The Drumheller Community Learning Society is being proactive and looking to the community to update a Needs Assessment for Drumheller and area.

The Community Learning Society has gone through a number of changes over the years, but has always remained a group that has served the community and delivers programs that are needed. Linde Turner has been involved with the group in its previous incarnation as the Further Education Council for almost three decades. Recently it amalgamated with Adult Literacy, Family Literacy,  Homework Help and the Early Childhood Coalition to form a non-profit society called Drumheller Community Learning Society (DCLS).

“In 2012 we did a dialogue with the community asking what was needed,” said Turner. “We did what they asked.”

    One of the recommendations that came out of that was better accessibility. They delivered with the new community learning centre at the former Chinook Credit Union. They share space with Campus Alberta. Their numbers have steadily increased. The group was able to involve families in their programing and introduced a GED program.

Today they are looking to complete a Needs Assessment and are looking for constructive ideas.

    “We said at the board, ‘we need to do a Needs Assessment, let’s broaden our horizons.’ If we do something out of the box and don’t limit it to the learning centre and try to involve everybody who has a voice to be heard, maybe we will have something constructive for the community,” said Turner.

There have been a number of changes taking place in the community including economic, educational, cultural, political, climatic and agricultural to name a few.

“There is a current groundswell of ideas, so it is a time to make a new plan for the future of the Drumheller area, with participation from all residents and organizations,” she said in press release.

The Drumheller Community Learning Centre’s request is simple; come up with three constructive suggestions or ideas, and their solutions. They can simply e-mail them to drum
needs@gmail.com, drop them off at the Community Learning Centre at 250 Centre Street, or mail them to Box 998 Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0.

Turner said they have floated the idea to the Town of Drumheller which is interested in hearing constructive ideas to put together a needs assessment.

“We have a good record of asking the community what it wants and fulfilling it,” she said “It is about what ordinary people want, and it’s about dealing with ordinary people.”

  They are hoping to get as many suggestions as they can by March 20. They will then put the information together and present it to the public shortly thereafter.

    “I think it will be valuable to the town’s population to have constructive ideas and solutions,” said Turner.

Wheatland County issued a fire ban Friday, March 13, that includes the communities of Hussar, Dalum, Rosebud, Standard, and Rockyford.

An extreme fire risk has led   Wheatland County to issue a fire ban Friday, March 13, but residents can still use propane and natural gas barbecues and fireplaces inside the home.
  The fire ban is due to extremely dry and windy conditions in the County, and includes Dalum and Rosebud.
  The County has continued its suspension from last week of all burning permits, after two grass fires threatened active railway lines.
    The fire ban includes:
- incinerators, for farm and acreage use.
- regulated burning barrels.
- camp stoves.
- solid fuel, charcoal briquette barbecues.
- Recreational camp fires.
- Chimeneas.
- Any fires contained within approved facilities and appliances in designated camping and recreational areas.

 In addition to Dalum and Rosebud, Hussar, Standard, Rockyford and Strathmore and all hamlets in Wheatland  are affected.
  Environment Canada forecasts wind gusts of up to 40 or 50 kilometres an hour Friday and Saturday for parts of the County.
  The website for Wheatland County can be found at
http://ab-wheatlandcounty.civicplus.com