News | DrumhellerMail

SpringFest brings 36 bands for music marathon

     The East Coulee SpringFest is kicking things up a notch this year on Saturday, May 12. With 36 bands, playing in three venues, the festival is once again transforming the valley into a musical mecca.
   There is something for everyone at the festival with acts come from far and wide for perform. Local artists such as the Fire Coulee Bandits and Joe Vickers will be performing along with visitors such as Vancouver’s Emily Spinner, SandyBones & The Breakdown, Calgary’s Joe Nolan and the Kirby Sewell Band, and Ruth Purves & The 581 from Three Hills, just to name a few.
   This year will also feature the youngest performer at the SpringFest in 7 year old Robert Mulcrone.
   A complete list can be found on the SpringFest website, www.ecsmuseum.ca/spring_fest_1.
   Several of the bands playing are finalists in the Calgary Folk Festival songwriting competition. The Fire Coulee Bandits, Joe Vickers, and Joe Nolan will be playing on May 5, starting at noon, at the Ship and Anchor in Calgary.
   “The organizing committee has been busy and is extremely excited to host the festival gain this year,” said Brent Noland, president of the East Coulee School Museum and SpringFest. “We continue to build on the festivals success and are constantly looking for ways to improve the festival for the participants. Responding to visitor feedback is a big part of that.”
   There have been several major changes this year.
   The first is that the festival has moved from April to May, to take advantage of the warmer weather.
   The Valley Bus Society is lending a helping hand to the festival this year. Throughout the day, buses will transport festival goers between Drumheller and East Coulee for a small fee.
   The East Coulee Motel and Tavern will once again serve as a venue for the festival after many years of being absent. The addition will bring the number of venues to three and stages to four.
   There will be blast of party featuring CKUA radio broadcasting live from the East Coulee Motel, starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 11. The Sadlier-Brown Band will open the night for the Kirby Sewell Band.
   On May 12, the day of the SpringFest, the music won’t stop at midnight. Following the festival there will be a Midnight Monster Jam.
   To make the event a success, the SpringFest will be calling on about 70 volunteers. Volunteers are asked to work a six hour shift and, in exchange, receive free admission for the day. Applications are available online at www.ecsmuseum.ca or by call 403-823-2104.
   Tickets are available at Riverside Value Drug Mart, Drumheller Shoppers Drug Mart, East Coulee Motel and Tavern, or online at www.ecsmusuem.ca.

The Sadlier-Brown Band pictured here during the 2011 SpringFest will be kicking off the music marathon during a performance at the East Coulee Motel and Tavern of Friday, May 11.

photo by Lisa Clarke

Dry conditions result in fire ban

    Due to existing extremely dry conditions, the Town of Drumheller, in its capacity as Local Fire Authority and pursuant to the Fire Bylaw 04.07, is issuing a fire ban with respect to open air fires.
   The ban applies to all open air fires, including fires for the purposes of recreation in non approved containers, burning weeds, grass, leaves, and the burning of coal, straw, and/or other materials for the thawing of ground.
   The fire ban also includes fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, and stationary barbecues that burn combustible materials, such as briquettes.
   Barbecues using natural gas and propane are not affected by the ban.
   The fire ban took effect on Monday, April 23, at 1 p.m. and will remain until further notice.
   “Until we get a good soaking rain the fire ban will remain in place,” said Fire Chief, Bill Bachynski.
   The fire ban comes despite a recent snowfall and rain last week.
   “We’ve had high winds and record breaking temperatures, so it’s dried out worse than it was before the moisture came,” said Bachynski.
   The dry conditions have resulted in an above average number of grass fires.
   “It’s extremely dry out and there have been a number of grass fires due to the dryness,” said Bachynski. “In the past month we’ve had more grass fires than we have had in previous years,”
   The ban includes all properties contained within the municipal boundaries of Drumheller.

Dalum fire demolishes garage, no one hurt

    Emergency crews from in and around Dalum were called to a farm northwest of Dalum on Monday night at 9 p.m. as a garage burst into flames and the fire spread to the surrounding dry grass, bush, and hay.
   The fire started when Mitchell Boe, the owner of the property, was away, visiting his parents who live nearby.
   The fire was reported to Boe by neighbour Megan Duncalf.
   “I saw the fire from my house. I called Mitchell’s parents and told him what was happening,” said Duncalf.
   The Boe’s then called 911 and the Dalum, Drumheller, Hussar, Rosebud, and Rockyfod Fire Departments arrived on scene to extinguish the blaze.
   By 9:45 p.m. the fire was mostly under control, with the exception of some hay bales that had to be torn apart to extinguish them completely. Crews then monitored the burn area and continued to douse the ground to eliminate any hot spots.
   A gas line that had been inside the structure caught on fire, shooting flames into the air until the gas line was shut off remotely. Crews could not risk extinguishing the gas line by conventional means.
   Crews left the scene at roughly 2 a.m.
   The fire started in an unused garage on the property and quickly consumed the building. Winds and dry conditions helped the fire spread across the lawn to some nearby hay. No one was injured during the fire and no damage was apparent on the surrounding structures.

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