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Arena caretaker takes last lap
NDP REJECTS MULCAIR AS LEADER
BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
Federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair makes a speech during the 2016 NDP Federal Convention in Edmonton on Sunday. A majority of New Democrats — 52 per cent — rejected Mulcair as leader, triggering a leadership race. BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Rank-and-file New Democrats handed Tom Mulcair another ballot-box drubbing Sunday, voting to replace him as leader less than six months after a devastating election loss that dashed the party’s dream of forming Canada’s first federal NDP government. A stunned silence fell over the convention floor at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre as delegates realized that not only had Mulcair not attained a respectable level of support,
he hadn’t even reached the 50-percent threshold — unheard of in a federal leadership review. As a result, the man who less than a year ago was being touted as poised to become Canada’s first-ever NDP prime minister instead became the first federal leader ever to be rejected by a majority of delegates — 52 per cent — at a party’s annual convention. “The only thing that’s important is that we leave here united,” a calm, resigned-looking Mulcair told delegates after the vote. Mulcair said he’ll remain as lead-
er until his successor is chosen, within 24 months. “The person who replaces me must have the absolute and complete support of 100 per cent of the members of the NDP.” He thanked his wife and the delegates, and urged the party to come together around his successor, whomever that turns out to be. “We will always be the party that dreams no small dreams,” Mulcair said. “We will always be the party that thinks about the little guy.”
The Chariots of Fire theme song played over the loud speakers on his last lap around the ice surface in the Red Deer Arena. Terry Stone chuckles at the gesture but he quickly grows silent as he tries to keep his composure. Chances are if you attended a hockey game at the old rink over the last three decades, you will have seen Stone commanding the Zamboni between periods. Stone has taken care of the arena since 1983. His job title is officially facility maintenance worker but for the first 25 years it was caretaker. “I like the caretaker part because it embraces what we are trying to do in the community,” said Stone, 67. “The arena meant more than hockey … It is bringing people together. Just looking out for one another and supporting one another.” Stone flooded the arena for the final time on April 2, his 27,000th flood. The 1952-built Red Deer Arena will be demolished to make way for a new rink this summer. “Volunteering is a big part of these facilities and if it weren’t for the volunteers, I wouldn’t have stayed the 33 years,” said Stone. The Sylvan Lake resident will miss the people that crossed his path either at the hockey games or the people who stopped into the rink for a coffee during the day. There’s also the people who are down on their luck who came in off the street occasionally. He has gotten to know a few of them over the years.
Please see MULCAIR on Page A3 Please see STONE on Page A12
LET’S TALK
Council gets an earful on topics ranging from potholes to spending BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Maybe it was the toy cars. Pedestrian traffic flowed steady at the construction information display at the annual Let’s Talk event on Saturday. Residents wanted to learn more about the city’s two planned modern roundabouts, which are part of the $45-million 67th Street and 30th Avenue Expansion Project and the $11-million 67th Street and Johnstone Drive Corridor Project. The roundabouts at 67th Street and
30th Avenue, and 67th Street and Johnstone Drive are both set to open by the end of the 2016 construction season. Engineer Services manager Wayne Gustafson said the feedback was surprisingly positive with residents wondering when the roundabouts are slated to open and whether more are in the works in other areas of the city. One woman told him, “You need more of these because roundabouts slow down traffic but the traffic still flows whereas signal lights stop traffic.”
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Please see TALK on Page A12
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate staff
Mariia Khimych and her daughter, Solomiia Khimych, take a look at the interactive display of the roundabout being put into place near 30th Ave. and 67th St. during the City of Red Deer’s annual Let’s Talk event at Parkland Mall Saturday afternoon. LOTTERIES
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