Residents looking for post secondary education have more options as of this week.
    On Wednesday, September 18, the doors officially opened at the new Campus Alberta location in Drumheller. The Campus is now housed in the former Chinook Credit Union space on Centre Street.

The ribbon was cut at the new location of Campus Alberta in Drumheller. The campus is officially open and welcoming residents to come check out what they have to offer. Campus Alberta executive director Jean Madill (left), Red Deer College president and CEO Joel Ward, Mayor Terry Yemen, and Drumheller Campus Alberta coordinator Dana Davidson cut the ribbon.

    Mayor Terry Yemen and the president and CEO of Red Deer College cut the ribbon, welcomed everyone in attendance, and congratulated everyone on the hard work it took to open Campus Alberta.
    “We have responsibilities, both Red Deer College and Olds College... One of those responsibilities is to ensure there is access to programming for people in their communities. The best way to grow and develop communities is to enable education in those communities,” said Joel Ward, president and CEO of Red Deer Colllege and chair of Campus Alberta Central Region.
    The new location boasts three classrooms, video conferencing, and 26 student laptops. A number of courses are being offered, including courses for health care aides, educational assistants, early childhood development and daycare, management certificates, communications certificates. In addition, Campus Alberta will offer course upgrading and general education development (GED) programs.
    Courses will offer a mixture of online components, in-class instruction, and hands on experience.
    “A lot of it is blended learning, so you do some online and then, for example, the Health Care Aide does a couple days at a hospital,” said Dana Davidson, coordinator of the Drumheller Campus Alberta.
    Courses could be added if enough interest is shown.
    “People can tell us what they’re interested in and maybe we can bring it here. If we have six people tell us they want an electrical technologist program, we can go to Campus Alberta and try to get it here,” said Davidson.
    Now that the campus is open, residents are encouraged to stop by.
    “If the community is looking to do something or needs help researching, they are welcome to come in and we will help get that ball rolling,” said Davidson. “It’s  a great location. It’s centralized and we’re right next to the Outreach School. We’ve definitely noticed a lot more foot traffic through the door.”

 The American Bus Association (ABA) has announced that the Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2014 by an experienced expert tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that The Badlands Passion Play offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been named one of North America’s top attractions by the American Bus Association.

     With the release of the American Bus Association’s 2014 Top 100 Events in North America, ABA celebrates 32 years of the program. What began as a way for motorcoach operators to incorporate new product into their itineraries has grown to one of the most sought-after lists by travel professionals, motorcoach operators and the general public.
     “The attractiveness of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for this iconic play,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO.
     “The real news here is that the Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives The Canadian Badlands Passion Play an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”
     Executive Director of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play Vance Neudorf commented, “This is a genuine honour to be recognized among the top 100 events in North America.  It is, above all, a testament to the hundreds of employees and volunteers that year after year place their heart and soul into creating a memorable play that resonates with people long after they have left the Passion Play grounds. It is also gratifying to receive this award following our 20th anniversary season.”
     According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from US $5,000 to more than US $11,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.
    “Motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That’s why The Canadian Badlands Passion Play is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”
    ABA’s 2014 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected The Badlands Passion Play from hundreds of event nominations submitted by ABA members. Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria.
    The Top 100 Events list is available online at http://www.buses.org/News-Publications/Top-100.