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Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 2015
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‘No frills’ capital budget approved
HUMAN KNOT
BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF In what is considered a “no frills” budget, Red Deer city council approved $160.6 million in spending for capital projects in 2016. The budget includes No pool until 2022 A2 line items for City to repair projects startA3 ing next year Memorial Centre or multi-year projects starting in 2016. As with most capital budgets, the projects focus on replacing infrastructure, building for growth and community amenity projects. Mayor Tara Veer said the budget honours contractual commitments and moves the community forward in some key infrastructure areas. Veer said the city is budgeting for the needs of our community now and in the future. She said it also weighs and considers the current economic uncertainty. “To make our possibilities a reality we are targeting our investments towards projects and infrastructure that positions us as Alberta’s third largest city,” said Veer. “We will continue to advocate for Red Deer’s needs with the provincial and federal government.” The capital budget carried over to a second day on Wednesday, a first in city history. She said this speaks to council’s desire to have a transparent local government and do right by the community. Veer said this was her 11th budget and believes it may have been the one with the most rigorous debate. Big ticket items ranged from spending $12 million to improve the south east transportation sector corridor to the smaller items of building community gardens at $43,000. Council also adopted in principle a $1.38 billion capital for 2017 to 2025, another first. Veer said it is a foundational plan that will allow the city to provide some certainty to community but also the ability to respond to emerging issues and adjust in the face of economic reality. The adoption of the budget puts the city’s debit limit at 58 per cent, which is below the 75 per cent council imposed debt limit. crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Westpark Middle School grade six girls take part in a human knot exercise Wednesday during their physical education class. The Human Knot activity has several students seated in a circle with arms locked, on the go, an equal number of girls try to pull the circle apart. During the session the girls and their classmates were also wrestling and having chicken fights.
City rallies around refugees MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ATTEND PLANNING MEETING BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF They had invited about 70. More than 100 showed up. A stakeholders meeting on Tuesday brought together organizers, agencies and other groups wanting to help bring Syrian refugees to Red Deer. As many as 200 refugees could come to Red Deer in the next three months. Remza Mujezinovic, program supervisor for Catholic Social Services (CSS) Immigration and Settlement in Red Deer, said Wednesday she is really happy with the Red Deer’s response. “We have been receiving so many calls from the community. It’s really overwhelming. It’s so great. And I think we counted around 70 people (invited), but more than 100 showed up. People who we didn’t invite wanted to come.”
‘WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SO MANY CALLS FROM THE COMMUNITY. IT’S REALLY OVERWHELMING. IT’S SO GREAT.’ — REMZA MUJEZINOVIC, PROGRAM SUPERVISOR FOR CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES The three-hour meeting at the Red Deer Lodge, organized by CSS, included landlords such as Red Deer Housing, and representatives from such groups as the food bank, Alberta Health Services, City of Red Deer, churches, public and separate school divisions, Women’s Outreach, the women’s shelter, the adult learning centre, Red Deer Public library and more. “How can we pool this and help the refugees who are going to come at Red Deer?” said Mujezinovic.
CSS has had a contract from many years now to bring government-sponsored refugees to Red Deer. There will also be privately-sponsored refugees. A lawyer has volunteered to help those who want to undertake private sponsorships, Mujezinovic said. Some of the areas CSS focuses on when helping refugees settle include permanent housing, health needs, orientation to the community, and education for children, youth and adults. Also on Tuesday the federal government announced that they have eased back on bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by Dec. 31 in order to allow enough time for security pre-screening. They will now bring 10,000 by that date and the remainder will come by the end of February.
Please see REFUGEES on Page A2
Facebook page offers support to Oilfield Dads
Contributed photo
Chadron Miller and his son, Carson, 6, daughter, Jenna, 12, and wife, Jill. The Sylvan Lake resident, like many local many in the oilpatch, is concerned about when he will find work next and started a Facebook page called Oilfield Dads as a support group for others in the same situation.
WEATHER Sun and cloud. High -5. Low -15.
FORECAST ON A2
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“Chickens today, feathers tomorrow.” That’s Chadron Miller talking about life working in the oilpatch. As everyone in the world should know by now, it’s tough times from those who toil in oil. Miller, who spoke to me MARY-ANN on Wednesday BARR from his oilfield job site north of BARRSIDE Fort St. John, B.C., lives in Sylvan Lake when he’s not working the
patch. He expects to be home before Christmas, uncertain when he’ll find work again. A guy who loves to play guitar and sing a tune, he’s not shy about expressing himself. He is taking the downturn in positive fashion, noting that it has actually brought him closer to his own family because he’s had more time with them. He’s married to Jill. The Sylvan couple have three children — Jenna, 12, Carson, 6, and Casey who is eight months old. About two months ago Miller started a Facebook page called Oilfield Dads for those people who work in the industry as a way to support each other right now, and share stories about why they do the work they do.
Please see MILLER on Page A2
Homicide rate remains at lowest levels in 50 years The homicide rate remained at its lowest level in five decades last year. Many of the victims were aboriginals. Story on PAGE A6
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