WHEEL AND DEAL
REALITY SHOW ANGERS GAY ADVOCATES/C6
With Monday’s addition of Connor Gay to the roster, someone had to go. That someone was Tyler Sandhu. SPORTS — PAGE B1
Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, JAN. 8, 2015
www.reddeeradvocate.com
Your trusted local news authority
GDP poised to tumble WEAK OIL PRICES WILL SLOW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION, RETAIL ACTIVITY: ECONOMIST BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR ATB Financial is warning that weak oil and natural gas prices will result in economic pain for Alberta this year. But the province is still in relatively good shape
and a recession is unlikely. An economic outlook issued by the Crown-owned financial institution on Wednesday projected that Alberta’s GDP growth will tumble to 2.0 per cent this year, about half the 2014 rate. Unemployment is expected to climb to 5.4 per cent, as compared with 4.7 per cent last year, and a slower in-migration of people to the province will hamper residential construction and retail activity.
“The economic picture painted by our research certainly shows a slowdown,” said Todd Hirsch, ATB Financial’s chief economist. “But it’s not doom and gloom here. We’re still on track with Canadian averages; we’re just not full steam ahead as we have been in recent years.”
Please see ECONOMY on Page A2
JE SUIS CHARLIE
2015 OPERATING BUDGET
Snow and ice policy praised BY ADVOCATE STAFF The early reviews are in — and they’re good — for the city’s new snow and ice policy. “I think when we first rolled it out there was a lot of concern and angst about what is a dual windrow, what’s that going to look like and what does it mean to me,” said Elaine Vincent, the city’s director of development services. “Now that we’ve had that first residential snow clearing program we’ve seen that angst calm down,” said Vincent following a budget presentation to council. “Residents are seeing what it is. It is quicker and it is faster.” Windrows are the piles left by snow plows. In the past, they were piled on one side of the street but the new policy is to deposit smaller piles on each side of a street.
Please see SNOW on Page A2
Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mourners hold signs depicting victim’s eyes during a rally in support of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly newspaper that fell victim to an terrorist attack, Wednesday, at Union Square in New York. French officials say 12 people were killed when masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of the periodical that had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad. Please see related stories on page A4 and A5.
Buchanan demands greater security for city assets BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
CORPORATE SERVICES
Red Deer city Coun. Buck Buchanan got all fired up about the security at city-owned buildings and properties. Buchanan took issue with the city’s plans to spend $40,000 to develop a corporate security program on the second day of operating budget presentations on Wednesday. Buchanan questioned the low priority placed on something he said is critical to the security of people, information and finances in city operations. Director of Corporate Services Paul Goranson said the dollars will help them move forward in developing mid-to long-term security strategies. “Some of the things that are happening in our world and in Canada does put more emphasis on the need for different focuses of security,” he said. Buchanan said the work is not being done fast enough.
Clearing. High -17. Low -26.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . C4,C5 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D3 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . C6 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B3
— COUN. BUCK BUCHANAN
“It’s critical in everything we do,” said Buchanan. “We talk about our assets. We talk about our financial . . . yet it is running off the corner of someone’s desk. I am wondering at this slow pace. When do we up the ante.” Lisa Perkins, director of corporate transformation, said the city has a corporate security team
Please see SECURITY on Page A2
Strong holiday season for retailers It was a merry meteorological Christmas for retailers, with relatively mild weather being credited for strong seasonal sales.
PLEASE
RECYCLE
Story on PAGE C4
SOUTHSIDE DODGE CHRYSLER & RV AT THE WESTERNER OVER 500 NEW & PREOWNED AUTOS AND RVS INDOORS
MANY ONE OF A KINDS January 2-11 • Monday - Saturday 10am - 8pm • Sunday 11am - 5pm
PRICES DRASTICALLY • REDUCED FOR THIS EVENT NEW VEHICLES STARTING FROM $99 BIWEEKLY. PREOWNED VEHICLES STARTING FROM $79 0% FINANCING AVAILABLE ON SOME MODELS
NO PAYMENTS FOR 90 DAYS
Home of the
10,000
$
MONTHLY CASH DRAW
plus WE ARE GIVING
AWAY ANOTHER $25,000 DURING THIS EVENT
403-346-5577
52731A2,3
WEATHER
‘SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD AND IN CANADA DOES PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON THE NEED FOR DIFFERENT FOCUSES OF SECURITY.’
which represents finance, information, technology services, buildings, assets and other areas. The team has policies and reporting processes in place, similar to what the city does around health and safety. She said as the city has found best practice opportunities to improve safety when doing building renovations such as at the Civic Yards buildings and the G.H. Dawe Centre and the Recreation Centre. Security plans have been built into most city buildings and facilities. Buchanan said this highlights the need for an organizational review. He said if planning and legal services can be brought in house than a corporate security division is possible. “Like any other program or service as the needs grow, how we choose to offer that service could be using in house, external, consulting, embedded within an already existing area,” said Perkins. “I think that needs to be determined. Again form follows function.”