Drumheller has always been known as the go-to destination for badlands and dinosaurs, but an increasing number of outsiders are coming to the Badlands Community Facility to get married.

The BCF is booked into 2017 with weddings, and with 14 receptions this year, its most ever and almost double last year’s, the facility is booked so solid this wedding season that a couple of patrons are even getting married on Tuesday evenings. 

“They say the BCF is where they want to get married, and they’re willing to adjust their schedule to have the facility as their own,” said bookings manager Erica Crocker. 

“It’s a great feeling.”

She said close to 50 per cent of patrons are from outside the Drumheller area, coming from north of Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer to tie the knot. Crocker believes most of these bookings have some connection to Drumheller already, whether it be family, or an experience they had here and its nostalgia, but she also feels many recognize the attraction of hosting their ceremony in the valley.

“The town itself having so many hotels is appealing to people outside of Drumheller. We’ve got this scenery, we’ve got banquet halls that can accommodate large numbers, state of the art equipment… It’s quite the area to get married in,” she said.

Town Community Services Director Paul Salvatore said it isn’t unexpected.

“It’s been in our plan all the way through. Word of mouth has been the best vehicle for spreading the word about our facilities, but marketing, packages, keeping our website up-to-date and making sure people are in the loop on social media are keys,” he said.

“We’ve had some pretty neat high scale weddings that have taken place there. There’s a higher level of the way you can layout the room, types of finishes for tables and chairs, that gives people a bit of imagination for what’s possible.”

Local Kelsie Campbell says along with the facility’s downtown location, ample parking, the scenic river view, and the staff effort has been a major bonus of their reception booking at the BCF.

“Planning a wedding comes with its stresses, and the staff have been incredibly proactive and accommodating when dealing with any wedding ‘crisis’ I throw at them,” she said.

Water quality in the Red Deer River is being assessed after a collision near the Content Bridge led to a diesel fuel being spilled into a creek that feeds into the river.  
    At approximately 3:30 p.m. on June 09, 2016, Stettler RCMP and Stettler Regional Fire Department responded to the rollover of a semi-truck and trailer combination on Highway 21 approximately one mile south of Highway 11 near Content Bridge.
    The investigation is on-going to the cause of the semi leaving the road on a curve as it was travelling north. The truck turned on its side in a small creek, along with the lead trailer. The second trailer became detached and over turned into the creek.
    The driver of the semi-truck suffered minor injuries and was transported to Red Deer Regional Hospital by Stettler EMS.
    The truck and trailer combination was carrying diesel fuel and an unknown quantity of fuel spilled into the creek. The creek eventually flows into the Red Deer River.
    Notifications were made to Stettler Emergency Management Services, Alberta Transportation’s Dangerous Goods, Stettler Water Treatment Facility, Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Emergency Management and Alberta One Call.
    First responders limited the flow of fuel from the trailers and the flow of water down the creek was curtailed by the use of booms and a berm was used to block off the creek. The remaining fuel in the tank was subsequently removed.
    The Town of Stettler Water Treatment Plant has switched over to storage pond water, which has approximately a ten day supply to service its area. It is not anticipated regular water treatment will be affected for any longterm duration.
    Overnight County of Stettler and Town of Stettler staff worked alongside first responders to build two berms intended to limit contamination from heading downstream. They also constructed a pad to assist vacuum trucks in reaching the tanker.
    Crews working for the fuel company involved in the incident arrived and stabilized the scene and removed the product from both fuel tankers. Today they have three recovery units on site focusing on recovering the tankers from the site of the incident.
    Waterway specialist are currently on site assisting with the clean-up. They have installed a series of booms in the creek between the site of the incident and the river. They will focus on skimming product off of the river and filtering hydrocarbons from the water.
    The fuel company involved has contracted a team to overseas the entire recovery project. Their tasks will include taking soil samples from the site of the overturned unit and water samples from the creek and the Red Deer River. They will work closely with Alberta Environment during the containment and recovery process.
    Today’s goals are to eliminate any further downstream contamination. Alberta Environment will be taking samples and expediting testing.