alberta and then Saskatchewan are the places where flu tend to enter the country first,” Talbot said. Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski said the increase in flu deaths was very concerning and urged people to wash their hands well, get immunized and don’t go to work sick. “Practise the safety measures that we all know about,” Jablonski said on Tuesday.