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RED DEER ADVOCATE Friday, May 13, 2016 A01
IN PICTURES: CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
B9 TURTLES TOP BOX OFFICE
B5 PEAR AND DARK CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE
B1 LEGENDARY BOXER MUHAMMAD ALI REMEMBERED
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French immersion holding steady in Red Deer BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Gizzmo the balloon animal maker puts the finishing touches on a penguin for some young customers at the Red Deer Market on Saturday. Thousands of shoppers have found their way to the new location for the market in Red Deer at the Memorial Centre.
Market still in transition at new location THOUGH MAJOR PROBLEMS WERE ABSENT ON THIRD WEEK BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF Sunny weather attracted thousands of people to Red Deer’s public market, which is still finding its bearings in a temporary new location. Despite some complaints about a lack of parking and long waits for some vendors to get market spots, there were no major hitches on Saturday in the Memorial Centre’s parking lot. Regular market-goers were tracking down their favourite sellers or food, produce, plants, clothing and other goods — and brisk sales were reported by merchants. “Red Deer has a fantastic market,” concluded Melissa Richards of Sherwood Park, who skipped her own farmer’s market to come here with Red Deer friends, “because of the people and the atmosphere.” The transition to the new site “has been not difficult, but challenging,” said operator Dennis Moffat, who organized the set up of more than 200 booths. The third Saturday market of the season went much smoother than on opening day, May 21, when vendors’ vehicles were backed up onto Michener Hill. But with the fine weather, sellers turned up in droves. And for the first time, Moffat had to send about 100 ca-
sual vendors home because the new space is about 25 per cent smaller than the market’s previous home in front of the Red Deer Arena (which is being demolished and rebuilt over two years, necessitating the site change). “It was the first time in 46 years I had to do that… but I can’t change it, so I have to make the best of it,” said Moffat, who passed on this same message to people who had gripes about the new location. “I got many compliments about this being a wonderful space,” added the market founder, who is assisted by his son, daughter and others. But a few others were less impressed. Moffat said, “We are working our tails off, but it’s hard to please everyone…” Some vendors arrived at 6 a.m. and had to wait more than an hour and a half to be assigned a space. Vendors booked for the season faced no waits. But ones who come week by week had to see what spaces were left over. “I tell them they’re lucky to be here,” considering how many couldn’t get a spot, said Moffat, who believes waits will likely lessen over time. “I hate to say it, but some people will get discouraged waiting their turn, especially on a day that’s not as nice…” As for parking, Moffat feels motorists just need to become aware of where the lots are. “There are plenty of spaces,” in-
cluding: • The dirt lot just north of Camille J. Lerouge School and south of 58th Street • The lot behind the Memorial Centre (which can also be accessed from 59th Street) • The Camille J. Lerouge or Lindsay Thurber school lots (Thurber students are charging $3 for parking to go towards school programs) • Or a city playground lot at the bottom of Michener Hill, on the south side of 55th Street. • Moffat noted a row of parking spots for the disabled was created in the bus lane by Lindsay Thurber school. Most people interviewed Saturday were happy to see the market continuing. “I think people will come no matter where it is,” said vendor Janelle Spady of Sweetlegs. “Everything is here, you just have to find your way around… We have to find the breakfast sandwiches,” said Krista Ruiz, a regular, who intends come weekly to the new location. Customer Bonnie McCarty said, “I love the market” — even though she had to park three blocks away. Linda Stevens walked to the market, and believes more people can get to the new location without a vehicle. It will be in the Memorial Centre’s parking lot for at least 2016 and 2017. lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
RED DEER WEATHER
INDEX NEWS A2,3,5,7,8
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COMMENT A4
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30% Showers
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SPORTS B1-4 BUSINESS A9 ENTERTAINMENT: B9 COMICS B8
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About 30 years ago when Red Deer parents wanted their children in French immersion, the main idea was that one day it would offer better employment opportunities within an officially bilingual Canada. That’s changed now, said Rob Porkka, who has been involved almost from the beginning with French immersion in the Red Deer Public School District (RDPSD). The French immersion program started with 15 kindergarten students in 1980 under the French Canadian Association of Red Deer. The next year RDPSD took over the responsibility of it. The first French immersion class to graduate did so in 1993, from Lindsey Thurber Comprehensive High School. Porkka said today about 10 per cent of students in the public district are French immersion students. There are about 1,100 students enrolled in the public system’s French immersion now. That compares closely with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, where about 1,050 students, or 11 per cent, are enrolled this year, said Kathleen Finnigan, the district’s associate superintendent of Inclusive Learning. École Camille J. Lerouge School will make the leap from a dualtrack French immersion school to Red Deer’s first single-track French immersion centre in September. The pre-kindergarten program will be in English but kindergarten to Grade 9 will be French immersion. The demand for French immersion in Ontario has been so strong that some school boards have capped Grade 1 enrolment with parents forced to go to a lottery system. It’s had a negative affect on the English programs in some cases. It’s put a strain on finding qualified teachers as well. “We’ve never been at the point where you’ve had to camp out in order to get in. We’ve been able to accommodate pretty much anyone who is interested in getting in the program. But it’s always been growing,” said Porkka. “We’re just a nice medium-sized city and so far we’ve been able to do it all,” he said. “I think the popularity today is driven more by parents realizing that kids need to have a leg up somehow and they’re going to have to work internationally.” Porkka, director of international education and retiring this month, taught the public district’s first middle school French immersion students in 1986. See FRENCH on Page A8
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