The Community
Press Volume 113, Issue 28
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
$1 Including GST
Wind storm destroys local heritage barn Leslie Cholowsky Editor
High winds on Wednesday, Jan. 13, proved too much for the aging barn at the Holmstrom farm near Killam. Darrell Holmstrom provided this photo to brother Del’s ‘Alberta Barns’ Facebook page. Del Holmstrom featured a photo of the barn this September on his ‘Alberta Barns’ page after another windstorm ripped a hole in the roof, but the latest photo shows even more damage to the structure. The barn was built in 1905, says Holmstrom, featured in a family photo from 1934, on the Louis Larson homestead. The farmsite has a wealth of history for the region. Holmstrom says it was known as “Youngstown” and was a stopping place for settlers before the railroad came though, after which Killam became the stopping place. “The old chicken house was a post office,” says Holmstrom. Holmstrom family photo circa 1934, showing the barn in good working use.
DEL/DARRELL HOLMSTROM PHOTOS
The barn located on Darrell Holmstromʼs farm succumbed to wind damage after high winds in the region on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Top photo: Winter winds proved too much for the 100-year-plus building. Bottom photo: In September, a windstorm opened a hole in the roof spelling the beginning of the end.
Local RCMP Corporal making case for mini crime unit Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Corporal Trent Cleveland of the Killam RCMP has worked as acting commander for three-and-a-half years at the Detachment, and has come up with a proposal that he hopes will gain support both locally and by RCMP brass, as well as the Province. Presently Alberta K Division has four specialized crime reduction units in different areas of the province. The Killam Detachment is served by the Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (EADCRU). Cleveland says this unit works out of the St. Paul Detachment, and contains seven or eight individual members. “If we ask for their help, they do come out,” Cleveland says, “but with the amount of rural property crime in
our area, I am proposing a two-constable over one corporal mini crime reduction unit be created.” He says this unit, like the larger EADCRU, would investigate property crime, deal with outstanding warrants, and generally work on highprofile ongoing investigations. “These would not be front line officers, but an investigation crew, primarily.” Cleveland says that this new unit could potentially service the Killam, Viking, Provost, Consort, and Coronation Detachment areas, all of which fall under the southern-most area of the present EADCRU. “The Mini Crime Reduction Unit can take over investigations that will allow the frontline general duty constables to continue with their first responding to the communities that they serve. “Having a local Crime Reduction Unit
for the five jurisdictions will allow members and the detachments to improve the intel and files shared with one another. The majority of the suspects causing the crimes in each jurisdiction are transient between all of these jurisdictions.” Cleveland said that the initial proposal was received positively by the Eastern Alberta District, but that in the end, it will all come down to funding. He says at present, it’s being reviewed over who would be responsible for funding such a unit. Cleveland said if the unit was to be started, it would be housed at the Killam Detachment. He said, “We would figure out the room for it,” noting, too, that Killam is one of the oldest detachments in the province, and is supposed to be slotted for a new detachment over the next five years or so.
Killam Detachment is the largest detachment in the proposed areas, with the most members, a Sergeant, and a Corporal. He’s made informal presentations to the RCMP about his idea, and he’s pleased with the reaction. Cleveland has also put the idea forward to the Flagstaff Community Action Committee, which contains an elected official from every municipality. He says he received positive feedback there for the idea, as well as in Viking, but has not formally introduced the proposal to the other communities. He has also talked to Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely, “She thought it was a good idea in principle. If the RCMP indicate we could go forward with it, we will open more formal talks with her. See PROPOSAL P13