JANUARY –
LOCALS HELP CRIME FIGHT - With criminals using social media more and more these days as part of their operations, local rural residents could help counter the threat by getting to know their neighbours, said Gerald Ingeveld, president of the Olds-Sundre-Didsbury Rural Crime Watch Association. Rural crime such as vehicle thefts and break-ins at farms, ranches, businesses and other properties was continuing in the region at the same or even greater rates as in 2017, he said.
AIRCRAFT HITS POWER LINE - An airplane struck a power line at the Olds-Didsbury Airport knocking out power to 1,800 customers across the district. The aircraft involved, a Piper model PA28-180, landed safely at the airport.
CADET NUMBERS INCREASE - The 3025 Didsbury Service Battalion Army Cadet Corps was seeing an increase in numbers, officials said. Squad leader Tim Kaczmarski said the corps has seen its numbers grow to around 40. “It’s been a slow increase but we’ve reached a nice milestone,” said Kaczmarski. The corps is made up of cadets between the ages of 12 and 19.
FEBRUARY –
CRIME CONCERNS VOICED - About 140 residents attended a town hall meeting at the Eagle Hill Hall to voice concerns about rural crime and to seek solutions. The meeting included a panel made up of MP Earl Dreeshen, MLA Jason Nixon, Mountain View County reeve Bruce Beattie, Red Deer County mayor Jim Wood, Olds RCMP detachment commander St. Sgt. Jim MacDonald, Sundre RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Jim Lank, and Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski.
CONFERENCE WELL ATTENDED - Despite some very inclement weather, the 2018 Ranching Opportunities conference at Olds College attracted about 120 participants. The conference was attended by producers, students and government officials, and was co-sponsored by Mountain View, Kneehill and Rocky View counties, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Foothills Forage and Grazing Association and other partners.
PREDATION WORKSHOP A HIT - About 70 area residents attended a one-day workshop on the challenges facing landowners and other property owners when dealing with predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes. Held at the Gold and Silver Centre in Cremona, the workshop was co-sponsored by Mountain View County and the MD of Bighorn. Principal speakers included Todd Ponich, regional problem wildlife specialist with Fish and Wildlife, who spoke about predation and predator management.
MARCH –
KENNEY COMMITS TO CRIME FIGHT - Reversing a rise in rural crime across Alberta would require a concerted effort from both the provincial and federal governments, said United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. In Mountain View County to meet with educators and business owners, Kenney said, “Most of these property crimes in rural Alberta are being committed by a relatively small number of serious repeat offenders. They need to go behind bars and stay behind bars.”
ANIMAL HEALTH CONFERENCE - More than 200 people attended the annual Alberta Farm Animal Care conference at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites in Olds. The conference saw industry experts, producers, college students and others take part in workshops, panel discussions and lectures. Dr. Temple Grandin, an internationally renowned professor and pioneer in animal welfare, spoke about trends in livestock handling.
RURAL CRIME FRUSTRATIONS - Many Mountain View County residents were increasingly frustrated with criminals targeting farms, ranches, private homes and businesses in the region, said Reeve Bruce Beattie. He said he believes municipalities must now take the lead in the fight against rural crime. “I don’t see any leadership from either the federal or provincial governments in issues related to rural crime,” he said.
APRIL –
CRIME WATCH GROUP MEETS - More than 100 people attended the Olds-Sundre-Didsbury Rural Crime Watch Association annual general meeting in Olds. The meeting included the election of officers, addresses by stakeholders, and a presentation on illegal drug use. President Gerald Ingeveld, who was re-elected chairman of the association, said the group was looking forward to continuing its work with stakeholder partners to protect the community at large.
COUNTY OPEN HOUSE - About 30 residents have attended an open house in council chambers regarding proposed changes to the county’s municipal development plan and the land use bylaw, including provisions relating to cannabis production and sale. Municipalities across Canada were gearing up for recreational cannabis legalization.
NO TO KITS - After consultations with various stakeholders, Chinook’s Edge School Division decided not to introduce anti-overdose naloxone kits into its facilities. Superintendent Kurt Sacher said, “With the greatest of intentions we wanted to take a look at what we could do in that area, but it really requires a careful expertise. Teachers are incredible and trained in so many ways, but they are not trained to administer naloxone kits.”
MAY –
RODEO FINAL WELL ATTENDED - The finals of the 2017-18 Mountain View Junior Cowpoke Rodeo season saw about 70 young athletes competing, with about 40 family members and other fans coming out to watch. Held at the Raecer Arena in Westward Ho east of Sundre, the finals saw competitors up to 14 years of age take part in events such as goat tying, goat untying, pole bending, chute dogging, steer riding, breakaway roping and barrel racing.
BEARSMART AWARENESS - About 120 people, including many youngsters, attended the annual Mountain View BearSmart Society Family Fun Day at Elkton Valley Campground. The society strives to educate the general public on what to do and not to do while in bear country, which includes parts of Mountain View County. The event included bear spray demonstrations, with those in attendance learning the best ways to use the deterrent sprays on a mechanical bear machine.
CRIME FIGHT INITIATIVE LAUNCHED - Mountain View County council approval a new crime prevention initiative aimed at helping address a rise in rural crime in the region. The policy included a grant program that will be used to fund organizations that propose activities or events that have the potential to reduce the impact of crime within a large community area or throughout the county. Reeve Beattie said the county welcomes the opportunity to contribute to addressing rural crime.
JUNE –
CREDIT UNION MEMBERS VOTE - Mountain View Credit Union (MVCU) members voted overwhelmingly in support of an amalgamation with Calgary-based Connect First Credit Union. In all, 371 members' votes were cast at a special general meeting held at the Olds College Alumni Centre, with 87 per cent voting to approve the amalgamation. “It was such a vote of confidence from our members,” said Tracy Kelly, vice-president of marketing with MVCU. “We knew employees were in support, but to see that many members come out in support was amazing.”
ANIMAL SHELTER OPENS - The opening of the new Wild Rose Humane Society animal shelter in Didsbury was great news for the entire region, said Didsbury mayor Rhonda Hunter. Dignitaries and other guests were on hand for the official ribbon cutting at the facility, located at 13 Co-op Road. “This is going to help out our animals in need and our adoptions,” said Hunter. “The bad thing is there is a need for picking up abandoned animals, but the good thing is there is now a place to come to and people who care.” The shelter has room for 10 dogs and 12 cats.
FOOD BANK RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS - Mountain View Food Bank will continue to seek out new volunteers and donors over the coming year, treasurer Penny Coyne said following the group’s annual general meeting. “We don’t have a whole lot of new things that we need to do in the coming year. We are going to carry on as normal. We are always looking for volunteers. Right now we have a lot of great people here, but we always take new volunteers. We are also always looking for donations.”
JULY –
FIREFIGHTERS RESIGN - Several members of the Didsbury Fire Department, including deputy chiefs, resigned over safety concerns with the way the department was being run and how the town was dealing with it. A third-party assessment of the department resulted in many recommendations, including development of standard operating procedures. A safety audit was also conducted, resulting in further recommendations.
RAFTING MISHAP INJURES MAN - Sundre firefighters used a jet boat to bring an injured Olds man to a waiting ambulance on the banks of the Red Deer River north of Sundre following a rafting mishap. The injured man was in a rubber raft that became entangled on tree debris and capsized. He suffered a leg injury, said Sundre fire Chief Marty Butts, noting that rafters should always wear life-jackets.
CANCELLATION A CONCERN - The pending cancellation of Greyhound service in Western Canada is a concern, including for its impact on business activity and the health care of rural residents, said county councillor Al Kemmere, who is also the president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA). “It’s unfortunate because there are communities that rely on the service. To have this service gone is a real concern. From a rural health-care perspective it will create challenges, and for businesses,” he said.
RIDERS HELP CANCER FIGHT - The 11th annual Ride for Dad prostate cancer research funding motorcycle event in the district raised more than $17,000, with 117 riders taking part, said rural chapter president Gil Enns.
AUGUST –
FISH AND WILDLIFE - A dozen Fish and Wildlife officers from across the province took part in a two-day training exercise last week aimed at sharpening their skills when dealing with bear and cougar attacks. Held at several locations in Sundre, the exercise included a mock response scene located in a wooded area along the east bank of the Red Deer River just north of Highway 27.
BIKE MEMORIAL FOR GIRL - More than 20 family, friends and dignitaries attended the unveiling of a temporary memorial for a Didsbury girl killed in a hit-and-run accident 50 years ago. Kathleen Zazulak, 7, was struck and killed as she rode her bicycle at the intersection of 20th Avenue and 16th Street on Aug. 26, 1968. The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision left the scene and has not been identified. Five decades later, a bicycle painted white with a small sign bearing Kathleen’s name, and the time and date of the incident was placed at the scene of the collision.
SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE - Sundre Search and Rescue Association members took part in an exercise in conjunction with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA). Held at the Sundre Airport, the exercise involved team members using a hand-held receiver to locate a simulated aircraft crash site at the west end of the airfield, said SAR president Roger Tetreault. Once there, members found three "victims" of the crash and were required to assess the situation, he said.
SEPTEMBER –
RALLY SUPPORTS DAIRY - About 40 people attended a noon-hour rally in Olds on Sept. 20 in support of the local and national dairy industry. Elmira, Ont. dairy owner Henk Schuurmans and his family were travelling across Canada to promote the nation’s supply management system for milk and related dairy products. Schuurmans said that the system “provides a good balance by allowing Canadian dairy famers to collectively negotiate prices and adjust milk production to meet consumer demand.”
NEW HALL OPENS - About 150 people attended the grand opening of the new Water Valley Community Centre, representing the culmination of 18 years of community-wide effort. The new hall stands just west of the former hall, which was built in 1942 and expanded in 1972. With more than 6,100 square feet of space, the new hall cost $1.3 million to build, said Water Valley Community Association president and chairman of the building committee Harold Baxandall.
PIPELINE REACTION – A Federal Court of Appeal ruling against approval of the multi-billion-dollar Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was bad news for the county and other rural municipalities in Alberta, said Al Kemmere, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Association and a county councillor. He called the ruling a setback on several fronts. “A lot of our rural municipalities rely on the funds from oil and gas, whether it’s from pipelines or wells,” said Kemmere.
OCTOBER –
PUMPKIN FESTIVAL SHINES - Despite cool weather, between 300 and 400 people of all ages turned out for the 34th annual Carstairs Pumpkin Fest. The event was sponsored by the Carstairs Agricultural Society and was put on in the curling rink. “Everyone seemed to be happy despite the weather,” said volunteer and board member Gail Davis. About 15 volunteers made the festival a success in 2018. There were 17 pumpkins entered in the junior category and eight in the adult category.
HARVEST SAVED - Producers in the region made the most of a welcome recent stretch of good weather to bring in the harvest, said Grant Lastiwka, with Alberta Agriculture in Olds. Poor, wet weather at the end of September threatened to leave a great deal of the harvest in the fields, so the turnaround was very welcome, he said. “Things have really turned around,” he said.
REEVE RE-ELECTED - Mountain View County councillors re-elected Bruce Beattie as the reeve of the municipality for 2018-19. The reeve is the municipality's chief elected official, functioning as the principal spokesperson for the municipality. “I think the support of council is very gratifying,” said Beattie. “It’s good to have the support of our council and our community. It is an honour to serve in this position." Coun. Angela Aalbers was re-elected as deputy reeve.
NOVEMBER –
SERVICES HONOUR VETERANS - Hundreds of residents of all ages attended Remembrance Day ceremonies in Carstairs, Didsbury and Cremona, marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and paying tribute to local veterans. The Carstairs ceremony saw local Grade 6 student Jaiden Barker recite her essay We Remember Them, which included the following lines: “We remember the days of war because they fought for us and for freedom. I can’t even imagine the war, fighting, the injuries and the death."
KEMMERE RE-ELECTED – Mountain View County councillor Al Kemmere was re-elected as president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Association. It was his third two-year term at the head of the organization, which represents 69 rural municipalities.
OIL AND GAS UPDATE - Mountain View County council was given an update on activities, plans and challenges facing the Canadian oil and gas industry. Kelly McTaggart, with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said there are two main challenges facing the industry: the need for better access to foreign markets, and increased competition from the U.S.
DECEMBER -
SPOG HOLDS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - About 100 people attended the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group (SPOG) annual general meeting at the Sundre Golf Club on Nov. 29. The meeting saw the passing of the 2019 budget, the election of directors, and speeches by industry and regulator members. SPOG is a collection of oil and gas companies with operations in the Sundre area. Julia Fulford, regional manager of stakeholder engagement with the Alberta Energy Regulator called SPOG a valuable community member.
HOLIDAY TRAIN A HIT - The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train rolled through Didsbury again this year bringing Christmas cheer, festive music and a nice donation for the local food bank. Around 400 people came out to the train station in downtown Didsbury to see the train on Dec. 11. Performing on the train were musicians Terri Clark, Kelly Prescott and Sierra Noble. Headliner Clark performed several of her original tunes as well as some Christmas standards. As well, Didsbury Neighborhood Place staff was on hand at the train station handing out hot chocolate and cookies. On stage before the music, Canadian Pacific presented the food bank with a cheque for $4,000.
