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Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, NOV. 3, 2015
www.reddeeradvocate.com
Your trusted local news authority
Duggars dumped HOME EDUCATION ASSOCIATION HAS SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL REALITY TV COUPLE BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF A controversial reality TV couple has been turfed from the Alberta Home Education Association’s convention next year. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will no longer be the keynote speakers at the group’s annual meeting. Paul van den Bosch, association
president, said in a news release, “recent feedback from our members points out that their appearance here would not be in the best interests of home educators.” The group had booked the 19 Kids and Counting couple before allegations emerged that their son had sexually assaulted several young girls including some of his sisters while he was a teenager, about 10 years ago. The long-running TLC reality show
BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF
Please see AUVIGNE on Page A2
WEATHER 30% flurries. High 3. Low -8.
FORECAST ON A2
Mystery of History) and John Carpay (Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms). Chris Butler will deliver a session on Protecting the Gift, preventing child abuse. The 30th annual convention runs on April 8 and April 9 in Red Deer. Visit www.aheaonline.com for more information.
Ladies night
Property crimes trip up ‘Innisfail’s most wanted’ Described by his own counsel as “Innisfail’s most wanted” for a stretch this year, a Penhold man pleaded guilty to several property crime offences. Gary Raymond Auvigne, 40, was arrested a few times this year starting back in early January. On Monday, in Red Deer provincial court he pleaded guilty to nine counts before judge Gordon Deck. Of those nine counts, five were for possession of stolen property. Innisfail RCMP began surveillance on Auvigne in late 2014. On Jan. 24, they had obtained a search warrant for his residence in Penhold. In a release, police said the residence was the subject of more than 70 complaints of suspicious people, vehicles and incidents at the residence. Among the items police recovered was a stolen box of pint glasses from the Tilted Kilt in Red Deer and windows stolen from Laebon Homes. Auvigne pleaded guilty to having those items in his possession. Prior to the January arrest warrant, Auvigne had been arrested four times dating back to July, 2014. He also pleaded guilty to breaching a recognizance. While police conducted surveillance they observed Auvigne breach it by driving a vehicle past his curfew. On Sept. 8, 2015, Auvigne was arrested again, this time by Blackfalds RCMP. Police were called to report of a suspicious vehicle on Range Road 10. When police arrived on scene they found a vehicle with no lights on stopped in the middle of the road. Police confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen and approached the vehicle. They found Auvigne slumped over the steering wheel. According to police the driver’s door was damaged and the ignition was also broken. Police also found 2.3 grams of methamphetamine on Auvigne when they searched him. Brad Mulder, defence counsel, said Auvigne had led a productive life up until the last year-and-a-half. A truck driver by trade, Auvigne tore both of his rotator cuffs leaving him unable to work. As part of rehabilitation he was prescribed painkillers he became dependent on. When the prescription ran out, the pain did not and Auvigne sought other drugs to fill the void. Mulder said this led to Auvigne develop an addiction to methamphetamine. This addiction led him down a dark path, leading to property crime and letting his home become a flop house for unsavoury characters.
was cancelled shortly after the news. Van deh Bosch said “our members also pointed out that as the Duggars would have been giving only two talks (of the more than 40 available) their presence would have been only a small part of the convention and the Duggar’s philosophy is not representative of the AHEA as a whole.” The keynote speakers will be Andrew Pudewa (Institute for Excellence in Writing), Linda Lacour Hobar (The
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate staff
Ed Robertson, lead singer of Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, performs at the Enmax Centrium on Monday night. Please see Lana Michelin’s review in Wednesday’s Red Deer Advocate.
Red Deer, Sylan Lake among province’s top business communities BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF
ALBERTA VENTURE MAGAZINE
Red Deer and Sylvan Lake have been ranked among Alberta’s top business communities by a business magazine. Alberta Venture has just released its list of the province’s 12 great business communities on Monday. Editor Michael Ganley says in the November issue that there is no recipe for success in making their list. “There’s no single thing that makes a community a great place to do business,” says Ganley. “It depends on the type of business and the natural strengths and weaknesses of the community. But one thing they all have in common is that they’ve made a conscious decision to support and encourage business because they recognize their importance.” In Red Deer’s case, the city’s “pro-business administration” is lauded for taking full advantage of the city’s position within a two-hour’s drive of 80 per cent of Alberta’s population. “Red Deer is becoming increasingly diversified, as industries from manufacturing to agricultural processing to professional services continue to
INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business . . . . . . . B5-B6 Canada . . . . . . . . A5-A6 Classified . . . . . . D1-D2 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . D4 Entertainment . . . . . . C5 Sports . . . . . . . . . B1-B4
‘RED DEER IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIVERSIFIED, AS INDUSTRIES FROM MANUFACTURING TO AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTINUE TO SPRING UP.’ — MICHAEL GANLEY, EDITOR spring up.” The BOLT regional transit system is singled out as an example of forward thinking. City of Red Deer land and economic development manager John Sennema said the attention is welcomed. “For the most part, it just gives us recognition. It lets people know we’re here and open for business,” Sennema said. Given the economic slowdown province-wide, this kind of positive review can only help as the city looks to attract investment. The BOLT transit system is used an example of regional collaboration. However, the recent announcement (which came out after Alberta Venture’s story would have gone to press) that the province was joining forces with the City and County of Red Deer
to spend $9.5 million upgrading the runways for larger aircraft is a more economically significant example. “That just really helps for economic diversification in the region,” he said. Sylvan Lake is recognized for investing more than $22 million in downtown and waterfront infrastructure and property upgrades. The town’s hospitality feasibility study, 38-percent building permit growth, active home building sector and recent annexations to provide room for future industrial, commercial and residential growth are also highlighted. Economic development officer Vicki Kurz said the town has undertaken a number of other initiatives since Alberta Venture did its research.
Please see BUSINESS on Page A2
Like a needle in a haystack Darrin Reimer and Caitlin McAuley have a true love story. But in an instant, things turned frantic and bizarre. Story on PAGE A3
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