DrumhellerMail.com Headline News

History of Little Church debated

Pat Kolafa | © DrumhellerMail.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:00:49 +0000

What started as a quick quip in Read All About It about the date of construction on the Little Church, the Drumheller landmark and attraction, has taken on a life of its own.

    The Drumheller Mail’s August 11 edition, tried to clear up some questions on when the Church was built. It stated that contrary to some claims it was completed in 1968, it was actually built in 1958, as the brainchild of Reverend E.C. O’Brien, and constructed by Tygve (Tig) Seland, the same man that built the dozens of dinosaurs spread throughout the community.
    Dorothy Bergos provided The Mail some more information, as she was the first general manager of the Drumheller Chamber of Commerce, which took on the responsibility to maintain the Church. She said inmates at the Drumheller Institution rebuilt the Church in 1984.
    “In about l984, Dale Gavel of the Drumheller Institution was president of the Chamber and arranged, unknown to the public, to have the Church completely re-built. The old Church was demolished in the night and the new one set up and no one was ever the wiser…until now,” she said in an e-mail.
    Since this tidbit of information was published in the August 25 edition of The Mail, the paper has heard more recollections on the history of the Church.
    Garry Nargang said Peter Boldt rebuilt the Little Church in 1980. From his recollections, he explained Boldt died before it was completed and his sons finished the project. He remembers that the Drumheller Co-op donated the paint, and either the Navy League or Sea Cadets played a role in painting the tiny, but well-known structure.
    The Mail welcomes other recollections or musings about the origins and history of the Church. The one thing that remains true is that every year, visitors from all over duck through the door, take a seat on the pews and snap a photo of the little Church that could.
    Postscript: According to the website www.Bigthings.ca the sign at the church says the Church was built in 1968, and “was reconstructed by inmates of the Drumheller Institution in 1991.”

Nomination forms for prospective Drumheller candidates available

Pat Kolafa | © DrumhellerMail.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:58:03 +0000

For those mulling over the idea of running for an elected office in this fall’s municipal election, they can take the first step by picking up some of the paperwork.

    Nomination Day for the 2010 Municipal Election is September 20.
    To get to this first step, candidates have to go through the process of being nominated.
    All the documents needed by potential candidates are available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca, and are also available at municipal offices. The Town of Drumheller has posted the documents at www.dinosaurvalley.com.
    The next step for candidate, after picking up the documentation, is to read through the package and determine eligibility. A candidate must have lived in the area at least six months prior to Election Day. There is no deposit required by a candidate to run for office in Drumheller.
    The next step is to be nominated. Nomination forms must be submitted on Nomination Day, September 20 and contain the signatures of at least five electors eligible to vote in the elections. The nomination form must be signed in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths or the Returning Officer.
    Candidates can withdraw their nomination within 24 hours of the closing of nominations by submitting a notice of withdrawal in writing to the Returning Officer. If it is past 24 hours, the candidate’s name will appear on the ballot. In addition, if a candidate’s withdrawal will leave an insufficient number of candidates remaining to fill the office, the candidate will not be permitted to withdraw.
    In Drumheller, Election Day is Monday, October 18. Advance voting will be at the Civic Centre on Friday, October 8 and Friday October 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    Area Returning Officers for the municipal election:
    •Town of Drumheller-Michael Roy, 403-823-1311.
    •Starland County-Shirley Bremer, 403-772-3793.
    •Kneehill County- Jody Varga, 403-443-5541.
    •Wheatland County-Terry Tower, 403-934-3321.
    •Village of Munson- Lyle Cawiezel, 403-823-6987.
    •Village of Morrin-Annette Plachner, 403-772-3870.
    •Village of Delia-Caroline Siverson, 403-364-3787.
    •Village of Hussar- Tracy Anderson, 403-787-3766.
    •Village of Standard-Leah Jensen, 403-644-3968.
    •Village of Rockyford-Lois Mountjoy, 403-533-3950.
    •Village of Carbon-Debra Grosfield, 403-572-3244.

Energy Minister sees high level of intergovernmental cooperation

Pat Kolafa | © DrumhellerMail.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:55:26 +0000

Alberta Minister of Energy Rob Liepert said the amount of cooperation in Alberta between different levels of government is very strong.

    He was at Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club Wednesday to play at a fun golf tournament as part of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s (AUMA) annual off site meeting. Also at the tournament were Alberta Minister Agriculture and Rural Development, and Drumheller-Stettler MLA Jack Hayden and Crowfoot MP Kevin Sorenson.
    “The relationships between the municipal levels of government, both urban and rural, and the provincial government has probably never been better than it is today, and I think it is important as ministers we show support for municipally elected officials,” he said.
    He said the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) has built part of that relationship.
    “I am being continually told by officials at the municipal levels that it has been a very important part for municipalities to have a consistent level of funding, and I think that has gone a long way in creating partnerships,” he said.
    President of the AUMA, and Mayor of Breton, Darren Aldous said the Municipal Sustainability Initiative has been a helpful program for communities, however there are still some wrinkles to iron out.
    “It (the MSI) is an unprecedented amount of money for municipalities, when you compare it to other provinces,” he said. “However in some of the details they have taken away some of the grants for community groups and non-profit groups. Now they (the government) is telling community groups to ‘go to your municipalities because they are getting all this MSI money.’ Meanwhile we are putting this MSI money into infrastructure.”
    As Minister of Energy, Liepert feels Alberta is on the right track to see further recovery in the oil and gas field. Earlier this year the government made further changes to the Alberta Royalty Framework to stimulate the sector, and he sees these beginning to make a difference. While oil prices are strong with the development of the oil sands, in the Drumheller area where the sector is more dependent on natural gas, low prices are playing a role in the slow recovery.
    “There are still some real issues in this part of the province,” he said. “A number of incentives we have put in place as part of our fiscal adjustment to the royalty structure in the spring, they are really starting to kick in when it comes to coal bed methane, and I know there is some of that happening here,” he said. “New technology with the right incentives is encouraging drilling. So we are seeing the increases in land sales, we’re seeing higher than anticipated rig activity, real optimism in the industry.”
    While there has been stronger activity in the oil sands, an advertising campaign is threatening the tourism industry in Alberta in protest of developing the oil sands.
    Recently a group called Corporate Ethics International launched a campaign called Rethink Alberta that asks people not to visit Alberta unless the government “halts the expansion of the tar sands, stops spending millions of dollars on public relations campaigns designed to keep the United States addicted to dirty tar sands oil and takes meaningful steps to transition its economy away from dirty tar sands oil to clean energy alternatives.”
    So far, Liepert doesn’t believe the campaign has much traction.
    “I don’t think there has been any noticeable impact in the province because certainly it has been much more of an issue in the province than it has been outside the province and outside the country. However that being said, we have to be sure that we do a better job of communicating, a better job of informing Albertans and non-Albertans about the importance of the oil sands, about the fact there are strict environmental regulations; there is responsible development,” he said.
    “While one particular campaign may not have an impact, significant campaigns lumped together start to chip away at your reputation. On its own, I am not sure if it is having an impact, but cumulatively it will have an impact. You throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will eventually stick.”
    He said the reaction of Albertans to the campaign has been interesting.
“It’s actually made Albertans angry, and I have not seen Albertans react in such a strong way,” he said.

Terry Fox Run to mark 30 years

This is a special year for the Terry Fox Run as it marks 30 years since the original Marathon of Hope.

    In the spring of 1980, Terry Fox dipped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean and began a trek that has become more than a legend.
    While his quest to cross the country was cut short, thousands over the last 30 years have carried on his legacy, and have raised more than $500 million for cancer research.
    Drumheller has participated in every Terry Fox Run. This year’s event is on September 19 at Midland Hall. Organizer Sharel Shoff is hoping for a strong turn out for the event.
“We would like as many people as possible because it is the 30th year,” says Shoff. She encourages new walkers, or those who have taken a hiatus to come out and celebrate this milestone.
    The run is well supported by students from Greentree School who participate every year as a class.
    Registration for the run is at 9:30 a.m. at Midland Hall. The trek will go from the hall to the Drumheller Memorial Arena, before returning back to the hall for lunch provided by the Drumheller Elks Club.
    As the event was originally envisioned, it is non-competitive, and there is no minimum fundraising requirement.
    To mark the 30th Anniversary, organizers are planning to honour those who have participated the most in the event.
    Shoff says there are opportunities for those wanting to be involved to volunteer. For more information, contact Shoff at 403-820-1644.

Badlands Rail Company denied CN railline

Private ownership of the railline that once rumbled through Drumheller has been put aside for now.

    CN Rail has denied the proposal of the Badlands Rail Company (BRC) for the purchase of the Oyen to Lyalta and west rail lines.
    Now the railline, the last between Medicine Hat and Provost, will be offered to the federal government for 30 days.
    If Canada does not wish to purchase the line, it will then move into the Alberta government's court for another month, and if they too don’t want it, the line will be offered to municipal governments.
    If governments have no interest, it will be offered to any buyer for any purpose, says Brad Wiebe of Palliser Municipal Services, the organizers behind the BRC.
    The BRC is not dead yet, and they will continue to meet to discuss the future in case governments pass up the line.
    “From Medicine Hat to Provost, that’s a big area to not be serviced,” said Wiebe.
    Shipping by rail is more economical, environmentally cleaner, and a benefit to communities, said Wiebe who has acted as a medium between Palliser and the BRC.
    The line has been listed in discontinuance since November of last year.
    CN Rail went from being a crown corporation to a private corporation in the mid-90’s.
    As a crown corporation (administered by the federal government of Canada), CN was basically operating as a service to communities.
    Since becoming a private corporation, they are as tight as can be to increase their shareholder return. This is the reason behind the discontinuance of some lines, said Wiebe.
    CN Rail de-markets the rail-line before discontinuance, legitimizing selling the line due to low use.
    “You can’t blame them,” he said. “As a private corporation it’s what they have to do.”
    Shipping by rail is being slowly dismantled in Canada, while line use in the United States is increasing, says Wiebe.
    Salvage companies in the states are purchasing discontinued rail-line material in Canada for use in new U.S. lines.
    “A lot of industry still requires rail,” says Wiebe, while mentioning the BRC was comprised of shareholders who were focused on its use in agriculture.
    Waste hauling, product shipping, and even tourism are ideas floating around for uses of the line if BRC has their way in the end.
    The rail will be on the table for the three levels of government before it returns to commercial sale.