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.

    A Drumheller footballer, who dominated the gridiron as a Titan, is moving on to bigger fields.
    On February 5 Tanner Borowicz, son of Lawrence and Cindy, signed to play with University of Calgary Dinos. This September he will commence his studies and wear the red and gold.
    Tanner came late to football, but was a standout in lacrosse and basketball at St. Anthony’s.  He played in Grade 9, but only rejoined the Titans in his senior year. He quickly became an integral part of the team’s offence and defense in its campaign for the provincial title.
    He graduated from St. Anthony’s in 2013 and there was interest from post secondary schools for Tanner to join their squad.
    “Because I only played for a year there weren’t scouts following me around, but coach Ron Laprise talked to Simon Fraser and the University of Calgary… and gave them tape (video),” said Tanner.
    He had ambitions to play at Simon Fraser University, which plays in the NCAA. This led him to play junior football for the Valley Huskers in Chilli
wack. He was also invited to a Team Canada tryout.
    “It was a big step-up from high school football, but it can only go up from there,” said Tanner of his experience with the Huskers.
     Tanner then narrowed his focus to the University of Calgary and was able to participate in a workout and practice with the Dynos and they liked what they saw.
   “They asked me to bring a tape, and I went to a morning practice. There was me and another recruit from Edmonton there and they gave us a tour of the campus,” said Tanner.
   “Coach Blake Nil walked into the office, looks me in the eye and says ‘Tanner, I want you here.’ There is nothing better than that feeling.”
   Tanner will be heading to the school in the fall and he wants to study sociology with an eye on studying law, or kinesiology. He said there are possibilities for him to earn a scholarship as he progresses. Until then, he will continue to train and work out under the guidance of a trainer in preparation for next season.

According to the calendar, local realtor John Wiebe is only 22.5 years old.

The trick to getting to 90, says John Wiebe, is to live it day by day the best you can, enjoy, and have fun.
    Wiebe is selling real estate, something he’s been doing since 1997, because he didn’t like retirement.
    “I tried, and no. I have no intention of retiring. I’ll ride this horse until it drops.”
    Hometown Realty Owner/Broker Kelly Boyko says Wiebe makes the office a great place to be.
    “It’s just a pleasure having him around. He’s excellent at it, and he’s professional, hardworking - everything you want in a realtor.”
    Wiebe’s having a good year, according to Boyko.
    “It’s one of his best starts since he’s been there. He’s in the office every day and enthusiastic.”
    Wiebe is a leap year baby, turning 90 years young this February 29.
    “There’s a mistake on my birth certificate,” says Wiebe.
    “We were so far away from the registrars, my mother gave the papers for me and my cousin to my grandfather, and when he took the papers in he registered me on my cousin’s birth date and my cousin on my birth date.”
    John Wiebe grew up in Nuehorst, Saskatchewan, where he learned to drive at the age of 12.
    “When I got my driver’s licence, it was a dollar.”
    “You didn’t take a test or anything - you just paid the dollar.”
    Wiebe says the only thing he would have done is further education.
    “I was upset when I had to miss school, but I was the oldest of nine kids, and it was the ‘30s.”
    “But I learned a lot through it - it’s a great education in itself.”
    Wiebe says his mother was from Northern Saskatchewan and his father’s family came from Russia when his father was three.
    “When I started school, I didn’t speak a word of English. My friend, Bill Ens - who was a year older than me - told me every time the teacher asks me ‘What’s your name?’ to say ‘pardon?.’  So I did, and I got the strap because he (the teacher) thought I was b.s.ing.”
    “My nickname in school was Johnny Pardon,” he laughs.
    Wiebe says he and Bill remained friends until Bill’s passing several years ago.
    Wiebe has reached 50 years membership in the Royal Canadian Legion, having served in the Army Service Corps in the Second World War. He also ran a taxi company in Drumheller from 1950 to 1963.
    As for downtime, Wiebe says he just wants to get back on the golf course, and is an active dart player and pool player.
    “I’m in the pool league and I enjoy that immensely.”
    Asked if there’s anything special he would like to do for his 90th Birthday, Wiebe answers: “Just be there.”

The Province is working on clearing up the sewer odour  originating with the Royal Tyrrell Museum sewage lines.
    Alberta Infrastructure recently did some work on the sewer lines to help clear up the foul air that has been plaguing Newcastle and Nacmine residents for a number of years.
    “Their initial corrective action is they’re going to be using water jets to scour the lines,” said Mayor Terry Yemen.
    “And they found some valves that weren’t working, so they replaced the valves.”
    The Mayor explained that was Plan A, and if Plan A doesn’t work, Alberta Infrastructure will get in there and try something different.
    A recent media release from the Town of Drumheller states  the representatives from Alberta Infrastructure are committed to ongoing monitoring and additional corrective action if the need arises.
    The Mayor said the odour has been very problematic for Town residents in the area and  they haven’t been able to enjoy their properties at certain time during the year, and adds:
    “I am pleased that the Province is committed to finding a solution as this matter has gone on far too long and needs to be dealt with.”

Sandbags are unloaded off Railway Avenue in June 2013. Albertans pitched in to help each other during the  spring flooding of 2013 that occurred in a number of communities across Southern Alberta.  The Alberta Government has hired three engineering firms to study flood mitigation options for the Athabasca and Red Deer rivers.

Albertans have recognized more than 1,300 of their peers who took incredible actions to help others in the wake of the June 2013 floods, as part of Alberta’s Heroes of the Flood recognition program.
    While the floods were a devastating time, every day Albertans became heroes as they reached out to help their friends, family, neighbours and even strangers rebuild and recover.
    “The flood was more than just a catastrophic event. It was an opportunity for all Albertans to come together, to offer support, strength and friendship for those affected by the disaster. It is important for us as a province to recognize those among us who showed such bravery and strength in these times of struggle, who have helped with the rebuilding efforts. Thank you for your courage, strength and sacrifice in our province’s time of need.”
- Alison Redford, Premier
    “I want to thank every Albertan who shared incredible stories of bravery, compassion and resilience. We’ll be working to celebrate these heroes for their extraordinary efforts over the coming weeks. While we still have more rebuilding and recovery ahead of us, we’ll rebuild stronger than ever with Albertans like these.”
- Municipal Affairs Minister Ken Hughes
    The 1,300 nominees represent a variety of organizations including 175 nominations for first responders, and 80 for post-secondary institution faculty, students and staff.        Several animal rescue organizations were touted for their incredible efforts, along with one non-human hero: Diesel, a miniature Husky who was rescued from the flood and is now training to be a service dog.
    All nominees will receive a certificate and letter of appreciation in the coming weeks. A complete list of Hero nominees is available online.
    Under the Building Alberta Plan, our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta’s resources to ensure we’re able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.

Chef Peter McDiarmid from the Dinosaur Trail Golf Course puts the final touches on his Tomato Basil Soup recipe as part of the five recipes he demonstrated in an Italian Cooking course Saturday. He was conducting the course for Drumheller Further Education, and said this is one of the favorites for students who can choose among Canadian, French, Italian and others. Student Shelby Jensen looks on.

There is no question that fraud has come to dominate the headlines in Drumheller and beyond.
    To shine a light on the problem, the Drumheller RCMP is hosting a fraud awareness session to help residents learn more about the serious issue of fraud and how residents can protect themselves from being taken advantage of.
    Constable Mike Maxwell will be at the Badlands Community Facility this Thursday to host the session. It is open to all ages.
    “The Competition Bureau of Canada has published a correspondence called the ‘Little Black Book of Scams,’” said Maxwell.
    He will be using this as a base to unveil some common scams that are happening throughout Canada and highlight some of the common ones police are seeing in Drumheller.

    “We want to try to show people what to look out for and try to protect themselves,” said Maxwell.
    Maxwell said in his career he has seen a rise in fraud.
    “It is not just cyber (fraud), there are phone scams and cell phone scams. There are things coming in your mail, people knocking on your door to tell you they want to put a new roof on your house, then they walk away with the money and never fix your roof,” said Maxwell.
    “There are all kinds of scams coming at you from every angle and that is why people need to learn how to protect themselves.”
    The session is this Thursday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Badlands Community Facility. The session is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.

Rick Strankman
Drumhller-Stettler MLA

The Provincial Government has handed down its 2014 budget characterized as supporting communities and continuing to build the province, however it has met with criticism.
    According to a press release from the Alberta Government, it has delivered a fully balanced budget that focuses on core areas that support families and communities through investment in health, education and support for those most vulnerable and at the same time investing in infrastructure. 
    “Alberta is the fastest growing province in the country, and we can’t afford to stop building. Under our Building Alberta Plan, we are meeting the challenge of enormous growth head-on, while focusing every day on making Albertans’ quality of life even better. By being conservative in our budget planning and living within our means, we have delivered Alberta’s first balanced budget in six years,” said Premier Alison Redford.
    Local MLA Rick Strankman however says the budget continues to plunge the province deeper in debt.
  “The unfortunate thing is the way the government is calling it a balanced budget. They are borrowing against capital equity and it isn’t a truism to say it is balanced,” said Strankman. “They have increased the deficit significantly. The budget is actually including over a billion dollars that is coming from the federal government, how can they use that as a consistent source of income?”
     He says the operation budget is up almost six per cent and capital spending up almost eight per cent. He said according to the Wild Rose math, inflation plus population this year shows a suitable increase being in the area of 5 per cent.  
    There is one item he would like to learn more about, which could be a positive support for agriculture.
    "Bill 1 talks about sustainability funds and one of these leads to hands-on style agriculture,” he said.
    One example he cites of how this could be applied is an organization called the Chinook Applied Research Station near Oyen, which is doing hands on research to develop products specifically for the Special Areas.
    "That was an interesting thing I noted and was supportive of, the government trying to inject money into those areas,” said Strankman.
    He is not sure, however, with this budget, if funds would be allocated to these types of projects.

The rising Red Deer River in Drumheller from spring of 2013.

As spring nears and the snow melts, citizens and the Town of Drumheller are looking for answers on how to reduce the extent of flooding in the Drumheller valley.
    Late last week, Mayor Terry Yemen sent a letter to provincial Tourism Minister Richard Starke inquiring “if there have been any decisions made in regard to flood mitigation for Drumheller.”
    The Mayor said the Town submitted to the province in late 2013 an extensive plan for lowering the impact of high water events.
    “The Town has submitted the requested mitigation plan and have met with the Stantec consultants hired by the Government of Alberta on a number of occasions.”
    “As spring is rapidly approaching, the Town is constantly being asked questions in regard to future mitigation which we are not able to answer,” Mayor Yemen wrote the Minister.
    The provincial government hired three engineering firms in January to study flood mitigation options for the Athabasca and Red Deer Rivers.
    Stantec Consulting is providing the engineering assessment and recommendations for flood mitigation options for the Red Deer River basin.
    As reported in The Mail February 26, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Development stated the province starts monitoring the melting snow in the plains at the beginning of March, and they would issue an advisory of any concerns to municipalities.
    Currently there is a spring runoff advisory for Alberta posted.
    Residents can look up advisories at www.environment.alberta.ca/forecasting/advisories.

Heather Colberg, left, presented GM/superintendent of Dinosaur Trail  Golf Club Mitch Davidson with a donation of $10,000 in recognition of the value the course has had over the years for the family.

Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club is looking towards the new season with fresh faces and high expectations.
    The Club has seen a number of changes during the off season, the most noticeable is that Scott Westman has resigned as manager and former superintendent Mitch Davidson is now at the helm. Last season great strides were made to give golfers a great experience on and off the course. They plan to continue that same vein.
    To get the club off on the right foot for 2014, management was elated to receive a donation of $10,000 from the Kohut family to support the club.
    Heather Colberg explains simply that the family has enjoyed and benefitted from the golf club for many years and felt it is important to keep the club viable.
    “We understand what the course has been for us over all of these years and felt it was time to give back,” said Colberg.
    Dinosaur Trail is following up its successes of last season, Davidson says he wants visitors to the club to see an immediate impact when they come to the course.
    One of the biggest changes is that the tournament facility will be operated as the clubhouse this season. The club felt this facility is an improvement and should be utilized to its fullest potential and for the benefit of members.
     Last season the addition of Chef Peter MacDiarmid has helped the club build a reputation as a place where great food will be served, whether it is an afternoon snack or dinner.
    This is enhanced by the addition of Carmello Sangregorio as the new food and beverage manager.
    “He has moved to Drumheller to be closer to family, but we are lucky to have him as he has years of experience in food and beverage and most recently was the food and beverage manager at Carnmoney Golf and Country Club just south of Calgary. I look forward to him streamlining our operation and bringing a lot of new ideas to Dinosaur Trail,” said Davidson.
    They are hoping the support continues for the club as it gets ready to host its annual dinner and silent auction.
    This year the auction is on Saturday, April 12 at the Badlands Community Facility. The evening includes a special prime rib dinner, prepared by its own Chef MacDiarmid. This is followed up by a live and silent auction with Derek Dekeyser manning the block.
    Tickets are available from any board member or at the golf course. For more information, or to donate an item to the auction, call 403-823-5622 or e-mail mitch@dinosaurtrailgolf.com.

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.

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.