ATCO Electric is in the early stage of a big move to amalgamate its operation in Drumheller.
    East Central District manager Allan Gano for ATCO Electric confirmed with The Mail they are planning to renovate and expand what is known as its warehouse, near Greenview Villa, to house its entire Drumheller operations under one roof.
    “We are committed to the community and want to maintain a strong presence,” said Gano. “Our plan today is we want to expand our existing facility at our warehouse location. We are going to bring all of our staff into one location, that is our goal.”
    While the company is in the preliminary stages of the transition, Gano said they have leased some property in the area to continue operations while the space is being renovated.
    "We are still working on our overall design as well as approvals, both internally and externally, so we are working through that,” said Gano. “In anticipation, we have started relocating staff from our warehouse building. We have a few spots leased in town.”
    He adds that not all the staff has been moved yet as many of the buildings they have leased will need renovations.
    “Our goal is to complete the project by the end of 2014. That is quite optimistic, but that is our goal,” said Gano.
    ATCO has had a presence in the valley for 85 years and in recent years ATCO has brought on new staff in the area. The company is not expected to add more staff with the improvement of the facility.
    “We aren’t looking at a huge expansion. We are just really fortunate we have a good bunch of staff there and a renewed commitment to the community that we're going to expand and bring everyone together. It will draw out some efficiencies from having everyone in one location,” said Gano.

ATCO Electric is planning to house its operation in Drumheller under one roof, and is beginning a renovation/expansion of its warehouse location.

    The board of directors for Prairie Land Regional Division #25 (PLRD) are sticking by their previous decision. Come next fall, Hanna Primary School will be shut down.
    At their August 29 board meeting, the PLRD board discussed rescinding their previous motion to close the school.  The board had voted on May 30 to close the school at the end of 2012/2013 school year.
    The decision caused an uproar with parents and Hanna residents. A petition was created to convince the PLRD board to keep the school open and invest in renovating the school. Roughly 800 signatures were collected and presented to PLRD in mid-July.
    However, the board voted 6-2 to continue with the closure of Hanna Primary as planned.
    “Hanna Primary is slated to close next year, pending getting J.C. Charyk ready,” said PLRD superintendant Wes Neumeier.
    Students from Hanna Primary would be sent instead to J.C. Charyk School in Hanna, thereby creating a K-12 school.

This will likely be the final year for Hanna Primary School. On August 29, the Prairie Land Regional Division (PLRD) board voted 6-2 to continue with the school closure, despite a petition containing roughly 800 signatures asking to keep the school open. The decision is contingent upon government approval of the PLRD capital plan, which would see a $12 million investment in renovating J.C. Charyk School.

    Parents had raised concerns about young students mingling with older kids.
    In most schools that have kindergarten to Grade 12 students, the different age groups tend to be separated.
    “There are many schools that operate well with that set up. As long as you have the facility arranged appropriately and the resources, you can create the school culture that needs to be there,” said Neumeier.
    “Most places separate the students somewhat, others quite a lot. It also depends how you schedule the breaks. There is interaction [between the different ages] and you expect it to be appropriate. We find that older kids treat young kids quite well.”
    J.C. Charyk is planned to undergo renovations to accommodate the new students.  PLRD is awaiting government approval on their capital plan. If approved, renovations would begin next summer. The Hanna Primary closure is contingent upon approval of the capital plan.
    “We’re hoping the funding will go through. The government should be announcing projects they are approving in early November,” said Neumeier.
    The capital plan calls for a huge investment in J.C. Charyk. The key areas of the building would be renovated next summer, with other areas proceeding in stages.
    “The recommendation of the Value Management Assessment is a $12 million investment in renovations and modifications. It’s a significant investment,” said Neumeier. “It will be a beautiful school for Hanna and it’ll serve the community for a long time.”