Rebels fall to RTwaoilodsseesrs
A call for unity Residents struggle to come to terms with the violence
knocks Rebels out of top spot
PAGE B7
SPORTS — PAGE B1
Red Deer Advocate MONDAY, DEC. 7, 2015
www.reddeeradvocate.com
Your trusted local news authority
Marching on home RED DEER ROYALS FIND A PERMANENT HOME BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF The city’s marching musical ambassadors, the Red Deer Royals, are finally getting a permanent home. After more than four decades of shuffling between temporary venues, the concert and marching show band will be moving into the fieldhouse at the new St. Joseph’s High School at 67th Street and 30th Avenue. The whole $5.7 million school/fieldhouse complex is expected to be completed by the fall of 2017. However, just the fieldhouse portion might be ready for
Accessible Sunday school
use by the spring of 2017, said band director Michael Mann — who’s thrilled about entering a “new era” for the Royals. He believes the Royals will be the first marching band in Alberta to build a dedicated, permanent home base. The new space is made possible through a partnership between the Red Deer Catholic School Board, the Kinsmen Club of Red Deer, and the Red Deer Royals and its alumni association. It’s an exciting development, after a long search for a permanent home, said Ray McBeth, fundraising director for the alumni association. Construction costs will be split 50-50 between the Royals and Catholic School District, and McBeth
added, “we couldn’t ask for better people to work with.” Red Deer Catholic Schools superintendent Paul Mason is also pleased to enter a partnership that he feels will benefit the whole community, since the fieldhouse can also be used by other groups. While much fundraising lies ahead, McBeth said it feels great to finally give the band its due. “No one, other than (sports commentator) Ron McLean, has been a better ambassador for Red Deer than the Red Deer Royals,” said McBeth. “I’m in awe of what those kids do.”
Please see ROYALS on Page A2
STOPPING OFF AT THE CHARITY CHECKSTOP
BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF Bible lessons will be taught to disabled children using an elaborate, multi-media puppet theatre, song time, and a therapy dog named Skip. An unconventional, inclusive “Sunday school” for special needs kids and their parents will be held on Saturday mornings, starting from Jan. 16, at Knox Presbyterian Church in Red Deer. The idea behind Skip’s Place is to create a welcoming, fun and educational environment for children who don’t fit into regular church programs, said Caleb Cameron, the program director. “Our hope is that people will feel loved here and learn that God loves them too.” Cushions are scattered on the floor and a darkened, curtained space is available to comfort children who are overstimulated. “Our objective is to make it accessible in any way we can,” added Caleb, whose parents Tom and Lynnette Cameron are also involved with the program. Caleb works with special needs children at Aspire, a local non-profit centre. The 20-year-old said he knows of many local families who can’t attend church regularly because they have children with behavioral issues or special sensory, medical, or dietary needs.
Please see CHURCH on Page A2
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate Staff
Amy Wenger accepts a donation from a Red Deer resident at the annual Charity Checkstop for the Red Deer Christmas Bureau Saturday on Taylor Drive.
Extremists could use peaceful demonstrations as cover TRANSPORT CANADA INTEL REPORT OUTLINES POTENTIAL THREAT BY THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Intelligence officials are concerned that extremists might infiltrate peaceful anti-petroleum protests to “incite violence,” a newly disclosed assessment indicates. The federal analysis of threats to the passenger rail system introduces a new twist to the often tense debate over state scrutiny of environmental demonstrators — that otherwise harmless activists might unwittingly harbour dangerous terrorists. The assertion — contained in a Transport Canada intelligence report — led one defender of civil liberties to ask whether there is evidence to support it. “I do think it’s dangerous to start painting activism as a potential cover for terrorist activities,” said Cara Zwibel, director of the fundamental freedoms program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. The Canadian Press recently obtained a copy of the six-page, November 2014 analysis by Transport’s security intelligence assessment branch through the Access to Information Act. Overall, the assessment warns that surface transportation such as passenger rail is “a favoured target of terrorists” because attackers can inflict mass casualties, fear and economic harm using simple tactics — particularly improvised explosive devices. It points to the 2004 Madrid and 2005 London
WEATHER Sun and cloud. High 4. Low -6.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Two sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business . . . . . . . . . . . B9 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Classified . . . . . . B6-B7 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . B8 Entertainment . . . . .A10 Sports . . . . . . . . . B1-B5
bombings as well as a more recent, failed plot to derail a Via Rail passenger train — all led or supported by al-Qaida. Future plots against passenger rail in Canada are possible given the emphasis on “solo jihad” by al-Qaida and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, past statements from their members and supporters, and the ease with which an attack could be carried out, the report says. But it also cites the prospect of violence by socalled domestic extremists — people on the left or right end of the spectrum motivated by various political, social, environmental and aboriginal issues. Possible attacks or sabotage against rail transportation “are of concern,” the assessment says. At the same time, there are many “legitimate, non-violent activist groups” in Canada that seek to influence policy and garner publicity through protests — sometimes by blocking rail lines, the report notes. “Currently in Canada, there is considerable opposition to pipeline construction, oil sand extraction and the movement of crude oil by rail. Protests and demonstrations at or near surface infrastructure are ongoing and may increase in the near-term,” the assessment adds. “While these types of events are not inherently a threat to security, domestic extremists may seek to infiltrate these events and use them as opportunities
‘WHILE THESE TYPES OF EVENTS ARE NOT INHERENTLY A THREAT TO SECURITY, DOMESTIC EXTREMISTS MAY SEEK TO INFILTRATE THESE EVENTS AND USE THEM AS OPPORTUNITIES TO INCITE VIOLENCE.’ INTELLIGENCE REPORT to incite violence. A vigorous protest cycle may trigger an increase in domestic extremist activity.” After reading the intelligence assessment, Zwibel is curious about the basis for this assertion. “I’m just wondering where that comes from — if there’s some good evidence to suggest that that’s the case, it’s not in here as far as I can tell,” she said. Zwibel is concerned that authorities could use the notion of infiltration as justification “to engage in surveillance or profiling of legitimate, non-violent activist groups.” The Conservative government’s omnibus security bill, which received royal assent last June, drew fierce criticism from environmentalists, aboriginal leaders and others who feared the provisions could be used to spy on dissenters — something the government denied. The new Liberal government has promised to repeal “problematic elements” of the legislation but it is unclear how extensive the revamp might be.
Triple transplant offers second chance for teen A Toronto teen with cystic fibrosis has been given a second chance at life with a first-ofits-kind triple-organ transplant. Story on PAGE A7
PLEASE RECYCLE