FEEL THE RAONIC ADVANCES PAIN Ritter draws on painful memories for film role
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Milos Raonic was relieved to stay alive at the Rogers Cup
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Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, AUG. 7, 2014
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‘She did the right thing’ BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF
REDFORD RESIGNATION
“She did the right thing,” was the resounding response following news that former Alberta premier Alison Redford has resigned from the legislature. Redford, who gave up the premiership in March, made the announcement in an exclusive opinion piece published in the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald on Wednesday. The Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Elbow said her resignation from
CHRONOLOGY OF THE REDFORD SCANDAL A3 the legislature would be effective immediately and she will resume work in international development and public policy. She also noted she would not be accepting any of the transition allowance given to members of the legislature who leave their seats. The news follows on the heels of documents
Rebels bid to host Memorial Cup
leaked to CBC last week from Auditor General Merwan Saher’s investigation into Redford’s spending. The investigation found Redford’s passenger lists on government planes had been falsified so she could fly alone. “I recognize that mistakes were made along the way. In hindsight, there were many things I would have done differently. That said, I accept responsibility for all the decisions I have made,” Redford said in her letter.
Please see REDFORD on Page A2
CROSSING THE LINES
BY JOSH ALDRICH ADVOCATE STAFF The Red Deer Rebels will bid to host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup. A bid by the Western Hockey League club has been discussed for months. But team officials did so with caution after a frustrating process in 2011, when the 2013 Canadian Hockey League tournament essentially went to the highest bidder. The Saskatoon Blades offered $3.5 million in profit guarantees and a 14,000-seat building for the 2013 championship, and Red Deer’s bid fell short. The only competing bid for the 2016 tournament will come from the Vancouver Giants, who last hosted the event in 2007. “It’s not just about the Rebels, it’s about our city, it’s about Central Alberta and it’s about Alberta,” said Rebels owner/general manger/head coach Brent Sutter, on Wednesday in confirming the bid. “It hasn’t been hosted in our province since 1974 (in Calgary), so when 2016 gets here it’s going to be 42 years. When you see it’s been hosted in other provinces four or five times and down into the U.S. three or four times, it’s pretty amazing really that it hasn’t (been back to Alberta).” The Memorial Cup rotates between the three leagues that make up the CHL. At the end of the coming season, the Quebec Ramparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will host the tournament, from May 21 to 31, 2015. Sutter said as host, Red Deer would receive an economic impact of between $15 million and $25 million. Reports put the money injected into the Saskatoon regional economy as a result of the 2013 event at anywhere from $11 million to $19 million. For it to be a successful tournament, Sutter added, it will take the co-operation and support of the city, the province and corporate community. That doesn’t even get to the importance of putting a successful team on the ice. In Saskatoon, the province and Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre wound up having to pay $1 million to the CHL to cover a $3.5-million profit guarantee made in the bidding process. But the major issue was on the ice: the Blades were not good enough to realistically challenge for the Memorial Cup. Sutter said the hockey side of the equation should weigh much more heavily into the decision-making process. “You really put your franchises in deep trouble if you put it into a city that’s not capable of handling it just on the hockey side,” said Sutter. “(Saskatoon) was an event that was not sold out, it was an event that unfortunately the home team did not get through the first round of the playoffs and obviously had a hard time at the Mem Cup. When that happens, it has a tendency to not be as much excitement in the city as there needs to be.” He said the Rebels struggled last year on the ice, but with an eye on 2016. They chose to rebuild the club with a raft of young players.
Please see CUP on Page A2
WEATHER 30% showers. High 21. Low 10.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . C4,C5 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D3 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B6
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Herb Ziegler lays down a strip of yellow paint on the crosswalk outside the Dawe Centre as his coworker Harold Tunney keeps the paint flowing and the lines from tangling on Wednesday. The two City of Red Deer Recreation Parks and Culture employees were tuning up the street markings outside the Dawe Centre and St. Patrick’s School in preparation for the first day of school which is today Thursday at St. Pat’s.
‘Campus-style’ high school development envisioned for northeast Red Deer BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR High school students from the public, Catholic and francophone school districts might one day share facilities — including community sports fields — in a “campus style” development in northeast Red Deer. That vision is set out in a proposed Northeast High Schools and Play Fields Area Structure Plan, which was endorsed by the city’s municipal planning commission on Wednesday. The commission forwarded the plan to city council for consideration. The plan area consists of nearly 56 acres of cityowned land northeast of where 67th Street and 30th Avenue will intersect following their future realignment. The eastern portion of the parcel would be earmarked for high school construction, which is expected to occur over the next 10 to 25 years. The commission was told that work on a new Red Deer Regional Catholic School Division high school is expected to begin next year, with Red Deer Public School District anticipating another public high school by around 2020. A high school for Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord likely won’t be required for 20 years or more. Three rectangular, competitive sports fields are tentatively planned, with these to be developed west of the schools on a phased basis. The commission heard that the fields would be designed and built to
a standard suitable for provincial-level sports tournaments and track events. The sports fields would be used by the high schools and by members of the broader community. A “community gathering area” near the schools is also contemplated, and a nearby wetlands area will be preserved. Although the three schools would share some facilities, they’d each also have private space to ensure their identities are maintained, said Planning Department documents. All three school boards have expressed support for the plan. A June 26 public open house did not generate comments. The Northeast High Schools and Play Fields Area Structure Plan would fall within Red Deer’s East Hill Major Area Structure Plan. That plan has adopted nine neighbourhood planning principles, including the development of unique neighbourhoods, integrated parks and community spaces, mixed land uses and natural areas. “I think we have a fantastic opportunity,” said Coun. Ken Johnston of the benefits the sports fields would bring to the city. Coun. Dianne Wyntjes commented on the value of the city working with the three school districts. “I think it’s really great to see the collaboration between our francophone, Catholic and public schools.” hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com
Women back mom mocked for stretch marks About two dozen women attended a ‘Bare Your Belly’ rally in Edmonton on Wednesday. Story on PAGE A3
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