Barenaked Ladies release 12th album
CHICAGO DRAWS FIRST BLOOD WITH A PAIR OF LATE GOALS
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Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015
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Bear spray mayhem BARGAIN TREASURES STILL CLEANING UP AFTER CAN ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGES BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF A week after a can of bear spray was accidentally triggered at Bargain Treasures, the after-effects linger on. The can was wrapped up in a foam sleeve amongst
a box of donations when it went off while being sorted on May 26. Ten volunteers, staff and customers were immediately evacuated and Red Deer Emergency Services called — and they sent in fire-medics in hazardous material suits. “We’re just really grateful that no one was seriously injured,” said Trish McAllister, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association,
which oversees the volunteer-operated thrift shop at 5219 50th Ave. “We had a couple of people with a little bit of eye or throat irritation, but everybody got out safely. That was the main concern.”
Please see CLEAN UP on Page A2
NEIGHBOURS PROJECT
Home gets makeover for ill girl So often we measure a community by its physical amenities — its parks, neighbourhoods and facilities. But is it really anything much at all without the power of people, maybe with a touch of another power as well? For one little girl, who has been dealt the great misfortune of a fatal illness, and for her family, the community response seems like a bit of a miracle. Ten-year-old Katharina McGregor has Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC), a genetic metabolic disorder. Diagnosed MARY-ANN three years ago, doctors esBARR timated the Blackfalds child had only five years to live. There are just 500 cases of the disease worldwide. It stops her body from metabolizing cholesterol properly. Instead of gathering in the heart and arteries, the cholesterol ends up in her liver, spleen and, worst of all, her brain. As she becomes more affected, young Katharina will eventually lose all her brain function. Slowly she is becoming more disabled and now spends a lot of time in her wheelchair. If it weren’t enough to see your first-born child slipping away, her parents, Terese, 35, and Amory McGregor, 36, have been challenged by a few other setbacks. Terese has had back surgery. Amory was laid off from his oilpatch-related job, and only recently found work on a road crew. Unfortunately it takes him away a lot. The couple have two other children — Dominik, eight, and Jarrome, six. While Katharina’s illness is genetic, neither of the boys are showing any signs of having Niemann-Pick. Recently, the family learned it was chosen to be this year’s Neighbours Project — a community effort spearheaded by the international organization A Better World, based in Lacombe. The Neighbours Project will see the McGregors’ home undergo an extreme makeover, similar to the TV rendition, to make needed adjustments before
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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Katharina McGregor, 10, and her mother Terese and brother Dominik, 8, and Jarrome at home in Blackfalds. A Better World is helping to renovate the house to make it easier for Katharina to live at home. Katharina becomes more disabled. Project co-ordinator Ronda Ziakris says that starting on Saturday, over 100 volunteers will begin renovations. “It’s a heartbreaking story. So we go in hook, line and sinker for two weeks and get this done.” The McGregors will move out of their home during that time. The project will see an accessible bathroom built where the boys’ bedroom is now, on the main floor, beside Katharina’s bedroom. She will end up with a suite, with a Disney Princess theme. The boys will get a new bedroom in the basement, complete with a “really cool” Super Mario Brothers theme. There will be a main floor laundry built to make it easier for Terese who has difficulty with stairs because of her back. As time goes by, and Katharina gets sicker, the laundry will increase. The renovation will also include a lift. Ziakris said the lift was donated by an Edmonton family whose child recently passed away and who wanted to pay it
forward. “We’re thrilled. Lifts are very expensive.” In fact, everything is being donated for the project, which is worth between $50,000 and $60,000. The donations, including all product and labour, come from Central Alberta business and corporations. “Oh my goodness. It’s amazing. Like we have this thing that we deal with and it’s life, but a big, big stress has been: How are we going to get her into the house? How are we going to bathe her?” said Terese, a stay-at-home mom. “For them to come in and just do this is amazing. It’s life-changing.” Katharina is described as a happy, funny, amazing little girl, who loves playing video games, watching movies and swimming. “She’s doing well. ... She’s doing amazing,” says Terese.
Please see MCGREGOR on Page A2
Mental health pilot project awaiting word on funding BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF
RED DEER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Red Deer Public Schools is waiting to hear if its successful pilot program to address student anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts will continue to be funded. In April, the former Conservative provincial government promised $5 million to 6 million to expand the local Resiliency program, also known provincially as the EMPATHY program. Current funding for the Grade 6 to 12 program in Red Deer ends on June 30. “We’re kind of at the 11th hour, maybe the 11th and a half hour. I still hope I will hear something within the next day or two. I have to give the govern-
ment a chance, and the minister a chance, to look into it,” said Bev Manning, board chair with Red Deer Public Schools on Wednesday. The school district needs $1.5 million to fund the program next year. The equivalent of 6.5 full-time staff operate the program, along with three other staff members who spend a portion of their time on the program. As of Monday, they were to take on different duties within the school district come fall. But there is still the opportunity to revive the program in September if funding comes through. On Tuesday, Health and Seniors Minister Sarah Hoffman released a statement that the previous
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provincial government unfortunately committed to continuing the program without allocating resources in its budget. “We are strongly committed to improving mental health services for children and youth in Alberta. Our government will work with leadership in Alberta Health and AHS to review this pilot within the context of our overall mental health strategy,” Hoffman said in an email. The program was to be expanded to Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Chinook’s Edge School Division, along with school jurisdictions in Medicine Hat and Wetaskiwin in the fall. Resiliency was put in place after six teen suicides stunned the Red Deer area two years ago.
Please see EMPATHY on Page A2
Alberta should copy Alberta? A former Norwegian finance minister says the NDP should look close to home for ideas to handle resource revenues. Story on PAGE C5
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