News | DrumhellerMail

Mayor continues to lobby for flood funding answers

flood-dirt-berm-june-2013

The town is still waiting for a response from the province in regards to the flooding in the spring 2013. Recently Mayor Yemen sent a letter to MLA Richard Starke hoping to move the process along.

   The Town of Drumheller is seeking answers and clarification of its flood funding from the province.
   The Mayor sent a letter asking for MLA support in early November to the province’s former tourism minister, Vermillion-Lloydminister MLA Dr. Richard Starke, requesting his support in Drumheller’s quest for answers from the province on flood mitigation funding.
   The Mayor said Starke has been very helpful to the Town.
   “It’s tough trying to get these things done with the government when you don’t have an MLA that’s sitting with the party in office,” said the Mayor.
   Dr. Starke is the assigned buddy-MLA for Drumheller-Stettler. Buddy-MLAs are assigned by the PC government to constituencies that do not have representation in government caucus but would like a government contact they can speak with.
   Starke and the Mayor both say they have developed a good working relationship and the Mayor says he will continue to work with the MLA.
   Dr. Starke was in Drumheller to tour the area after the June 2013 floods.
   One of the issues is a thirty-year old provincial funding agreement. The Town would like to know if it is still valid or not.
   “We’ll get an answer. I’m going to keep banging on doors until we get an answer,” said Mayor Terry Yemen, adding, "We might not get the answer we want.”
   The Mail archives show that in early 1983, a group of consultants was hired through Alberta Environment to review potential flood hazard, damages associated with flooding, and flood damage reduction alternatives for the Drumheller valley.
   The resulting 1985 Alberta Environment report outlines a dyking network for flood protection in the valley.
   “While the network is incomplete, the overall long term plans contained in the 1985 Alberta Environment Report have helped guide development and long term planning in the community to date,” the Mayor noted in a September letter to the province’s Ministers of Municipal Affairs and Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
   The letter was included with the Town’s application for flood mitigation funding.
   The Mayor said the province is within its proposed timelines for review of flood mitigation funding applications, but adds knowing sooner than later is better for the Town in order to line up the work for spring 2015.

Marathon effort supports Badlands Community Facility

dino-marathon-donates-to-BCF

The Community Futures Dinosaur Marathon, in five years, has contributed $75,000 to the Badlands Community Facility, including this year’s $21,000 donation to the Badlands Community Facility Fundraising Cabinet. At the presentation are (l-r) Hansine Kostelecky of the BCF Fundraising Cabinet, Jens Madsen of the Dinosaur Marathon, Heather Colberg and Kim Suntjens of the BCF Fundraising Cabinet and Colin Kloot of the Dinosaur Marathon.

   The Community Futures Dinosaur Marathon is continuing its support for the Badlands Community Facility and this year gave $21,000 to the BCF fundraising effort.
   On Thursday, November 20, organizers of the road race presented the Badlands Community Facility Fundraising Cabinet the donation from this year's events.
   This puts the Marathon's five year total contribution up to $75,000.
   "We are honoured to have the participation and support of the local community, the local businesses, the town, the RCMP, and all the sponsors we have,” said member of the race committee Colin Kloot. “We continue to do this for the betterment of the general population of the town and to bring people into the valley.”
   The annual event hit a benchmark this year. To celebrate its fifth run, organizers introduced a full marathon to go along with the family 5k fun run, the Encana 10k and the Community Futures Dinosaur Half Marathon.
   “We all agree the marathon event will continue and we believe it was a success, and the feedback we have had from participants was very positive. Everybody loved the routes,” said Kloot. "We are really pleased.”
   The marathon event remains committed to supporting the fundraising efforts for the Badlands Community Facility.
   “Next year our goal is to have our donation to the Badlands Community Facility exceed the $100,000 mark," said Kloot. “This donation today brings us up to $75,000, so we set our goal for better than the $21,000 we are giving this year."
   “Our ultimate game plan is to ensure there is a continuation of the event into the infinite future.”

Winter whallop

winter-nov-28-2014

Snow and wind are causing drifting snow in the Drumheller area.

Bad winter weather has hit Drumheller and area, with Environment Canada expecting 50km winds to last into Friday evening.
   511 Alberta is reporting strong winds, blowing and drifting snow and icy conditions on a number of highways, including Highways 9, 10, 21, and 56 for the Drumheller area.
   Director of Infrastructure Services for the Town of Drumheller Allan Kendrick say crews are out working on the roads as best they can, but the colder weather makes it more difficult.
   “You’re hitting that minus 20, minus 25 range - you can’t melt it, we do plow it.”
   He said the town will lay down ground angular rock that bites into the ice to give vehicles better traction.
   Tomorrow may see less snow, but Environment Canada is calling for a possible windchill of minus 39. The Banff, Kananaskis and Lethbridge areas have been issued snow storm warnings.

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