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Last updateSat, 09 Nov 2024 11am

High hopes for Dorothy Elevator repairs

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The iconic Dorothy Elevator is still hanging on and there are some hopes that repairs can be made before it deteriorates more.
The Dorothy Elevator is one of the most photographed historic elevators in the province. Built in 1928, the Alberta Pacific Grain Company Elevator was used until 1951 when it was closed. The lone sentinel still stands, but age and weather have taken a toll on it.
A few years ago the roof was torn off in a weather event, and last spring more damage came to the elevator.
Jim Faubion said some work has been done to make it safe.
“When we lost the south end of the elevator, it was really uneven and shaken, so they went up with a zoom boom and put up a bunch of bracing at the top to hold it in place, and they fenced it off to keep people away obviously in case something comes down,” he said.
Special Areas, which owns the artifact did the work.
“Due to a windstorm earlier this year, a portion of the upper section of the Dorothy elevator was damaged, with materials blowing off the structure near the adjacent highway. In response, the Board had a safety assessment done to ensure no risk to the public. Based on this assessment, repairs have been made,” said communications officer Maeghan Chostner in an e-mail.
Faubion hopes it can be preserved.
“It seems like it is pretty sturdy, right now there is no south wall on the top part,” he said. "I am optimistic, I am hoping they can come up with a game plan and button it up and make it stable enough to live another 40 or 50 years,” he said.
“But if you don’t keep up with the upkeep it slowly dwindles away.”
“The Board recognizes how iconic the Dorothy Elevator is to our region and continues to investigate options for the structure. The area around the elevator has been fenced off and no public access is permitted,” stated an email from Chostner.


Drumheller Performing Arts Festival cancels 2025 season

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One of Drumheller's longest-enduring events has decided to take a year off.
The Drumheller Music Festival, now called the Drumheller Performing Arts Festival has been a staple in the valley for over 80 years, only missing performances due to wartime and most recently the pandemic.
President of the Drumheller Performing Arts Festival Jaclyn Skytt sent a letter to teachers and performers indicating the committee has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2025 season.
“This was not an easy decision for the committee. We understand that this is disappointing for many – Festival is a key performance opportunity in our community, however, it is an important step in ensuring that Drumheller has a performing arts festival for many years to come,” states the letter.
The Festival is a tradition where students have the opportunity to play before professional adjudicators who provide feedback and encouragement. Thousands of youngsters have participated in everything from spoken word to music and dance. It culminated in an awards ceremony and final performance.
“Our primary goal is to strengthen our organization and enhance the quality of festival we offer to participants and audiences alike,” states the letter. “We believe by taking this time to build out membership and explore new strategies for registrations, we can create more competitive and engaging festivals in the future.”
“We are committed to ensuring that the Drumheller Performing Arts Festival remains a vibrant celebration of the arts in our community and we are looking forward to returning in 2026.

89-year-old bridesmaid saves the day

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It was a joyous Thanksgiving weekend for the Cardamone family as they celebrated the wedding of Ryan and Maria.
One person beaming from the wedding party was grandmother Anna May, 89.
She arrived at the wedding at St. Anthony's Church on Saturday, October 12 to learn that unfortunately one of Maria’s bridesmaids was unable to attend.
“So then we had to quickly decide whether we just go with it and have an odd number of bridesmaids versus groomsman, however then we thought it could be wonderful and special if my grandma filled in as the fourth bridesmaid. Although very last minute, she seemed to be very happy to fill in and be a part of the wedding party,” said the groom, Ryan.
She was happy to fill in.
“One of the bridesmaids was ill, so they just asked me if I would stand in with one of the groomsmen who was going to have to walk down the aisle by himself,” Anna May explains.
“I ended up carrying her flowers and entered the church on the arm of this young groomsman. It was very nice.”
The groomsman was Ryan’s friend Kole Ashbacher. He is a professional saddle bronc rider and is ranked in the top 10 in Canada.
“So after the ceremony, my grandma made a comment that she was lucky she got to walk with ‘such a handsome young man.’ So we told her more about him; he competes professionally in rodeos. She then commented ‘well ooooh maybe I should start watching rodeo,’” chuckles Ryan. “We all had a good laugh about it all.”
She said it worked out well and looked natural.
“It looked like it seemed to be intended that way. I was the only grandmother there, so they figured it would be suitable if I stood in with him,” she said.
She walked down the aisle with the young man (whom she considered very handsome). She said she did not stand with the bridal party during the ceremony but sat in the pew with her son and daughter-in-law.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, she accompanied the groomsman out.
With her bridesmaid duties completed, she enjoyed the rest of the wedding sitting with the parents.
The Groom Ryan was happy his grandmother was able to stand in.
“My wife and I are both so glad that my grandma was happy to fill in last minute as a Bridesmaid and that she enjoyed being a part of our day even more. We really appreciated it,” he tells the Mail. “She enjoyed filling the role.”
“It was an honour for me to do that, and everybody was quite thrilled for me,” said Anna May.


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