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JUNE 1, 2015
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Vol. 64, Issue 103
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Days Inn under new ownership ARNE PETRYSHEN
The Days Inn has a new owner and will be seeing some big changes in the next few weeks, as it has been purchased. The new owner of the hotel is Mikaya Hotel Ventures Inc. It’s a new company that owns two other Days Inns. The parent company is Stampeders Inn (1990 Ltd) based out of Calgary. “Right now we have two existing days Inns, one in Cochrane and one in Calgary NW,” Joe Komaric, vice president, said. “The one that we have in Calgary NW we’ve just done a $2.3 - 2.4 million renovation to the property.” He said the Cochrane property is small market, but is rated number one, while the Calgary one is rated 35 for that area. The purchase of the Cranbrook Days Inn took place on May 28. “We purchased this hotel and plan to do a $1.5 million renovation,” Komaric said. “So everything from top to bottom is going to be done.” Komaric said an opportunity arose to purchase the property and so the company did. It is also at a close enough proximity to Calgary that it is no problem to keep an eye on from the bigger centre.
See NEW OWNERSHIP, Page 4
A break in the cold case RCMP say new information has surfaced in the Taylor/ MacFarlane investigation TOWNSMAN STAFF
Cranbrook RCMP say that they have some new information on a double homicide, which marked its fifth anniversary on May 29. Leanne MacFarlane and Jeffrey Taylor were killed at their rural home about 20 kilometres east of Cranbrook, B.C. on May 29th, 2010. “This tragic situation is compounded by the fact that this was a case of mistaken identity,” said S/Sgt. Dubnyk. The Cranbrook RCMP and the RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit continue to investigate this double homicide and in recent months have been successful in generating new and very positive leads.
See RCMP, Page 4
SUBMITTED
Gord Johnston (centre), recipient of the 2014 Sustainable Community Builder Award, is pictured with Riley Wilcox, executive director of the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF), and Wayne Eburne, CDCF President.
Johnston receives Sustainable Community Builder Award F O R T H E TO W N S M A N
Long-time Cranbrook resident Gord Johnston has been awarded the 2014 Sustainable Community Builder Award. Johnston has a long history as a community leader and volunteer, most recently as the project leader for the Habitat for Humanity Cranbrook project. He also spent 25 years as an integral part of the Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club before retiring in 2014. “I truly believe that to keep a community healthy, growing and prospering we can’t overlook a single citizen,” Johnston said. “Sustainability means having everyone engaged in a way that supports our collective community and enables each person living within it to prosper. “The Habitat for Humanity
build embraced this concept from the beginning. It was a huge undertaking and the volunteer support and commitment was like nothing I had ever seen. It was a wonderful community effort that inspired and united.” City of Cranbrook Mayor Lee Pratt presented Johnston with the Sustainable Community Builder award on behalf of City of Cranbrook council. The annual award is given to an individual, group, club, agency or society that has contributed to the social, arts/cultural, economic and/ or environmental sustainability of Cranbrook. It includes $500 to be donated to a registered charity of Johnston’s choice. He chose to donate the funds to Habitat for Humanity Southeast B.C. to go
towards a second house build in Cranbrook. “Gord has been and I’m sure will continue to be a very active citizen in Cranbrook,” said Mayor Pratt. “His dedication and commitment to this community is recognized by many. On behalf of Council and the City, I want to congratulate Gord. He is very deserving of this award.” The $500 in funding for the Sustainable Community Builder Award comes from the legacy fund left to the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF) by the Knights of Pythias, Crescent Lodge #33 of Cranbrook. The CDCF announced more than $35,000 will be received in 2015 by non-profit organizations serving the
local community. “The CDCF has given over $368,000 to the community since it was established in 2004,” said Riley Wilcox, executive director of the CDCF. “Endowment funds are held in perpetuity, which means the CDCF’s ability to support local non-profits is not only secure and permanent, but will grow stronger every year. “We congratulate Gord, and thank him for the energy, time and talent he has given to our community throughout the years. We’d also like to acknowledge the incredible work of our grant recipients and local non-profits, and are proud to support them in their efforts to make Cranbrook a vibrant, sustainable, healthy, inclusive, and innovative place to live and grow.”