The Town of Hanna is taking bullying seriously thanks to a new anti-bullying bylaw passed by council.
    In the bylaw, “no person shall, in any public space:
    a.) Communicate, either directly or indirectly, with any person in a way that causes the person, reasonably in all the circumstances, to feel bullied.
    b.) ...encourage or cheer on any person [who is bullying].”
    Under the bylaw, anyone found to be bullying can be fined at least $250 for bullying, or $100 for encouraging a bully.
    The bylaw is the first such attempt for Hanna. The bylaw was created to help give the local RCMP detachment tools to help stop bullying within the public areas of town.
    “The school division has its anti-bullying policies for their schools, the Town has policies for our facilities, but there was nothing in general for the town,” said Mayor Mark Nikota. “They [the RCMP] requested some way they could deal with these situations before things escalated.”
    Other communities in the area have already adopted anti-bullying measures.
    “It’s already in place for Drumheller. There’s a section in the Community Standards Bylaw which addresses it,” said Mayor Terry Yemen.
    The bylaw states no person shall bully any person in a public place or encourage others to do so. The fines for  a minor are $250 for a first offence. As an adult, the first offence carries a $500 fine.
    Prior to the passing of the bylaw, RCMP were limited in how they could address bullying complaints.
    “Before, all the RCMP could do to address a complaint was talk to the person, but there was really no teeth to anything until it became a Criminal Code violation. It spills over into other parts of the town and there was nothing the RCMP could do other than a stern lecture. Now we see things like cyberbullying over Facebook,” said Nikota.
    “If someone is picking on or harassing another person, the RCMP can step in and deal with the situation.”

    Plans are in the works to kick off Drumheller’s centennial year with a bang.
    The Drumheller Centennial Committee has organized a New Years Centennial Celebration at the Badlands Community Facility on New Year’s Eve. The event is being designed for both the young and old in mind.
    “There’s really not a specific family event for New Year’s Eve and the Centennial Committee wanted to make sure there was,” said Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services for the Town of Drumheller and member of the Centennial Committee.
    “We’re hoping to make sure parents, with kids over the age of six, can come to the event and have their kids kept entertained, whether it be sports, crafts, or games. Meanwhile, mom and dad are upstairs enjoying their evening.”
    Upstairs in the banquet hall, the adults will have food and entertainment provided by the Cat Country Cougar Hunters. Downstairs the children will be treated to a meal of their own, sports in the field house, crafts in one of the multi-purpose rooms, and video games in the fitness area.
    The celebration is the first of its kind in Drumheller. Thanks to the completion of the Badlands Community Facility, a family-friendly New Years option was finally available.
    “The community facility gives us so many options in what we can do with events. This one really makes use of all the different areas of the facility. It’s a good opportunity to host an event where most of the building is used,” said Salvatore.
    It is hoped the New Years Centennial Celebration could be a model for other events hoping to utilize the entirety of the facility. One of the desires for the facility since its inception was to have events where both the banquet halls and field house could be utilized.
    For the Gala, if all goes well, this year may not be a one time event.
    “It’s a great way for the committee to bring in the new year with a bang,” said Salvatore. “It could be one of those things we could see as having value as an annual event in Drumheller.”
    Tickets are for sale at the Badlands Community Facility.