Students at St. Anthony’s School took time out Wednesday afternoon to commemorate Canada’s exit from Afghanistan.

After a more than 12-year mission, on March 12 Canada officially pulled out. Captain Dwayne Nagy, who served in Afghanistan, took time to address students about his service and why it is important. He is flanked by RCSCC Furious cadets Josh Wolfe, Avril Wilson, Mya Russell Bailey Chung and Spencer Aulenback.

Drumheller's NGC Peewee Raptors celebrate on the ice after winning over Medicine Hat 4-3 indouble overtime.

There’s lots on the go for Drumheller’s minor hockey teams this weekend.
    Drumheller teams are involved in either league or provincial playoffs from March 13 to Mar 16.
    Drumheller’s NGC Peewee Raptors are heading to division finals Saturday versus Canmore after winning their series over Medicine Hat on the weekend.
    Team manager Wendy Nail said there was an outstanding effort made by the entire team throughout this series.
    The McDonald Novice Raptors will begin playing for the league banner in Novice Tier 3. They are the home team in Hussar on Saturday, March 15,  at 11 am.
    “During the regular season we had a high flying offense. Our defense and goal tending really stepped up the last series. We’ve become a complete team,” said coach Kit Clark.
    The Encana Atom Raptors are waiting the outcome of the Crossfield and Strathmore series to see who they face for the Atom Division 6 banner.
    Crossfield and Strathmore have their final game Thursday night, March 13. The winner will play the Encana Atoms on Saturday, March 15, in Hussar.
    “Our kids are really excited. It should be a good final round,” said coach Jeff Paarup.
    Encana won their series with Hanna in two straight games.
    Paarup said in regular season play, the Encana Atoms won all three games against Strathmore, and went one win, one loss, and one tie against Crossfield.
    Drumheller’s Bantam Midgets host the 2014 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Bantam D Provincial Tournament this weekend at Drumheller Memorial Arena.

Coaching legend Don Phelps, who coached the Calgary Canucks for three decades has been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Phelps was a former Drumheller Miner and had his AJHL coaching start with the Drumheller Falcons.

   Almost exactly a year ago The Mail spoke to coaching legend Don Phelps about his induction into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.
    This year he is honoured on a larger scale as a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
    “In my mind there are two things that really resonate, one is the company you are joining (in the Hall of Fame), that speaks for itself. The other is a reminder of the fun I had at doing something I enjoyed. I stop and reflect and wonder why I am being recognized?  To me the fun I had was the big thing, this is just an exclamation point at the end.
    While Phelps is widely regarded as the legend behind the Calgary Canucks, some of his early hockey and coaching experience was in the valley. In fact, Phelps told The Mail previously that some of his fondest memories were from his time in Drumheller.
    Phelps came to the valley as a Drumheller Miner in the late 1960’s after the team had won the Allan Cup. He was on two provincial championship teams. A few years after the Miners, he came on as a coach for the Drumheller Falcons and ran that bench. He was the 1974-1975 AJHL Coach of the year.
    In 1979, he joined up with the Calgary Canucks and stayed with the team until he retired in 2011. In that time, hundreds of players were affected by his tenure.
    “It is humbling to get an award like this, but at the same time, the real satisfaction I get is so many people I worked with called me and said ‘hey you deserve it.’ Hey if they are going to say it I’m not going to argue,” he chuckles.
    It was also rewarding working with young people for all those years.
    “The big thing for me was if you made a difference for some of those kids in terms of them making the right decisions or getting their house in order and achieving something that was attainable, then good,” he said. “I know there are thousands of people out there who do the same thing with little or no notoriety, so I was just fortunate to be picked out of the herd.”
    “You don get into this with the idea of  ‘maybe I’ll become a member of the Sports Hall of Fame'. That is not the magnet that draws you in into it; you cannot replace the friendships I have garnered over the years, the people I have  worked with, that if I weren’t coaching I would have never known them. With kids on the teams, I have helped them solve problems, they have told me things they wouldn’t tell their parents and that is a lot of responsibility. When I look back at it I think I am a better person for having done it.”
   The induction into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame is on May 30.

Three athletes and two coaches from Drumheller along with four athletes and three coaches from Olds were training at Nakiska Ski Resort January 11 and 25, in preparation for the upcoming qualifying ski race in Calgary February 9 at Canada Olympic Park. The qualifier is the criteria for Special Olympics Alberta alpine athletes to compete and coaches to support athletes at the 2015 Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games planned for Grande Prairie, AB.  Coach Martin McSween said although there is no ski hill in Drumheller, there are interested athletes who would like to qualify for racing at the provincial games. They have been busy dryland training every Tuesday evening since late October and taking what on snow training the team can afford to ready themselves for this up coming event. Returning athletes include Mitchell Pennington, Jay Dekeyser and Quinn Delisle from Drumheller, Brian Tabor and James Beitzel from Olds along with two new recruits from Olds; Nicole Palardy and Thomas Rooks.  McSween said without the support of new coach, Cody Patton and the three coaches from Olds; Dean Peachment, and new coaches Mike Rooks, and Murray Elliott, they would not be able to support these athletes on this endeavour. The athletes are excited and looking forward to this event and this chance to get back in the saddle from a hiatus from the last provincials in 2011 for our veteran racers. The team will be missing one Drumheller athlete who has chosen not to ski and one Olds athlete who was injured in the fall of 2013. McSween said as head coach he is looking forward to see how these athletes will fair and this  qualifier will give them a feel and review of what is expected for alpine racing in preparation for the provincials next year.
 

Valentine’s Dinner will be Chef Murphy’s last hurrah ...

    After more than 15 years of service to the organization, Rosebud Centre of the Arts Executive Chef Pat Murphy will give his final “performance” with a gourmet Valentine’s Dinner on Friday, February 14.
    Although delicious food will still remain at the Mercantile Dining room and Wild Horse Jack’s Bistro & Grill, Rosebud Theatre patrons and the RCA organization will be losing a great chef and valuable team member.
    “I have always enjoyed watching the faces of people as they enjoy our rural hospitality, from the initial greeting to the sad farewell and all of the special moments in between,” says Murphy. “I will miss working in the Mercantile, but I’m happy that we will still be living here in Rosebud.”
     Chef Murphy’s annual Valentine’s Dinner at the Rosebud Mercantile has become a popular local tradition. Friends, theatre patrons and colleagues alike are encouraged to make their reservations and take this opportunity to connect with Pat to say farewell.
    For those who have never experienced a meal in Rosebud, Murphy describes the experience. “Dining in Rosebud is special because you get to enjoy the sights and scenery of rural Alberta along with the country charm and hospitality of the community.”
    Another highlight of the Valentine’s weekend is the Lewis & Royal concert and buffet dinner on Saturday, February 15. While audiences all over Western Canada have enjoyed the humour and heart of Rosebud’s very own folk comedy duo, this performance marks their first appearance at home on the Opera House stage.
     “It’s a rare thing to play a concert here at home in Rosebud, among family and friends,” said Sproule.  “When Lewis and I are on the road touring, one question often asked is when we are playing next in Rosebud? Our answer is always, ‘Well, actually we don’t play much at home.’ So it’s pretty special to have been invited to play a Valentine’s gig. Lewis is the king of love ballads, and with heartthrob Travis Friesen sitting in as a guest artist, there’s gonna be lotsa love.”
     Dinner is served from 5:30 to 6:30 pm with the concert at 8:00 pm. Contact the Rosebud Theatre Box office at 1-800-267-7553 to book.

    The Drumheller RCMP expect their office might be getting busier in the very near future as policies governing their communications system are implemented.
    Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins tells The Drumheller Mail there are plans to revamp their telephone communication system because of increased 911 calls.
    “We have received some direction to implement a change,” said Hopkins. “Every detachment, because our communications centres are being overwhelmed, will have to start managing phone calls directly into their own offices.”
    He explains that currently there is an administration number for the Drumheller Detachment (403-823-7590). There is also a call line for non-emergencies (403-823-2630) and 911 for emergencies.
    He says a non-emergency call that typically would go to a communication centre will now be directed to the local office, to be handled by a local clerk. This clerk will then be charged with making contact with an available officer.
    “We don’t know how it is going to effect our operation, but right now it appears it is going to be taking our clerical staff off their regular duties and they will be answering more calls,” said Hopkins.
    He explains the increased workload on 911 is due to the use of cell phones.
    “There is always going to be these false alarms and these 911 calls coming from cell phones. A lot of people no longer have landlines, and they don’t have a telephone book so they will call 911. As a result it is taking away our resources,” said Hopkins.
    “This is going to drastically increase the calls here (to the detachment) which is going to take the clerks away from the front counter and a number of other things.”
    He explains the change was planned to be implemented by the beginning of February, however the technical work to upgrade the phone system has not been completed.
    He says the changes are just one more way clerical staff is facing an increased workload. Today many organizations need a police check for volunteers, which is time consuming.  Often audio or video statements taken by police are required to be transcribed, which also falls on clerks.
    “That is just one more task, one more thing in the barrel that has to be done,” said Hopkins.

An inquiry will be held to review the circumstances of an inmate’s death last Saturday.
    On February 1, Kenneth William Schaer, 25, an inmate at the Drumheller Institution, was found unresponsive in his cell. According to a press release, staff immediately began performing CPR and emergency services were called.
    Schaer could not be resuscitated.
    Schaer was serving a sentence of three years after being sentenced for aggravated assault. He was incarcerated on January 2 of this year.
    According to a press release, in cases of in custody fatalities, the police and coroner have to be notified and Corrections Canada will review the circumstances of the incident. The province also holds fatality inquiries following such deaths.

    The Provincial Government is finalizing the agreement it set out in October to pharmacies between the Alberta Government, the Alberta Pharmaceutical Association and Alberta Blue Cross.
    Health Minister Fred Horne states the agreement is one that recognizes the expanding role of pharmacists and “...Offers four years of predictable funding to help pharmacists plan their business.” He adds this is the first update of the Pharmacy Agreement since 2003.
    The plan lays out funding structures for fees pharmacists receive for counselling, medication purchases and reimbursement  from the province.
    “From this point, it doesn’t seem like prices will change for customers”, said Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist/owern Arsen Gincher.
    “Counselling service fees were previously built in with dispensing fees - now the activity (counselling) is separated.”
    Gincher explains the money invested into new patient services for extended or enhanced counselling, for things such as prescription renewal or adaptation and smoking cessation, can now be measured, where previously the government had no way of doing this.
    “They want to see people are getting benefits from pharmacists’ intervention," said Gincher.
    Riverside Value Drug Mart’s pharmacist/rwner Ray Ainscough is attending a meeting February 24 of RxA, the Alberta Pharmacists Assocation, to get more information on the technical details of the agreement.
    Pharmacy manager for Freson Bros. Pat Doyle, says the new agreement would be signed in April.

    The Federal Budget came down last week and it recognizes the need of communities to be ready for floods.
    Last Tuesday, Finance Minster Jim Flaherty brought down the budget. M.P. for the Crowfoot riding Kevin Sorenson was appointed Minister of State for Finance last year and this was the first budget he participated in as a junior minister. He said the budget commits $200 million to communities to support flood mitigation and preparedness.
    “The Minister (of Public Safety Vic Toews) was there and was talking about disaster mitigation and how we cannot just wait for the flood happen and deal with the remains,, but how could we prevent it?” Sorenson told The Mail. “Some of the funds have been specifically focused on mitigation. It is going to initiate at $200 million. We are going to start doing a review of the disaster program … generally speaking, in the past that kind of funding has never been provided by a federal government, the province and municipalities do it, but we want to work with the municipalities and province.”
    The budget also indicated exploring the idea of flood insurance, something not offered in Canada.
    “That has to be done on a national scale. If we bring foreword some type of program, work with the public sector for example…but you would need a large scale buy in on something like that,” said Sorenson.
Sorenson said the focus of the budget has to do with employment.
    “We said we want to have a budget that wants to create jobs, build the economy and bring us to a balanced budget in 2015, and this budget does that,” said Sorenson.
    He adds that it also addresses some of the special circumstances in his riding about employment, where the level of unemployment continues to be much lower than the national average.
    “Something we have recognized, especially in Alberta is we need people in the trades. That is why we brought forward the Canada Apprenticeship Loan Program. This will allow young people to qualify for student loans. We have set aside up to $100 million across the country so apprentices can get an interest free student loan and will finish their apprenticship.”
    He said this will give people the chance to take time from their job to finish their apprenticeship in an affordable way, and in doing so increase their earning potential.
    Sorenson said the budget also provides 3,000 opportunities for graduating students to do an internship and get the experience they need in the work force.
    On Thursday following the initial budget speech, the Prime Minister of Canada announced more details to the New Building Canada program, saying it will “ensure small communities have stable, long term and unprecedented access to funding vital for infrastructure projects.”
    “Our government’s commitment to small communities has never been stronger. Under the New Building Canada Plan, we are providing predictable, stable support so that municipalities with fewer than 100,000 residents can build the projects that matter most to them,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
    Sorenson explains this investment was done in the hard times.
    “Our government has invested in infrastructure more than any other government, and we did that in the recession, and we did that because we knew that projects are going to help create jobs,” said Sorenson. “The program actually ends in March 2014, so we knew we had to keep this infrastructure program moving ahead and today our prime minister outlined some of the particulars of how the next phase of infrastructure will be laid out.”
    One more area that benefits rural communities Sorenson feels strongly about is an injection to expand rural high speed Internet.
    “We brought forward $305 million to help with rural broadband,” said Sorenson. “This is a huge one for rural Canada. I have small schools in my riding and they depend on the Internet for school programs.”

    A Drumheller area man’s hope for others fighting the pain of arthritis prompted him to give an incredible gift to those suffering from the disease.
    Bent Peters was never known to have an outgoing personality, in fact, quiet may be the descriptor most used to characterize him. He passed away in April 2013, and has gifted a large part of his estate to the Arthritis Society. In the area of $850,000 has been gifted to the organization. While Cindy Stephen, communications manager for the Arthritis Society, Alberta North West Territories Division has never met Bent, she said stories of him have left an impression.
    “What came across to me is that he lived in hope,” said Stephen.
    His younger brother Fleming agrees with her assessment, and he has been working with lawyer John Sparling to settle Bent’s estate and make this gift a reality.
    Bent was born in 1930 and was the second of four children of Ferdinand Peters and Mary Krogh, both immigrants from Denmark who met and married in the Dalum area.
    Bent received his early schooling at the Nickel Spring School and studied for one year at Drumheller High School.
    He worked as a farm hand and a miner. He also drove truck for Dalum Corner Services for 14 years.
    Bent went on to trying his hand at farming and leased land in the Wintering Hill area. He worked the land for 17 years and retired in 1985.    
    At the age of  55, he had been suffering from the pain of arthritis for a number of years, and it was one of the deciding factors for him to stop farming.
    While he was heavily medicated to relieve some of the pain of his arthritis, he continued to find pleasure in his motorboat, fishing in Crawling Valley, and he enjoyed making toys out of steel. Fleming said his brother would weld scale models of farming equipment with the greatest of detail. Fleming said Dr. Crawford, a specialist in Calgary did a lot to help Bent cope with his arthritis.
    Bent moved to Drumheller in 1985 and then into continuing care at the Drumheller Health Centre in 2009.
    Bent never married or had children, and according to his brother, Fleming, kept to himself. Despite a solitary demeanor, this donation shows his altruism.
    “He had no kids, so he said, maybe it will do some good for someone else,” said Fleming. “It is for research, there is no cure, but maybe it can make it a little more comfortable for other people.”
     Shirley Philips, executive director for the Arthritis Society for Alberta and the Northwest Territories was struck by the generosity of Bent and is hopeful that this kind of gesture could send a message to others on the difference this type of donation can make.
    She explains it is fitting because Bent suffered for many years, that some of the funding would go to juvenile research. Much of this work is being done in Calgary and at Sick Kids in Toronto.
    The funds could also go to support programs such as Arthritis 101, a program for newly diagnosed patients.

  A troupe of young opera singers, above, performed at Drumheller Valley Secondary School Friday. Mel Kirby, Coordinator of the Emerging Artist Program with Calgary Opera said the group is on a Cenovus sponsored tour of Southern Alberta elementary and high schools. After Calgary Opera’s performance, three DVSS students each performed a song, receiving feedback from Kirby and the artists.

  Below are Bailey Kakuk, 17, left, Ho Lee, 17, and Emily Birch, 15. Kakuk and Birch are entered in the Drumheller and District Music Festival in March.

    
    The Dino Arts Committee is heading into the new year with new ideas and is asking residents for their vision of the next dinosaur to take up residence in the valley.
    The committee has made an incredible impact on the valley acting as guardians of the dozens of dinosaur statues that add a unique flavor to the valley.
    They have also been the driving force to bring new statues including the motorcycling dinosaur on Railway Avenue and before that the dinosaur bench at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Centre Street.    
    The committee is planning a new installation and is asking residents for their input. They have selected three designs for their next installation and have posed an online survey for residents to select which design they prefer.
    “The survey will be left open for the next 3 weeks after which time we will pick the winner with the most votes,” said John Shoff of the Dino Art Committee
    To complete the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CKFD33X
 

  The Village of Delia is united on putting together a 100-year celebration this summer, but nagging issues about the performance of a previous Village Council and CAO still exist.

  A public meeting held Thursday night (February 20) at the Delia Senior's Centre was called by, but not attended by, defeated candidate Susan Waye in the October 2013 civic election. Ms. Waye was unable to attend due to a family matter, but the meeting proceeded under the direction of Darryl Black. Ms. Waye is leading a campaign to ask Minister of Municipal Affairs Ken Hughes to investigate the operations of the Village Council to resolve ongoing questions. A petition containing names of 20 per cent of eligible voters is needed to instigate the inquiry.

  Currently the village is managed by newly hired CAO Marcia Raymond and Dawn Bancroft, who became Mayor January 29, and Councillor John Rogers.  A by-election has been called for late March, needed to replace former Mayor Dennis Thordarson, who resigned in early January due to health reasons, stated during the meeting. The former CAO Caroline Siverson, resigned in October of last year.

Clearly, the meeting held Thursday night showed a division among the 30 plus residents in attendance. Some residents voiced their feelings, stating that they preferred to "move on", rather than endure the cost of an inquiry into village affairs. Others stated that such an inquiry was needed to clear the air and it would help the newly-elected council gain a fresh start.

Mayor Bancroft told The Mail that if the Village asked the Ministry to conduct the investigation, it would be a cost to the municipality, but if it were initiated by a legally prepared petition of eligible voters, there would be no cost to the Village. According to information obtained by The Mail, there were 22 names gathered on two petition sheets. When questioned, Mr. Black told The Mail, "there are a couple more sheets around". There are some 150 eligible voters in the Village, and using the 20 per cent number of voters needed to spur the inquiry, it became apparent that the number would be reached.

  Summer camp for the The Royal Tyrrell Museum is already 85 per cent booked. Bookings are ahead of pace compared to previous years for the Encana Badlands Science Centre held by the museum.
   “Enrollment compared to other years is up. Just the fact that this time of year so many spots are sold is exciting for us,” said Mike Dooley, public relations coordinator for the Royal Tyrrell.

Camp participants get to work alongside the museum’s scientists and take part in real research projects during the week long camp.  The digs are usually in quarries near the Tyrrell or 45 minutes away at Tolman Bridge.  Budding palaeontologists also get to do some micro sifting for fossils - a large sample of soil and small rocks is taken and sorted through for dinosaur fossils.

You can help dig for dinosaur fossils if you take part in the Encana Badlands Science Camp offered during the summer by Drumheller’s Royal Tyrrell Museum. Pictured above is a hadrosaur on display at the Museum. A Team from the Tyrrell spent a week this winter excavating and putting a plaster jacket on a hadrosaur tail that was uncovered in northern Alberta.

  The amount of media exposure Drumheller got last year, as well as word of mouth, could be contributing to the camp filling up so early this year.
    “... the word is getting out what a great experience and what a great value our Encana Badlands Science Camp is - it’s one of the most unique experiences for a summer camp in Alberta and Canada,” said Dooley. The museum offers a family camp (age five and up), a senior science camp for ages 13 to 16, and a junior science camp for ages 9 to 12. 

   “We have a number of participants who return,” Dooley explained. “We actually offer a “Leaders In Training” program, which allows participants to return as camp counsellors.”

Part of the unique experience of the camp is the accommodations - campers spend the week living in a teepee in Midland Provincial Park, almost in the backyard of the museum.

  Although it has no major new exhibits planned for this year, the museum has a couple of exciting things that it will be releasing closer to summer.

    This year’s heavy snowfall on the prairies has many wondering aloud if the conditions are ripe for a second year in a row of flooding.
    Last June, Alberta came face to face with what might be Canada’s most expansive natural disaster. While Drumheller’s mitigation efforts helped save Drumheller from substantial damages, many are wondering if there is the same risk this season. After all, the one in 100 year flood level has now been breached twice in eight years.
    According to Carrie Sancartier of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, it is too early to make such a prediction.
    “In terms of predicting flooding this spring it is still too early in the year,” said Sancartier. "Typically in the plains area we start to think about melts around April.”
    She explains there are a number of factors that come in to predicting potential flooding, including the weather.
    “How quickly spring melts happen depends on the weather. If it gets really hot really quickly and stays above freezing overnight, it would melt faster than if it were warm during the day and freezing during the night,” said Sancartier.
    Another indicator is snow pack in the mountains and she says this is localized and may not give an overall complete view of the risk.
    “It depends where you look in the province,” she said.
    Alberta Environment’s web presence has posted ongoing levels of river flow and snow pack.
    For example, a snapshot of the snowpack in the mountains at Skoki Lodge, upstream from the Red Deer River shows the snow pack as lower than last season, although still in the average level. Slightly north, Limestone Ridge snow data shows higher than normal levels of accumulation.
    “With the higher snowpack, theoretically there is an increased risk, there is still a lot of winter to happen yet,” said Sancartier, adding there will be more monitoring as it gets later in the season.
    “There isn’t a lot of snow data and it is mostly in the mountains at this point. In some areas of the province, the plains for example, we wouldn’t start monitoring until the beginning of March,” said Sancartier.
     She said the province continues to monitor as spring approaches.
    “If there is cause for concern we would issue an advisory to let municipalities and Albertans know there is a concern and we try to do that with as much advance warning as possible,” said Sancartier.

    On Thursday, February 27, the Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series travels back in time to the origin of the first animals. 
    Dr. Murray Gingras, professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, will present a talk titled “585-million-year-old tracks reveal evidence of the first animals on Earth.”
    For the first several billions of years of its history, the Earth was inhabited solely by microscopic, single-celled organisms, commonly called “bacteria.” Eventually some unicellular organisms began living in colonies and various cells began specializing to accomplish specific roles, resulting in the appearance of the first multicellular organisms roughly one billion years ago.
    It is from this latter group that two groups of animals evolved: 1) radially symmetrical animals (i.e., animals with a top and a bottom, but no right or left, such as sea anemones and jelly fishes) and bilaterally symmetrical animals (i.e., animals with a right and left side, which include all animals from worms to humans).
    However, the timing of the origin of bilaterally symmetrical animals (technically called bilaterians) is somewhat controversial. The oldest fossils and burrows left by bilaterians are found in deposits that are 555-million-years old, but recent analyses based on rates of DNA mutations suggest that this group of animals evolved much earlier, sometime between 580 million years ago to 1.1 billion years ago.
    In his talk, Gingras will discuss his ongoing research on ancient marine deposits from Uruguay where he has discovered traces of fossils left by the most ancient bilaterian animals known to date.            Speaker Series talks are free and are held on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. until April 24, 2014 in the Museum auditorium. Each talk is approximately one hour long. Visit www.tyrrellmuseum.com for the most up-to-date schedule.
    Speaker Series talks are also online on the Royal Tyrrell Museum channel on YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/RoyalTyrrellMuseum.

  The Hand Hills Lake Club were successful in this round of UFA’s "Rural From the Roots Up" Contest. This means they will be receiving $50,000 and will be giving away the next prize to a deserving community project.
  “We are pretty excited,” said Marilyn Vredegoor of the club. “We have been finalists in all four rounds.”
 She explains it has been a challenge to get noticed in the contest simply because they do not show up on the map.       Unlike most applications that have a well-known geographical base, the Hand Hills does not, but it still has pride.
  “We are not on the map.  We are in the middle of the bald prairie doing what we do, but when you ask people like Colt Cosgrave where he is from, he says the Hand Hills,” said Vredegoor.

  The Hand Hills, while not a stand alone municipality, has the distinction of being the highest point between the Rockies and the Cypress Hills. It is also home to some of Alberta’s rich rodeo history. Started as a Red Cross fundraiser during World War 1, the Hand hills Lake Stampede is only a couple years shy of celebrating its centennial. The Club also hosts other events and fundraisers, and there are always rave reviews for their homemade pie.
  Vredegoor says the $50,000 will go towards fixing up their kitchen. Right now the kitchen is cramped and not ideal to serve the crowd of 2,000 or so that come each year for the Stampede, or the 700 they cook for at their turkey dinner.
In fact, often barbecues are run out of horse trailers in inclement conditions.

  According to Vredegoor, the main thrust of the initial renovation will be to create work space and storage. Right now, some of their freezers and equipment is stored in the hall outside the kitchen. 
  “Our community base has expanded over the years, and as communities around us close their doors or become inactive, we find those community-minded people are coming to the Hills. People want and need a community and that is what we offer.  We are a real rural community, 40 kilometers from any town, the real deal, with a real need,” states their application for the contest.

  Now that the Hand Hills Lake Club has been selected as a prize winner, it is their turn to select the next recipient of the grant. Hand hills was selected by previous winner, the Spruce View Ag Society,
  “Hand Hills was a winner in our eyes because they are truly rural and the project impacts generations of people. The stampede has a deep history and their community centre supports many different groups,” said Mitch Hetu, Spruce View Agricultural Society.
  The next round of finalists has not been announced.

  Canadian folksinger Valdy is headlining this year’s East Coulee Springfest Friday night at the East Coulee School Museum.
  Springfest organizers are busy finalizing the line up that includes Valdy, a mainstay of Canadian folk music for more than thirty years. “I’ve been lucky,” is Valdy’s reply, when asked about his career’s longevity.
  Valdy has won two Juno awards, received seven Juno nominations (Country Male Vocalist & Folksinger), and has 14 albums and four gold records to his credit.
 “I’ve worked with some amazing people, players, innovative producers, great songwriters.” He adds - “And I married the right woman.”
 Seasoned folk performers, up and coming guitarists,  and everybody in between. That’s the musical experience audiences can expect for the 20th year of the East Coulee Springfest.

   Celtic Fusion Illusion out of Edmonton, Shadowplay out of Calgary, and Fools Tongue, originally from Rosebud, are all part of the musical line up.
  Springfest runs May 2 and 3 this year. The Friday night venue is two rooms at the East Coulee School Museum, and Saturday adds two additional venues - one at the community hall and one at the East Coulee Hotel.
  The goals of Springfest are to promote up and coming artists and be a fund raiser for the East Coulee School Museum.
  The Museum’s had a challenging year: between paying for the gas blower to heat the museum and having to replace the plumbing, it’s used up a lot of the budget, said Museum Manager Barb Steeves.
  Steeves said the museum is holding an Irish-themed fund raising dinner next month to raise some operating capital. Don Howard’s band “Willow Creek” is playing at the fund raiser.
  To date, Springfest has fourteen bands confirmed. Among them is East Coulee musician Michael Dangelmaier’s band “The Bungalows” (so named because each band member was raised in a bungalow and played music in their parents’ basements).
  Dangelmaier is a commercial artist by trade and also created the poster for Springfest 2014. The poster will be printed and out the beginning of March.
Barb Steeves said Springfest really needs a Vounteer Co-ordinator. Anyone interested is asked to call Barb at (403)823-7234, or email her at ecsmuseum@gmail.com.
  Check Springfest out on Facebook or their web page at www.ecsmuseum.ca.

Sam the dino at The Brick sports a snazzy new neckscarf courtesy of the 1st Drumheller Scouts. Pictured are Sarah Boe, left, Caleb Gordon, centre, and Lars Nielsen, right.

  If you’ve driven by The Brick lately you may notice the dinosuar there sporting a new accessory.
Local guides and scouts added neckerchiefs to some of the dinosuars in town for their comapign “put a necker on it” as a way to promote scouting and celebrate Scout-Guide week.
  The DinoArts Committee gave permission for the troop to decorate the dinosaurs.
From February 16 to 23 scouting week celebrates the scouting heritage and recognizes the good work that dedicated volunteers and youth do for the community.
  The neckerchief is one of the most recognizable icons in the world and is one thing that links Scouts from Australia to Canada to Zimbabwe.
  Scouts have fun adventures discovering new things they wouldn’t experience elsewhere, and along the way develop into capable, confident and well-rounded idividuals, better prepared for success in the world.
   Anyone interested in scouting can contact Lars Nielsen at (403) 823-3037.

  Following confirmation of a case of measles in a resident, and subsequent identification of two additional probable cases of measles, both in Central Zone residents, Alberta Health Services is advising the public of potential exposures to measles disease in multiple central Alberta locations.
  Specifically, individuals who were at any of the following locations may have been exposed to measles disease.
   In Red Deer, officials are aware that possible exposure could have taken place on February 3 at Crossroads Church in Red Deer County, Red Deer City Hall, Wal-Mart on 50 Ave., Saples on Hwy. 2,    Scott’s Parables, Costco on Hwy. 2, and the Red Deer Key hole.
  There could have also been exposure at Bower Place Mall from February 3-7.
  Officials also say there is potential exposure in a number of locations in Canmore on February 1, including Tim Hortons, Subway and Humpty’s on 48th and the Camrose Community Centre Field House.    
  There could also be exposure at Sobeys and Walmart in Stettler on February 2.
  Individuals who were in the above locations in the noted timeframes and who have NOT already had measles disease, or who have NOT received two doses of measles vaccine, may be at risk for developing measles.
  These individuals are advised to monitor themselves for symptoms of measles. If symptoms of measles do develop, these individuals are advised to stay home and call Health Link Alberta (1-866-408-5465) before visiting any health care facility or provider.
  Symptoms of measles include:
•    Fever of 38.3 C or higher; and
•    Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and
•    A red blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face, spreading down to the body, and then to the arms and legs.
  Measles is an extremely contagious disease, spread easily through the air. Though there is no treatment for measles, it can be prevented through immunization.
  In Alberta, measles vaccine is offered, free of charge, through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program. Children in Alberta typically receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age, and their second dose between the ages of four and six years.
  Albertans uncertain of their or their child’s immunization history, or need for immunization, can call their local public health office or Health Link Alberta to discuss.