Red Deer Advocate, June 23, 2016 by Black Press Media Group

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Imagining an icon DOWNTOWN ARENA PROJECT APPROVED MY MUNICIPAL PLANNING COMMISSION BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF The new $21.6-million arena in downtown Red Deer has taken a big stride forward with the Municipal Planning Commission’s unanimous approval of the development permit on

Wednesday. Whether the new debt-funded facility comes with some “swoop,” as Coun. Ken Johnston called it, will ultimately be determined by the eye of the beholder, the public. The public will be able to watch the play-by-play live when demolition starts on the old Arena in coming

Contributed illustrations

Artist renderings of the exterior (top) and interior of the downtown arena project. weeks, followed by construction of the new facility. It will all be streamed online on the City of Red Deer’s website. Johnston said the new arena is an opportunity to become an iconic site for Red Deer. “I hope we do some swoop here — to say: ‘Wow! Look at this!’” That’s expected to be carried through in part by way of the public

art aspect of the building, but details have not been finalized. The new building, described by city administration as “a post-modernistic design with vertical elements,” will look a lot like the concept drawings. Please see ARENA on Page A7

Bunny brouhaha as SPCA is swamped with rabbits BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Red Deer SPCA animal care manager Amy Corpe holds one of 74 domestic rabbits the SPCA rescued recently from the City Ford car dealership in St. Albert. For about 10 years, the rabbits have been a problem at the dealership. RED DEER WEATHER

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Red Deer & District SPCA are experiencing rabbit overload with 74 bunnies and counting. In recent weeks, the local SPCA has been rescuing rabbits from an overpopulated rabbit colony roaming free outside on a rural property. SPCA executive director Tara Hellewell said 63 rabbits were rescued and 11 babies were born at the SPCA. So far three have been adopted and 11 were transferred to another animal organization. “We are unsure of how they got there but could have been abandoned at some point and have now bred out of control. All we know is it was a critical situation. It was a case get them

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out, get them trapped, get them rescued,” Hellewell said on Wednesday. “There are very few rescues with the capacity to care for this many rabbits and we are feeling the strain. This is unprecedented for us.” Humane trapping efforts continue so more rabbits will be arriving, she said. She said veterinary costs to take care of the rabbits and prepare them for adoption are also mounting. Each rabbit must have a medical exam and be spayed or neutered. Help from veterinarians outside the SPCA is required due to volume. Red Deer SCPA only has a small, pocket-pet room so foster homes are also needed for the rabbits.

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Thursday, June 23,2016

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Arrest warrant issued after suspect skips trial A Red Deer judge has ordered the arrest of a suspect who failed to appear for trial on Wednesday. Blackfalds resident Mitchell Thomas Huber, 21, was arrested by Sylvan Lake RCMP last fall in connection with a vehicle pursuit that resulted in minor injuries to two Mounties. Police allege that, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, members were called to investigate reports of suspicious vehicles east of Sylvan Lake. In a news release issued later, police said the suspect vehicles were located, but the drivers refused to stop for police and drove off at high speeds. A pursuit was called off based on danger to the public, but one of the suspect vehicles was located later by a member patrolling the area. Police allege that two of their vehicles were rammed and two members were injured as the driver of the suspect vehicle made a second attempt to avoid arrest and that his efforts to escape were foiled when his vehicle hit a power pole. Following a series of court appearances, including a successful bail application, Huber was scheduled to stand trial in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday on various charges laid in relation to the incident, including assault with a weapon and dangerous driving. Judge Gordon Deck issued an arrest warrant when Huber did not appear for his trial. Defence counsel Jason Snider was excused as Huber’s lawyer after advising Deck that he had lost contact with his client.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

City of Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer greets Barbara Swinton and Dr. Iaian Younger as they enjoy the Mayor’s Garden Party on the lawn of City Hall Wednesday afternoon. The mayor made her way through the tables, greeting as many people as she could during the annual event that celebrates Red Deer’s senior citizens. Live music provided by the Wild Rose Harmonizers kept the audience of about 300 entertained while city employees and council members made their way through the crowd offering up baked goods and refreshments during the Victorian-style tea party.

Sculpture park in search of a good home BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF Nineteen monumental stone carvings could be gifted to a Central Alberta community that commits to creating a sculpture park. Sculptor and arts investor Morton Burke is pledging to donate the mammoth sculptures that are now sitting on his Bergen acreage to an interested city or town — provided he first gets his costs recouped through a public Kickstarter campaign. Burke estimates each sculpture, created during four years of international stone carvings symposiums on his property, cost him about $15,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. These include the honorariums he gave to the renowned artists who came from across the globe, as well as their accommodations, tools and raw materials. The oilfield worker did receive a couple of grants to help him host the symposiums between 2008 and 2012. And a businessman sponsored three sculptures, which have already been re-installed in the Cobb’s Block Central mall in Sylvan Lake. But Burke estimates he personally forked out a total of $285,000 for the symposiums. He made this investment because he believes in the artistry and the tourism draw of sculpture parks, and was hoping that some Alberta communities would too.

Contributed photo

Sculptor and arts investor Morton Burke is pledging to donate the mammoth structures on his Bergen property to an interested city or town. After participating as a sculptor in “sculpture symposia” in other countries, the Bergen resident felt that such events should be hosted in Canada. But he couldn’t convince any Alberta centres to take up the idea, and after five years of trying, he decided to do it himself at his Bergen acreage. Burke admitted he would love to hold more symposiums, but first needs to recoup his investment, “or the soup will be pretty thin.” His Kickstarter campaign (under

For A Limited Time

Bergen Sculpture Park) requests that at least $75,000 be raised from the public by July 9. This would free him up to give the first five sculptures to a community that expresses interest and lives up to criteria he has established. This includes putting aside an appropriate piece of land for a sculpture park. Burke said several communities have already expressed interest, including Innisfail. Pat Matheson, public art co-ordina-

tor for the City of Red Deer, wants to find out more about the offer. Matheson has been to Burke’s property several times to see the impressive sculptures carved by world-class artists, and feels “it would be amiss” if he didn’t check out whether Red Deer could qualify for getting the sculptural donation. Not only would a mutually agreeable location have to be established for the sculpture park, but Matheson said a public art commission would also have to determine whether to go ahead with the project that would add considerably to the city’s art maintenance budget. Burke doesn’t want to sell the sculptures piecemeal to recoup his investment. He maintains that a sculpture park could be a huge tourist draw for a centre off a major highway. Considering that 200-300 persons per month in the summer came out to see the sculptures on his remote property at the end of a dead-end road, Burke believes thousands of people would travel to a nearby community to see original sculptures. There’s no way to track which communities Kickstarter donors are from, but he hopes there are enough art lovers in Central Alberta who are willing to donate because they believe in the concept of sculpture parks and the benefits of having them in the region. The sculptures can be viewed on his blog: mortonsculpting.blogspot.com. lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

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Thursday, June. 23, 2016

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Travis Vader arrives at court in Edmonton. The Crown is arguing there’s enough evidence to convict Vader for the murder of a missing couple.

‘Consider the totality of the evidence’ CROWN ARGUES THERE’S ENOUGH TO CONVICT VADER FOR MURDER OF MISSING COUPLE BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — A judge has been asked to connect the dots and convict the man accused of killing a missing Alberta couple. The Crown lacks what are normally crucial pieces of evidence such as the bodies of the victims or what may have been used to kill Lyle and Marie McCann. But prosecutor Ashley Finlayson summed up his case Wednesday by repeatedly asking Justice Denny Thomas to “consider the totality of the evidence.” Travis Vader, 44, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of the great-grandparents, who were in their late 70s when they vanished while on their way to a family camping trip in 2010. They were last seen July 3, 2010, as they fuelled up their motorhome in their hometown of St. Albert, a bedroom community north of Edmonton, before they headed out to British Columbia. Two days later their motorhome was found burning in the bush. The SUV they had been towing was later found hidden in some trees on a rural property. The Crown is arguing that Vader was a desperate drug user, living in a makeshift camp, when he came across the McCanns and killed them. The defence has suggested that there’s not enough evidence to prove the couple is dead and that police should have looked at other suspects. In his final arguments, Finlayson went through, one by one, the facts that he said lead inescapably to a finding of guilt. He pointed out Vader visited a friend on the day the McCanns disappeared and complained he was so

Contraband seized at Bowden Institution Innisfail RCMP have arrested an individual suspected of trying to smuggle tobacco and other contraband into the Bowden Institution. In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon, the Correctional Service of Canada reports that staff members had confiscated a number of packages from a visitor at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The CSC alleges seizing $5,000 worth in contraband, including tobacco and 57 grams of hash oil. It states that the smuggling attempt was uncovered through various means, including detector dogs, security intelligence officers and corrections officers. The statement goes on to say that CSC is raising its efforts to keep contraband out of its institutions to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. Police are called in whenever an attempt is uncovered. Smoking has been banned in all of CSC correctional institutions since 2008. Bowden Institution is a medium security prison, located alongside Hwy 2 between the towns of Bowden and Innisfail.

Three people charged in connection with disturbance in Sylvan Lake Mounties in Sylvan Lake have laid charges against three people in connection with a disturbance there on Monday. Police had been called to reports

broke he couldn’t put oil in his truck. The friend testified that Vader showed up later that afternoon with enough cash for a case of beer and an SUV that matched the description of the one the McCanns had been towing. That same day, several calls and text messages were sent shortly after 2 p.m. from a cellphone belonging to the McCanns. The messages, romantic in nature, were sent to Vader’s former girlfriend. Finlayson reminded court of Crown witnesses who testified that DNA matching Vader’s was found in the SUV, including on the steering wheel. His fingerprint was on a can of beer — the same brand that Vader had been drinking with his friend days earlier. A hat was also found, punctured with a bullet hole and stained with Lyle McCann’s blood. DNA found on the ball cap was also matched to Vader, although court heard earlier the match was less certain. Phone records show someone made calls, using the McCann phone, from the general area around where the motor home was found, Finlayson said. Court was also told that police eventually found a truck — burned out and on a remote oil lease — that Vader had been driving. The keys to the SUV belonging to the McCanns were found inside. Vader’s failure to offer an explanation for any of this is damning, said Finlayson. “Not only do we have other aspects of evidence which puts Mr. Vader in very recent possession of items belonging to the McCanns, you have no explanation provided by Mr. Vader for being in possession of those items.” Finlayson suggested that Vader “was a desperate fellow. He wanted (the McCanns’s) property. He came into contact with the McCanns and there was a violent event.” of gunfire coming from a home in the Westview Drive area during the late afternoon. The neighbourhood was locked down and a command centre was set up nearby while RCMP dealt with the people inside the house. Reports of gunfire were not confirmed and three suspects were arrested later in the evening with no injuries to anyone involved, Sylvan Lake RCMP stated in a news release issued afterward. Suspects were arrested on charges of possessing proceeds of crime, possessing instruments for forging credit cards, identity fraud, breaching release conditions and disobeying court orders. Police did not lay charges of violent or weapons-related offences.

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Stolen pickup truck smashes into house An 18-year-old man is in custody after police were called to reports that a stolen pickup truck had run amok in a Red Deer neighourhood during the lunch hour on Wednesday. Red Deer RCMP allege that a pickup truck reported stolen four days earlier had hit a parked truck and a parked car before smashing into a house on Cornett Drive at about 12:30 p.m. The suspect was trying to run away when witnesses grabbed and detained him. There were no injuries to anyone at the scene and damage to the house was minor, Cpl. Karyn Kay said in a statement released later in the day.

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Correction A story published on Page A3 in the June 16 edition contained the wrong information about a suspect currently before the courts for a robbery charge. Login Myles Gregory, 29, was charged in the fall of 2015 with theft, child abandonment, mischief and obstruction in connection with reports that a pickup truck had been stolen while two children slept in the back seat. Those charges were discharged after a preliminary hearing in Red Deer provincial court on Feb. 18. Gregory is currently in custody and awaiting criminal proceedings on a robbery charge laid earlier this year.

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COMMENT

THE ADVOCATE Thursday June 23, 2016

Nuisance calls to 911 a big problem placed throughout North America, the total is easily in the millions. Edmonton City Police, for example, field about one million 911 calls a year — 40 per cent are bogus. The problem has escalated to the point the city police earlier this year launched a campaign reminding citizens when NOT to phone the emergency line. Christine Lyseng, supervisor of Edmonton’s 911 call centre, says people have actually called about late pizza deliveries or parking-spot feuds at West Edmonton Mall. “It never fails, Murphy’s law,” Lyseng says. “When operators are just finishing up from one of these non-emergent calls then they get the one where someone’s having a heart attack, or there’s been a serious car accident, a roll over, or a condo fire, something like that.” Elsewhere in Canada, last Friday an upset Newfoundlander called 911 to report her pizza didn’t have enough cheese. Const. Geoff Higdon of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said the individual approached the manager to complain, but wasn’t satisfied with the response so she placed the 911 call. Regarding the chicken crossing the road question, the Huffington Post reported RCMP in B.C. received a 911 call about a chicken trying to cross the road and causing chaos at a major intersection. The caller even gave a meticulous description of the culprit: “Brown feathers, a red comb, a yellow beak and chicken legs.” It was never resolved why it wanted to cross the

RICK ZEMANEK OPINION

f there’s not enough cheese on the pizza you ordered, don’t complain to the manager. Call 911. Or, if you’re pondering that life-long philosophical question “why does the chicken cross the road?” But the chicken refuses to co-operate, call 911 and complain. Or, if your usually laid-back hamster suddenly turns on you in an angry rage, by all means the 911 operator should be alerted. And if you’re attacked by a dead water buffalo, 911 will assist. Astonishingly, these are actual cases tying up 911 operators answering some of the most bizarre “emergency” nuisance calls far beyond the realms of comprehension. And it’s no laughing matter, according to authorities, who say such calls are escalating and valuable time best spent on real emergencies is taxing their resources and patience. Canadian Press reported this week that police agencies around the world have struggled with these calls since adopting 911. Last month, a Las Vegas-area fire department held a news conference urging people not to call over “stubbed toes and sore throats.” While there’s no absolute figure on the number of nuisance 911 calls

road. Nor was it reported if it actually made it safely across the busy intersection. Another 911 call to the B.C. Mounties was placed by a frantic man whose hamster just gave birth to 10 babies and suddenly became aggressive. The distraught man threatened to drop off the newborns and mom in the RCMP parking lot, but the dispatcher talked him down. “The situation was eventually resolved, with no harm coming to the hamster or her babies,” police later said in a news release. “These kind of calls really do have the potential to tie up emergency resources — resources that are there helping people that are truly in need,” Jody Robertson, E-Comm spokesperson that handles Metro Vancouver’s 911 call centre, told CBC. Robertson said recent calls have included people looking for a taxi, asking about traffic conditions, looking for a weather forecast, or even asking how to program the voice mail on a cellphone. “We do scratch our heads and wonder … maybe people haven’t quite caught on to the full purpose of 911.” Adding to the frustrations of nuisance calls are “accidental calls” — those accidentally punched in by children playing with the phone or adults calling by mistake, or by those who won’t get off their butts. E-Comm reports its operators receive about 70,000 “accidental” calls a year, including about 200 a day thought to originate from cellphones in people’s back pockets or bags that are accidentally activated.

Regarding the dead water buffalo attack, commonsense should tell a person dead animals are not dangerous. But a Florida man thought otherwise when he called 911. A report over the Internet said the alleged victim was sitting in his recliner enjoying a glass of milk and watching the news when suddenly pinned to his chair by a water buffalo — specifically, a 200-pound stuffed head that became detached from his wall. He managed to reach his phone and yell obscenities at the 911 operator: “I think a (expletive) buffalo fell on me.” After being “rescued” he removed all dead stuffed animals from his house. (What was really in that glass of milk?) Admittedly there are some pretty bizarre calls placed to 911 operators that actually require medical attention. Take the dwarf clown circus performer for example, who fell victim to an act gone horribly wrong. For reasons yet to be explained, part of his act involved a vacuum cleaner sticking to his crotch region. But the attachment used for creating the illusion broke down before the performance and was hastily repaired with a generous amount Super Glue. Unfortunately the glue was not intended to stick permanently to a certain part of his lower anatomy. He required hospitalization. In all seriousness though, calling 911 is serious business. Nuisance calls can hinder matters that require immediate attention. Rick Zemanek is a former Advocate editor.

Advocate letters policy

he Advocate welcomes letters on public issues from readers. Letters must be signed with the writer’s first and last name, plus address and phone number. Pen names may not be used. Letters will be published with the writer’s name. Addresses and phone numbers won’t be published. Letters should be brief and deal with a single topic; try to keep them under 300 words. The Advocate will not interfere with the free expression of opinion on public issues submitted by readers, but reserves the right to refuse publication and to edit all letters for public interest, length, clarity, legality, personal abuse or good taste. The Advocate will not publish statements that indicate unlawful discrimination or intent to discriminate against a person or class of persons, or are likely to expose people to hatred or contempt because of race, colour, religious beliefs, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, source of income, marital status, family status or sexual orientation. Due to the volume of letters we receive, some submissions may not be published. Mail submissions or drop them off to Letters to the Editor, Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., T4R 1M9; or e-mail to editorial@reddeeradvocate.com.

Ambrose upbeat about Tory future PAUL WELLS OPINION

hey had a Conservative caucus party at Stornoway the other night. Rona Ambrose, the party’s interim leader, had a mechanical bull set up in the backyard. For a while the guests circled the thing warily. Fortunately, Simcoe-Grey MP Kellie Leitch seems drawn to long shots. She lasted as long on the fake beast as anyone does — not long — but it was all Ambrose’s spouse, J.P. Veitch, a former rodeo cowboy, needed to shame Leitch’s likely rivals for the Conservative leadership into following her example. Eventually they all got up there. Even Mike Chong with his tie on. A good time was had by all. By the time Ambrose welcomed me to Stornoway on Tuesday, the mechanical bull was gone from the back yard. But since last year’s election the Conservative party has faced a similar ride: rough, with slim chances of a comfortable landing. But Ambrose was poised and on message as she fielded my questions. On her opponents across the aisle: “This Liberal government is not what they sold Canadians on. They told CaRED DEER

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nadians they were going to be fiscally responsible and approach Parliament differently. They have been arrogant in their approach to Parliament and how they treat the opposition parties. They have broken almost every single promise when it comes to fiscal responsibility.” On last year’s election defeat: “People were by and large happy with the way things were. Lowest taxes in 50 years, free trade agreements with 51 countries … But then if you also ask Canadians, ‘Are you ready for a change?’ People say, ‘Yeah, maybe I’m ready for a change.’” On the qualities the next Conservative leader should have: “Any political leader of a national party, first of all, has to be bilingual. And second, there is nothing more important for any political party, but particularly ours, than to be focused on unity. And to make sure that we have someone that can bring the whole country together, from coast to coast.” Wow, that really doesn’t sound like Kevin O’Leary, the TV huckster, who brags that he has no time to learn French and who’s called the party he (maybe) hopes to lead “losers.” But when I pressed the point, Ambrose backtracked. O’Leary is “an important voice,” she said. “Listen, he’s not bilingual, but again, that will have to be up to our members to decide whether that’s a deciding factor.” News News tips 403-314-4333 Sports line 403-343-2244 News fax 403-341-6560 Sports reporter 403-314-4338 editorial@reddeeradvocate.com

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Has she talked to Jason Kenney, the Calgary MP who has flirted with running for leadership posts in both the federal and Alberta Conservative parties, about his plans? “Of course.” Does she think he’ll be a leadership candidate at one level or the other? “I don’t see how he wouldn’t be. What I’ve said to him is, the Conservative movement needs Jason Kenney.” So will it be federal or provincial? “The thing that I appreciate about Jason is, he’s not ego-driven. He will do what he thinks is right for the Conservative movement. He will go where he thinks he can make the biggest impact. Whether that’s federally or provincially will be up to him. And he’s starting to think about that.” I had hoped to lure her further from her careful, prepared messages. She has a unique position at a difficult time in the young history of the Conservative party. Stephen Harper was the only leader the young party has had. He won three elections, lost one, and these days a lot of people seem to believe the Conservatives should be ashamed to exist. But Ambrose was not in the mood for a confessional. She remained poised and wary. Twice she seemed to suggest she had hurried to put the Harper years behind her. “We promised to change our tone,” she said. “We listened to Canadians and we did that. We changed our tone.” And then, a few minutes later: “I

Alberta Press Council member The Red Deer Advocate is a sponsoring member of the Alberta Press Council, an independent body that promotes and protects the established freedoms of the press and advocates freedom of information. The Alberta Press Council upholds the public’s right to full, fair and accurate news reporting by considering complaints, within 60 days of publication, regarding the publication of news and the accuracy of facts used to support opinion. The council is comprised of public members and representatives of member newspapers.

think part of this comes with opposition, and maybe it’s my style of management, but there is more freedom in our caucus (now) to pursue issues that people care about. It’s important for our Conservative members of Parliament to feel that they have a voice.” Is she less strict than Harper? Does she wish he’d been more accommodating? Perish the thought. “It’s hard for me to comment on that because, to be honest, I had nine portfolios and I was given free rein. So when people used to say things about him being controlling, I never understood it.” Her vision for her party’s future? Upbeat. The next election will offer “such a great contrast,” she said. “The answer to every question (the Liberals) have is to create a new program or take more money out of the pockets of Canadians to put it into another government program. And I think what that shows is a lack of confidence in Canadians.” Anyone wanting the Conservatives to forsake their decade in power, or hoping they’ll congratulate Justin Trudeau on a job well done, would be disappointed by Ambrose’s remarks. Anyone afraid she might do either would be reassured. Her ride at Stornoway will last just short of one more year before she hands off to the next permanent leader. Paul Wells is a national affairs writer syndicated by Torstar.

The Press Council’s address: PO Box 2576, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8G8. Phone 403-5804104. Email: abpress@telus.net. Website: www.albertapresscouncil.ca. Publisher’s notice The Publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any advertising copy; to omit or discontinue any advertisement. The advertiser agrees that the Publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurs.

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Thursday, June. 23, 2016

Coal communities look at what future holds BY THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY — Coal-dependent communities in Alberta are taking a hard look at their future as the age of coal in the province starts to draw to a close. For Grande Cache, the closure of its coal mine last year and the looming final shutdown of Maxim Power’s Milner coal-fired power plant has put the very future of the town itself in question. Mayor Herb Castle says the town council has requested that the regional government study whether Grande Cache, about 430 kilometres west of Edmonton, should dissolve and become part of the municipal district of Greenview. “They will examine all our finances, our infrastructure, our longer-term needs, and say either you’re viable or you’re not viable,” he said. Castle said council has been considering the move for a couple years, with federal regulations already requiring the Milner plant to shut down at the end of 2019. But the loss of 400 jobs from a nearby coal mine because of the collapse of the global steel-making coal industry has brought new urgency. “We’re in the cellar. Our economy is shrinking. We have people who have walked away from houses and mortgages because they can’t afford them,” said Castle. The loss of hundreds of jobs in the town of about 4,300 people means everyone will be affected, he

said. “The long-term effects here will be felt at the grocery store and the garage, because our population is decreasing from a loss of employers and subsequent employees. So it’s felt pretty much everywhere,” said Castle. Hanna, about 220 kilometres northeast of Calgary, isn’t scheduled to lose its biggest employer until 2030, when Atco Power and TransAlta’s Sheerness coal-fire power plant will be forced to close under new provincial regulations. But that’s a decade earlier than expected under the federal regulations, and given the uncertainty in the power market, mayor Chris Warwick isn’t sure it will even stay operating that long. When the power plant and the mine that feeds it do close, the town of about 2,700 people will lose 200 well-paying jobs and many will have to move elsewhere with their families, said Warwick. “You start taking families out of town and now you’re talking about 300, 400 people, so that’s a major impact,” he said. The town has started looking at its options, and is launching studies on the impact of the Sheerness closure and how officials in Hanna will create jobs and keep the economy going. Warwick says they’ll be looking at everything from the tourism potential that could stem from revitalizing some historic railway workings to increasing water supplies to boost agriculture options beyond largely ranching.

File photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Sheerness coal plant near Hanna is shown in a handout photo. The plant will be forced to close early because of new provincial regulations.

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Councillors OK hefty pay hike for themselves for Fort McMurray recovery work BY THE CANADIAN PRESS FORT MCMURRAY — Councillors from a northeastern Alberta municipality severely damaged by a huge forest fire have voted themselves a hefty raise. The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo includes the city of Fort McMurray, which saw more than 80,000 residents flee from the wildfire that destroyed several neighbourhoods seven weeks ago. Council voted Tuesday night to pay three of its members and Mayor Melissa Blake $150,000 a year to work full time on a recovery committee. The other seven councillors, whose positions are considered part time, will see their pay rise to $75,000 a year from $36,000. Councillors on the recovery committee are Keith McGrath, Sheldon Germain, Allan Vinni and the mayor. The bylaw passed 7-4, with Blake and councillors Jane Stroud, Phil Meagher and Tyran Ault opposed. Blake, Stroud and Ault said after the council meeting they will not take the salary increase. The bylaw states committee members who are also councillors “shall devote their effort and atten-

tion to the work of the committee as they would to a full-time job, and thus shall take steps to reduce their time commitment to their other business interests or employment as may be required in order to devote such level of effort and attention to their committee duties for so long as the post-wildfire recovery period lasts.” It says the other councillors “will be required to devote an increased level of effort and attention to their council duties and activities since the normal council and council committee work will continue.” The committee begins work Wednesday and six members of the public are to be appointed following a selection process. Once all members have been chosen, a chair and vice-chair will be selected. Coun. Colleen Tatum explained in a Facebook post why she is accepting the pay raise. “Child care, lost time in my business, lost opportunities elsewhere, do cost me much more than I ever earn,” she said. “It does seem obscene on face value, to ask for a raise in these extreme and very hard times, but the justification I do feel is there.”

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Thursday, June. 23, 2016

‘That was a great one’ 94-YEAR-OLD AIR FORCE VET HOPS ABOARD A FLYING FORTRESS BY THE CANADIAN PRESS SPRINGBANK — As a tail gunner aboard a Canadian Lancaster bomber during the Second World War, Doug Curtis mowed down many enemies in 48 missions. He flew another mission Wednesday taking to the skies aboard one of the rarest of warplanes — the B-17 Flying Fortress — and mowed down another item from his bucket list. “That was a great one,” the 94-yearold war veteran exclaimed as he stepped down from the rear of the plane at Springbank airport just west of Calgary and hugged members of his family. Curtis made headlines earlier this month doing a tandem skydive to celebrate his birthday. “I’ve got maybe two more things on my bucket list. I’d like to drive all around B.C. and, apart from that, I’d like to do a real jump by myself. I’d like to try that once and then I will quit,” he said with a chuckle. The B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft is currently on a Canadian tour, giving airplane enthusiasts and military veterans like Curtis an opportunity to tour the plane and potentially get a ride as well. Curtis said he remembers the B-17s,

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Second World War B-17 bomber “Aluminum Overcast” sits on the tarmac at Springbank Airport near Calgary on Wednesday. or forts as he called them, when he was flying bombing missions of his own, but he had never been this close to one before. “We envied them because of the armament they carried. We only had peashooters compared to what’s on the fort. We could carry the bigger bomb load but they went during daytime and

I wouldn’t have wanted to do that at all,” he said. “We didn’t like the idea of daylight mainly because of the armament we carried. It brings back memories about all the fellows you used to do this with.” The Flying Fortress got its name from the amount of armour and weap-

onry it contained. The long-range bombers often went without fighter escorts. It had 13.50-calibre machine guns and carried 2,200 kilograms of bombs on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit. Although more than 12,700 of them were built, only about 10 remain flying. Lorraine Morris and her husband Ken volunteered to fly the B-17 as part of the Canadian tour. She said the plane was aptly named. It’s “like flying a cement truck without power steering.” “It’s quite a thrill. It’s a piece of history that we’re keeping alive and showing people. That’s what makes it so special,” said Morris, adding the plane could take “a beating and kept on ticking.” “They named them fortresses because they were so strong. They’d bring all the crews back even though they were badly damaged.” Jeff Seaborn, one of the tour organizers from the Experimental Aircraft Association which owns the aircraft, said it’s been touring in the United States for the past 20 years but this is the first time in Canada. It will be in Regina next week. “We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to show aviation-minded people here in Canada an antique airplane, the B-17, which was used in the war and to show them one (bomber) the Allies were using,” he said. “It’s the 72nd year since D-Day. Planes like this are getting fewer and farther between.”

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NEWS

Thursday, June, 23, 2016

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ARENA: Construction to be complete by 2018 The exterior will be a combination of metal siding, glazing, and textured and smooth pre-cast concrete. It will essentially be the same footprint as the existing Arena, and two storeys. The two floors will both connect to the adjacent Pidherney Curling Centre. Both the Curling Centre and City of Red Deer intend to work together to make the outside view of both buildings cohesive. The new arena will be used for hockey and skating in the winter, and in the summer for roller skating. It will be completed in 2018, a year before Red Deer hosts the 2019 Canada Winter Games. The city will spend the largest portions of the budget for the project over the next 24 months— $8.8 million in 2016 and $9.2 million in 2017. Mayor Tara Veer noted that with the curling centre and arena being together, it allows for the integration of other on-site uses such as the public market. The popular market was forced to relocate to the Memorial Centre this year while the new arena is being built. The general contractor, PCL Construction Management Inc., made the development permit application to MPC. There is a two-week appeal period now before the permit can be issued. The new arena will include a seating bowl with 1,360 fixed seats (with capacity for a total of 1,588), seven change rooms, two athlete warm-up rooms, and room-temperature spectator area. As well, the second floor will offer an open view to the action below, in the form of an indoor walking track. Parking will be similar to what is there now, with a total of 544 stalls, which includes 200 stalls across 43rd Street. The development permit comes with several conditions, including that PCL provide a revised plan that indicates bicycle storage and outdoor bicycle racks, and pedestrian pathway connectivity plans. barr@reddeeradvocate.com

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

West Park Elementary School student Jaxson Dyer works on an electric train on a large 3D model of Canada, which the school’s Grade 5 have built. Measuring about 4x6 metres, the model details all geographic regions of Canada, including the First Nations people and culture, the landscape, wildlife, plant life, resources and climate of each region. For five months the students have been building the set, which is a project based learning assignment that includes social studies, science, art and language arts studies in the initiative.

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The majority of those surveyed stated that when exposed to considerable background noise they are able to hear that something is being spoken, but can no longer discern precisely what is being said. The words seem blurred and indistinct. But why is that? The effect tends to manifest itself in group situations, especially in restaurants. It is the high-pitched tones perceived at the entrance to the cochlea that determine when you hear things accurately. In the majority of cases these parts of the inner ear are the first to be affected by noise or aging. As the high-pitched tones are no longer perceived well, the auditory centre of the brain begins to struggle to decode language. It’s a bit like an image that doesn’t have enough pixels.

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Hellewell said the SPCA is the place to come for people looking to adopt a rabbit and right now the best way to donate to help pay for the care of animals at the SPCA is online through Canada Helps. Every dollar donated to the SPCA by June 30 gives the SPCA a chance to win $10,000. A link to Canada Helps is on Red Deer & District SPCA website — www.reddeerspca.com — and the SPCA’s Facebook page, or go directly to www.canadahelps.org. Another fundraising effort underway until July 13 at 9 p.m. is the annual My Pet’s a Pin Up photo contest. For $20, people can submit a photo of their pet for a chance to be one of the 12 pet photos featured in the calendar. Nine of the photos will be chosen through an online voting system. For $5, people can cast five votes. “It’s kind of a fun way to share the pictures you like and encourage your family members and friends to get involved,” Hellewell said. Money raised by the contest and from the sale of the calendars goes to veterinary care and supplies. “Our budget for just veterinary supplies, medication, special foods are over $50,000 a year. That doesn’t count the veterinary’s time,” Hellewell said. Last year $14,000 was raised and about 150 photos were submitted, she said. The online contest is open to all residents of Alberta. Calendars will be available in the late fall. Those who submit a photo will receive a free calendar. For more information go to http://www.gogophotocontest.com/reddeerspca. szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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