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Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
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Woman’s fate unclear BEVERLY WILLIAMS WAS HIKING IN HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS
NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF A Red Deer business woman is still missing after Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal and a former Red Deer politician who was climbing Mount Everest at the time had to be airlifted to safety. Beverly Williams, 60, was on a seven-day tour with about 10 people hiking to Langtang National Park in the Himalayan foothills when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck. John Oldring, 62, served both as Red Deer South MLA and was a city councillor. He is safe in Nepal after the noon-hour earthquake triggered at least one deadly avaBeverly Williams lanche on Everest. Williams’ partner Michael Dawe, who is running as the Liberal and Green Party candidate in Red Deer North in next week’s provincial election, said there has been no update regarding her so he’s spreading the word in hopes that someone will know her location and condition. So far, Williams has not turned up on any casualty or hospital list. “We’re hoping she’s in a tent and that they have water and rations for them,” Dawe said on Monday. “They are just out there somewhere. We have no idea where they are. We hope they’re OK. But I guess you just don’t know until you get that actual confirmation.” The earthquake’s epicentre was about eight km northeast of Kathmandu. Dawe said Williams was probably as close to the epicentre as she was to Kathmandu. Dawe said vehicles were used to transport supplies for the hikers so they did have some support while on route to Langtang. The last time he talked to Williams was April 22, the night before she left Kathmandu to hike. Williams operates Woolen Wonders in Red Deer and was in Nepal to buy business supplies before joining the tour.
Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nepalese and Indian rescue teams remove a body from the collapsed Sitapyla church in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday. A Red Deer business woman is still missing after Saturday’s earthquake, and a former Red Deer politician who was climbing Mount Everest at the time had to be airlifted to safety.
OTTAWA NOT DOING ENOUGH, SAYS CANADIAN A2 AID FOR QUAKE VICTIMS INTENSIFIES D3 Bonnie Oldring said her husband John, who has climbed both Mount McKinley in Alaska and Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, had advanced beyond base camp on Everest and was stuck at Camp 1 after the quake struck.
“It was a harrowing few days,” said Bonnie Oldring, now of Calgary. “The route that they went up through the ice fields became impassable with the earthquake and avalanche. That’s why they had to be helicoptered out.”
Please see QUAKE on Page A2
Thirteen candidates make RCMP wants to focus on helping their pitch to voters BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF
RED DEER ELECTION FORUM
The meat and potato issues of this Alberta election campaign — health care, education, corporate taxes, too much dependency on oil and gas, maybe it’s time for a change — all made appearances at Red Deer election forum on Monday evening. The eight candidates in Red Deer South and the five in Red Deer North constituencies all attended the tightly scheduled two-hour event sponsored by the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce, and which drew about 300 people to the Memorial Centre. Voters go to the polls on May 5. Wildrose Party candidate for Red Deer South, Norman Wiebe, started the forum with the nowfamiliar platform that his party will not raise taxes, and “I want to see integrity brought back to government.” Wiebe ended the forum by saying the Progressive Conservatives are crumbling, electing an NDP government would be an “unmitigated disaster for the economy” and the Wildrose Party is the only party that can stop the NDP.” Ben Dubois, the Green Party candidate for Red Deer South, said his main goal in running has been to push participatory democracy and he has run into a lot on cynicism at people’s doors. Dubois said that with eight candidates in Red Deer South, only 12.6 per cent of the vote is needed to elect a representative. “If we have a 50 per cent voter turnout in Red Deer South and someone is elected with 12.6 per cent of the vote, only 6.25 per cent of the people in riding have elected that person, which means 93.75 per cent of people in the riding either did not support that candidate or did not vote.” Krystal Kromm, Alberta Party candidate for Red
WEATHER Sunny. High 23. Low 6.
FORECAST ON A2
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Deer North, said now is the time to make strategic investment in the Red Deer airport and expand the runway, which would be an economic driver. She said her party wants to diversify the economy with market-driven solutions to make it easier start and grow a business, and gradually phase out Alberta’s small business tax. Barb Miller, the Red Deer South NDP candidate, said “There’s something very special happening in Red Deer in this election. I’m finding on the doorsteps people are wanting change ... people are telling me that after 44 years Alberta continues to be stuck in a boom and bust cycle.” People are frustrated that the PC government can’t get on the right track with health care and “To me this election is a referendum on Jim Prentice’s budget.” “After 44 years this PC government is only focused on one thing. The PCs.” Michael Dawe, for Red Deer North, representing both the Liberal and Green parties, said his aim was to provide a positive voice for change that does not follow traditional party politics. “If I do not agree with a particular party platform I will vote according to the wishes of the voters and my own ethical principals. I will be one of those who will not be simply following the orders of a small groups of partisan power brokers.” He was last elected chair of the Red Deer Regional Hospital board before members were appointed and believes that “true public input must be restored to the health care with decision-making regional bodies restored.”
Please see FORUM on Page A3
missing youths BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
Helping chronic missing youth is one of the new strategies in the Red Deer RCMP’s policing plan for 2015-16. While the statistics were not available on Monday, police say youth made up a large percentage of the 826 missing persons files in 2014. Red Deer RCMP Supt. Scott Tod said the youth are not necessarily missing but they may have simply walked away from a group home and returned later that evening. But police record the youth as a missing person when the call comes into the station. Over the next year police hope to work with a total 10 youth including five high risk youth between the ages of 12 and 17 years and five chronic missing youth. “This is about keeping our youth safe,” said Tod. “These are individuals that are (not) safe on the streets. Our concern is that not if something bad might happen, it is when something bad might happen to these high risk kids.” Tod said they will work with the identified youth to help understand the roots of the issues they face and hopefully develop healthier strategies and coping mechanisms. “(We’ll) be building relationships with them so we are not seen as the enemy,” said Tod. “That’s one of the biggest things and get a better understanding of what’s driving them to leave and work with them.”
Please see MISSING on Page A2
Assisted dying law on hold The federal government will not introduce legislation to govern doctor-assisted dying before the federal election. Story on PAGE A5
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