TIGERS TOUGH REBELS CAN’T FIND WAY TO BEAT CENTRAL DIVISION’S TOP TEAM SPORTS — PAGE B4
AUTHOR CAPS WHITE-HOT YEAR/C5
Red Deer Advocate WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 2014
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Keystone XL vote fails ALBERTA PREMIER PRENTICE DISAPPOINTED U.S. SENATE REJECTS BILL BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says he is disappointed the U.S. Senate failed to pass a bill authorizing the immediate construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But Prentice says he is encouraged that the controversial line is gaining increased bipartisan support in the halls of the U.S. lawmakers. Prentice says he plans to travel to Washington in January, but no specific dates have been set.
Pipeline supporters needed 60 votes to win approval for the bill, but it went down to defeat by a margin of 59-41. Had it passed, U.S. President Barack Obama was widely expected to veto the bill, which was designed to short-circuit the White House’s own environmental review process. The pipeline would take Alberta bitumen to ports in Texas, but environmentalists say it poses a danger to the ecosystem and encourages the production of greenhouse gases. “We’re obviously disappointed that the Keystone
School board rejects, then approves multischool site
project did not reach the requisite number of votes in the Senate,” Prentice said Tuesday afternoon. But Prentice is still hopeful it will pass eventually. “It’s fair to say that it’s the end of a particular Congress and there is a new Congress that will be sworn in in the beginning of January, a new Senate, specifically, and I’m certain the process will carry on at that point in a Senate that is more clearly dominated by Republicans.”
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FIRE CHIEF FOR A DAY
RED DEER PUBLIC REVERSAL AVOIDS HOLDING UP RED DEER CATHOLIC PROJECT BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF A lack of shared spaces at the site of three proposed high schools led the Red Deer Public School District board to vote against the site concept plan at first. Eight days later, board trustees held a second vote and changed their position, supporting the site. The multi-school site is at the northeast corner of 67th Street and 30th Avenue. Public school district superintendent Piet Langstraat said the board was told by the City of Red Deer it had to approve the site concept plan so Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools district could get its new high school on time. On Oct. 22, the proposal for the Northeast High School Site Concept Plan was defeated by a vote of four to three by the public school board. Trustees Bev Manning, Cathy Peacocke and Bill Stuebing voted in favour and trustees Diane Macaulay, Jim Watters, Bill Christie and Dick Lemke voted against. “We came quickly to the realization that unless we were to give our consent, the Catholic school board wouldn’t be able to go ahead with their project,” said Manning. “We did not want to hold up their project.” On Oct. 30, a special meeting was called and a second vote on the site concept plan took place. Macaulay was the only person to vote against the plan at that point. Watters, Christie and Lemke changed their votes. Macaulay asked for a recorded vote. The three high schools will be built on the site in phases. The Catholic high school will be the first on the site and needed the project approved. Utility servicing work on the site could be completed by the end of the year. Guy Pelletier, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools board chair, said the his board voted unanimously in favour. “We got the funding announcement for it in early 2014,” said Pelletier. “We’d like to be under construction next spring. We need it.” The proposed Catholic high school already has a name, St. Joseph’s High School. It is tentatively scheduled to open in September 2017. When opened, it would have the capacity for 1,200 students. Ultimately, there will also be a Francophone high school built at the site. The public board had hoped to have more shared facilities at the site, such as a gym or a career and technology studies lab that could include manufacturing, design, construction, trades and heavy-equipment related programming. “There are certain facilities at high schools that are very expensive to build,” said Manning. “We can do our taxpayers a huge service if we work together to share those spaces. “It came back to us showing separate buildings.”
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WEATHER 30% flurries. High -5. Low -10.
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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
City of Red Deer Fire Chief for a Day Matthew Feehan, 6, reaches up to activate the emergency lights on a pumper truck as his brother Zachary, 8, and fire-medic Matt Ree look on Tuesday morning. Feehan’s name was drawn from 1,500 entries as part of the Fire Prevention Week recently. As part of the day, Feehan and his brother were picked up from Mattie McCullough Elementary school and taken to Emergency Services Station No. 1 for a tour and then returned back to school where they enjoyed a pizza party with some Emergency Services personnel. Feehan also got a $150 gift card, as did one student from each school that participated in the Fire Prevention Week program.
Christmas charities ramping up campaigns BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF Work is underway to ensure that those in need have toys for their children and food for their families this Christmas. Teresa Kutynec, Red Deer Christmas Bureau president, said numbers are up slightly from the same time last year with 124 registrations so far. Last year the bureau assisted 850 families and 946 children. “We think there may be a bit of an increase this year just because of the economy. I think people are going to find it tough,” Kutynec said on Tuesday. “I think we’re going to see more kids this year.” People have until Dec. 17 to register and until Dec. 18 to choose toys. People from Red Deer, Penhold, Springbrook and Red Deer County are eligible to apply. The bureau plans to give out 850 food hampers again this year that include traditional Christmas fixings worth about $100, along with a gift card for food. Kutynec said volunteers are bracing themselves for the big rush when parents arrive at the bureau to choose toys, games, and books for their children. “Our clients are so happy there is a service for them to help them because toys are so expensive. Stuff will be flying out.”
She expects Disney’s Olaf toys will be a favourite. Parents can also get mitts, toques and scarves and holiday pyjamas. The bureau discourages donations of gift cards even for teens, who are notoriously hard to please. That way, everyone has something to unwrap on Christmas morning. Since last week, about 40 families have registered for Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family campaign that matches each donor with a family. Between 160 and 180 families are expect to sign up by the Dec. 12 deadline. Deanna Scott, family services co-ordinator with the Salvation Army, said more sponsors are supplying grocery gift cards instead of buying food so families can choose what is suitable to their tastes, dietary restrictions and cultural preferences. “Gift cards are almost the better option because you never know what they want to eat. Twenty years ago, it didn’t matter,” Scott said. Mall gift cards for teens are also a safe present because they can buy exactly what they want, she said. The Salvation Army suggests sponsors provide $100 in gifts for each child and $50 in food for each member of the family. “Some people stick to it. Some people go way above and beyond,” Scott said.
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The next dimension of real estate Imagine placing your living room furniture into a house you’re thinking of buying using a computer or smartphone. Story on PAGE B1
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