LATE FIELD GOAL LIFTS ESKIMOS OVER ALOUETTES
The Pistolwhips
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Saskatoon band bringing blues-infused rock to city
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Red Deer Advocate FRIDAY, AUG. 14, 2015
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‘I didn’t think it would happen in Rimbey’ BERT PLUIGERS FEARS FOR FUTURE OF BUSINESS AFTER THEFT The headlines are so often taken up by the criminals and their bad deeds. But what about their victims? Who are they? So often we never know. Lambertus Pluigers is a regular hard-working guy in Rimbey trying to make a living doing odd jobs and running his firewood business. He could be any citizen in any small town in Alberta, trying to get by like anyone else who is self-employed when times are not the best and jobs are not as abundant, thanks to the continuing decline in the price of crude oil. Bert, as he is known by MARY-ANN folks in town, is the father of BARR seven children and grandfather to 13. He is married to Pauline, who works in a local flower shop. They have a
BARRSIDE
14-year-old son who lives at home. Pluigers arrived in Rimbey from Truro, N.S., 15 years ago. “I always wanted to go to Alberta.” Sadly, his business, Bert’s Firewood, which helps him make ends meet, is on hold now because someone stole his 2005 four-by-four long box Ford F250 on Aug. 6. When they were done with it, they set it on fire, completely destroying the truck and the chainsaw and winter clothes in it that he also used for his business. Two men who aren’t from Rimbey now face more than 40 charges related to this and several other crimes in other Alberta communities. Whatever happens, Pluigers, 56, will never see a nickle for the truck by way of compensation. He could only afford basic insurance on it so was not covered for either fire or theft. And he certainly can’t just go buy another truck. “I didn’t think it would happen in Rimbey,” he said.
Please see PLUIGERS on Page A2
Contributed photo by CRAIG OLIVER
Bert Pluigers, owner of Bert’s Firewood, is worried about the future of his business after his truck was stolen and set on fire. The truck was not covered for either fire or theft.
MIRACLE TREAT DAY
SONIC HEALTHCARE
Lab contract cancelled BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta’s health minister is putting the brakes on the handover of Edmonton and area medical lab services to a private Australian company next March. Sarah Hoffman says she has told Alberta Health Services to cancel a contract with Sonic Healthcare. Hoffman says she doesn’t have enough evidence to prove that expanding private delivery of lab tests is beneficial to Albertans, so her department will do a provincewide review. She says there’s no deadline for when the review will be completed, but she’d like it done as soon as possible. Alberta Health Services awarded Sonic a $3-billion contract last October, but current lab provider DynaLife filed an appeal. Friends of Medicare and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents lab technicians, say they are pleased with the government’s decision. “This is really being driven by policy,” Hoffman said Thursday. “And the policy that I have is that I’m not going to be making one-off decisions on a hunch. “I want evidence to be able to guide those decisions and I don’t have that evidence today.” The NDP government has also cancelled a request for proposals from companies looking to take over the DynaLife contract next spring. Vickie Kaminski, CEO of Alberta Health Services, said work will begin immediately on a plan to ensure laboratory services will continue after the contract expires.
Please see CONTRACT on Page A2
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Malia Mitchelmore, her brother, Maddyx, and their father, Jamie, dropped into the Dairy Queen in north Red Deer on Thursday to have lunch and get themselves a Blizzard treat. During the 13th Annual Miracle Treat Day, all proceeds from the sale of Blizard treats will go to the Children’s Miracle Network to benefit the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. In 2014, the three Dairy Queen locations in Red Deer combined in raising $121,000, which put them at the top of funds raised in Canada for the third year running.
Teenager held in custody for five armed robberies BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF A teenage boy is headed to closed custody for a string of armed robberies in Blackfalds that caused “harm and fear.” Judge James Glass sentenced the 17-year-old to 18 months in custody, followed by 12 months of probation, on Thursday in Red Deer youth court. The boy, who can’t be named because of provisions in the Canada Youth Justice Act, pleaded guilty to five robberies in Central Alberta between October 2014 and February 2015, as well as three charges of disguising his face with the intent to commit an indictable offence and two counts of using an imitation firearm. Crown prosecutor Brittany Ashmore said the of-
WEATHER Mainly cloudy. High 22. Low 12.
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fences were very serious and if the boy was an adult, he would be facing a jail term of six years. Ashmore sought two years less a day in custody, followed by probation, as well as a 10-year firearms prohibition and an order compelling the boy to supply a sample of his DNA. The teen robbed the Fas Gas, Pony Express Liquor Store, Pizza King and IDA Pharmacy, all in Blackfalds. An underlying addictions issue is believed to have driven the youth to commit the offences. According to the reports developed before sentencing, the youth had issues with marijuana, methamphetamines and cocaine. Defence counsel Walter Kubanek reminded the court that the sentencing aims of the Canada Youth Justice Act include sanctions that give youth the opportunity for rehabilitation.
To this aim, Kubanek sought a six-to-12-month period of open custody with a direction that some of it be served at an addictions treatment centre to aid in the youth’s rehabilitation. Kubanek pointed to the pre-sentence report that indicated a closed custody sentence is very limited in its ability to provide a youth with drug addictions treatment. The teen has been in closed custody for four months since he turned himself in to police. Glass sentenced the youth to 18 months in custody and 12 months of open custody, followed by six months of community supervision. Glass included a recommendation that the youth serve some of this time in a treatment centre. Glass also approved the firearms prohibition and DNA orders sought by the Crown. mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
Top Tories in the Duffy loop Members of Stephen Harper’s campaign team were told in 2013 that Sen. Mike Duffy didn’t pay back his own expenses. Story on PAGE A5
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