FROM HEAD TO TAIL Paul Greenberg wants you to eat more whole fish
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Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014
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Thousands of pigs killed in barn fire
Chicken licences available today COUNCIL GIVES FINAL APPROVAL ON BACKYARD CHICKEN BYLAW BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
Photos by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate staff
A hog barn at the Bentley Hutterite Colony was destroyed by fire early Monday morning. BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF About 4,500 pigs died when fire swept through a hog barn at the Bentley Hutterite Colony on Monday morning. Bentley Fire Chief Todd Gustafson said they got the call about 6:45 a.m. and when the first volunteer firefighters arrived heavy smoke was already billowing from one of two large hog barns located side by side at the farm site about five km southeast of Bentley. “It was heavily involved. There were some flames showing on the north and east side of the building itself but there was certainly heavy smoke coming from all sides of the building,” Gustafson said. Lacombe, Blackfalds, Eckville and Sylvan Lake fire departments arrived to help and about four dozen firefighters were on scene at peak. Gustafson said it was apparent early on the barn was too badly damaged to save so the focus was on keeping flames from spreading. “So we basically put all of our resources into saving the building on the south,” he said. “Fortunately, we were able to save the south barn. I guess at the end of the day we did what we could to contain the fire and keep losses at a minimum.” The fire was under control around 1 p.m. but was still smouldering more
than an hour later as cleanup continued. Some of the pigs in the north barn were moved out in time, but most succumbed to the smoke. Several thousand pigs in the south barn also survived thanks to firefighters’ efforts. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A damage estimate was not yet available. Colony resident Lela Hofer said the fire department arrived within five to 10 minutes of the call, but the fire had spread quickly. “By the time the fire trucks were here it was too far gone already. They
wouldn’t let nobody into the barn anymore or the office. The whole building was on fire already.” Two dogs were rescued from the burning barn and a computer hard drive with all of the hog operation information was saved from an office area between the barns. A new feeding system had just been installed in the barn, which was insured she said. Her husband, his brother and her two sons spent every day working in the barn, which was left a twisted mess of corrugated steel.
Please see FIRE on Page A2
Urban chicken licences are now available for the pecking. Council voted 4-2 in support of hatching a new chicken bylaw permitting up to four chickens per household on Monday. In doing so, Red POOL REPORT Deer became the SUBMITTED A3 largest city in Alberta that allows backyard hens. The new bylaw permits 65 chicken licences each year based on population. The $28 licences can be purchased through the city’s licensing department. Thirty licences will be set aside for the homes that participated in the city’s urban chicken pilot. Councillors Buck Buchanan and Lawrence Lee did not support the bylaw. During debate, Lee raised concerns about diseases, health and safety. Lee quoted a report that said increased contact between people and chickens increases the risks of certain diseases. He also raised concerns about inexperienced urban chicken farmers and animal welfare. “You can’t simply go out on the street corner and grab four chickens and throw them in your backyard,” said Lee, noting there is a large number of residents who do not support backyard chickens. “I think there has to be some level of educated training . . . with any animal’s welfare. It’s no different with chickens. I think you have to take the responsibility of owning that and being a responsible pet owner.” His comments ruffled Coun. Lynne Mulder as she accused Lee of fear mongering. Mulder said the city has done its research and worked hard to get the bylaw right.
Please see CHICKENS on Page A2
Woman undergoes surgeries after accidentally eating bristle from grill brush BY MYLES FISH ADVOCATE STAFF On June 28, Kim and Darcy Schellenberg sat down with son Quinton to enjoy some homemade barbecued burgers. Darcy took a bite and realized there was one topping that did not belong. “He had gotten a little piece on his tongue just before me and he took it and threw it in the garbage and had said ‘Oh, a piece of barbecue brush,’” explained Kim. Moments later, the 46-year-old artist took her own bite. “At first when I was chewing I
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didn’t feel it, but then as some of the food moved away there was something there, and by that time it was so far back that I couldn’t get enough tongue thrust to move it forward to get it out. And then ‘bang,’ it was stuck.” Kim had ingested a miniscule bristle from the grill brush that Darcy had used to clean the couple’s barbecue. She failed at an attempt to pluck it out with a long pair of tweezers, and as the moments passed she could feel what felt like a two-ended pin poke its way further and further down her throat.
Please see BRISTLE on Page A2
INDEX Two sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . .A8, A9 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .B8-B10 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . .B12 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5-B7
Photo by MYLES FISH/Advocate staff
Kim Schellenberg holds out the barbecue grill brush from which a bristle broke off and ended up in a hamburger she ate. Schellenberg underwent two unsuccessful surgeries that tried to remove the sharp bristle from her throat.
Rockets rain down on Israel Militants in the Gaza Strip unleashed dozens of rockets on southern Israel late Monday, setting off air raid sirens. Story on PAGE A6
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