Drumheller is officially on the list of host communities for the Tour of Alberta, coming in September.
    Mayor Terry Yemen was on hand in Red Deer on Tuesday, March 5 to hear the announcement. There will be 11 official hosts for the six-day international cycling event.
    “As this is Drumheller’s Centennial year, it is an incredible opportunity to showcase our community to the world,” said Mayor Yemen.
    Earlier this year, the Alberta Peloton Association (APA) announced the inaugural event. It will be an 850-kilometre road race, starting with a prologue time trial in the Edmonton area, and then a five-stage race hitting various points throughout the province, ending in Calgary.
    Drumheller is a host community for Stage 3 on September 6. This is a 175-kilometre trek that begins in Strathmore. Mayor Yemen says it is a slightly different stage than most.
    “This leg is rather unique as Drumheller will get double exposure because the racers will be passing through town and heading north then returning to Drumheller 2 1/2 hours later with the finish at the World’s Largest Dinosaur,” he said.
    There is expected to be about 120 racers on 15 teams composed of eight riders. These are international cyclists, who will be able to experience Alberta at its best.
    “In addition to serving as either the start or finish of a specific stage, each community will also feature a festival experience with fitness and education displays, food, entertainment, and the chance for fans to meet and mingle with the athletes,” said APA Executive Director Duane Vienneau. “Every festival will also be unique in that it will showcase the character and attractions of the specific county, town or city, so each event will be a different experience.”
    Marie Logan, chair of the Rural Alberta Development Fund (RADF), the founding partner for the Tour of Alberta, is excited about the rural aspect of the celebrations.
    “It is extremely exciting that the majority of the host communities for this international professional cycling event are located in rural Alberta,” she said. “It is even more exciting that cycling fans and festival lovers from around the province and around the world will get to experience, or see, the warm hospitality, attractions and spirit in each of these wonderful communities, and along the roads and points in between.”
    Mayor Yemen says those interested in volunteering to help organize can contact Paul Salvatore at 403-823-1312.

    At six foot seven, Anthony Merkel is used to towering over other players on the basketball court, but now he is also towering as a student in the business world.
    Merkel, son of Cheryl and Darryl, was a standout for the St. Anthony’s Sabres basketball team and has spent the last two years as a Medicine Hat Rattler.  The business student founded the aptly named Elevation Landscaping and last week was named a 2013 Alberta Provincial Champion of a student entrepreneur national championship.
    Anthony, along with another student from the University of Calgary were named champion by Enactus Canada, and the John Dobson Foundation. He will be competing this week in Calgary to be regional champion, hoping to move on to the National contest.
    The 20-year-old student began his company with a partner in the winter of 2012 and quickly learned perseverance when the pair had a falling out. He continued with a successful season targeting high-end customers in Medicine Hat. The same drive that propelled him on the basketball court drives him in business.
    Last spring he was awarded the Medicine Hat College Johnston Morrison Hunter and Co. Entrepreneurship Award and received up to $10,000 in start-up funding plus mentorship opportunities.
    According to a press release from Enactus, Anthony was awarded the provincial prize because he is “striving to make a difference in his community and enjoys working directly with his clients to realize their vision. Elevation Landscaping provides full-service landscaping services to customers throughout the greater Medicine Hat area. They help clients put their property’s best foot forward by providing world class service and unique landscapes.”
    If Anthony is successful in the regional competition, he will win $1,000 plus a chance to compete at the national competition in Toronto. The national prize is $10,000 and to represent Canada in an international competition.
    Whatever happens in the competition, one sure thing is Anthony will have a busy summer landscaping before hitting the books and the basketball court in the fall.