Author: Ciaran Thompson

Council opts for temporary skating oval for 2014 games

Council has elected to go ahead with a plan to build a temporary 400-metre outdoor skating oval in anticipation of next winter’s Alberta Winter Games, which is being co-hosted by Banff and Canmore.

Last month, organizers of the 2014 Games made a presentation to council requesting a permanent skating oval be put in place at Millennium Park to host long track speed skating events and have year-round potential for indoor soccer and tennis.

The intent of the proposal was to create a lasting Games legacy that would also increase accessible skating opportunities, economic activity associated with competitions and increase sports tourism and sport development. Read the fully story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Slow year ahead for Alberta as price of black gold drops

Oil is Alberta’s business, however, the price of Western Canadian Select, which is made up of heavy conventional and bitumen crude oil, has been decreasing.

With the Province’s reliance on this huge energy commodity, both politicians and economists point to a sluggish Alberta economy limping into next year’s fiscal budget, which will be made public in March.

According to Net Energy Inc., a crude oil trading system based in Calgary, Western Canadian Select has been trading at roughly $35 per barrel less than benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude.

Though the price of Alberta oil has always been offered at a discount, the differential between what’s shipped out of the province compared to WTI or other world oil prices has increased quickly and put Premier Alison Redford’s government under pressure. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Banff residents fight for obstetrics

The upcoming closure of the maternity ward at Banff’s Mineral Springs Hospital has led some residents to protest the decision, but hospital officials insist mothers and babies will benefit from increased safety measures.

Last Thursday (Jan. 24), over 50 people attended a rally at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Banff for an information session and to protest closure of the maternity ward.

Labour and maternity services are set to move to Canmore General Hospital near the end of March.

Organized by volunteers uniting under the banner Hatch, Patch and Dispatch, a reference to the types of services they believe community hospitals should offer, the event was also a chance to deliver a clear message to Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Covenant Health. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Blake Richards MP talks pipelines, budget and hot springs

In the first ever tele-townhall for the Wild Rose constituency, member of Parliament Blake Richards answered questions from residents on Monday (Jan. 21) concerning a variety of issues such as natural resources, privatization of local hot springs and the federal government’s commitment to achieving a balanced budget.

Using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology, the MP engaged in a public question period where more than 3,700 people from across the constituency were contacted and asked to participate. Submissions sent via e-mail were also addressed in the hour-long conference.

Several of the questions put to Richards during the conference dealt specifically with the country’s natural resources, predominately the oil and gas industry and potential impacts on the environment. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

MP responds to Idle No More protest in Banff

Since forming at a general educational session in Saskatoon this past November, Idle No More protests by members and non-members of First Nations across the country have been both peaceful and, at times, disruptive.

The protest that occurred near Cascade Mall in Banff last weekend was peaceful, however, another in Calgary led to the closure of a bridge with police still to determine whether charges will be laid.

Wild Rose Member of Parliament Blake Richards responded to the recent local protest before meeting on Wednesday (Jan. 16) with three chiefs from the Stoney Nakoda First Nation to discuss economic development opportunities. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Book review – Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark

Scrolling through any Canadian newspaper or online source, one finds it difficult to avoid stories pertaining to the country’s issue with natural resources, be it the expansion of pipelines, advances in technology or which provinces benefit the most from revenue generated.

Almost on a daily basis, Canadians are fed news in an apparent “us versus them” scenario that has existed and will continue as the debates wage on in federal/provincial buildings and on the ground.

These headlines condemning or praising such natural resources like the oil sands, for example, are rooted back to Canada’s foundation, as author/journalist Mary Janigan has proved in her new book. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outloook.

Winter in the Canmore mines

Canmore mine lamp house and entrance to Coal Mine No. 2.
Canmore mine lamp house and entrance to Coal Mine No. 2.

Every winter the old lamp house located beneath Three Sisters Parkway in Canmore groans with age. The windows have all been knocked out, the roof is in disrepair and the frost has taken its toll on the walls with those that are still in tact subjected to graffiti.

It’s safe to say the building, which was where workers met and collected their lamps before heading into Coal Mine No. 2, is not what it once was, but neither is the town itself. Continue reading →

Terms of reference for Three Sisters approved

A terms of reference document for a new area structure plan (ASP) regarding the future of Three Sisters Mountain Village (TSMV) will ensure appropriate environmental policies are created and development on land will not take place until the area known as Site 9 is transferred to a conservation society, council decided, Tuesday (Dec. 18).

Canmore council debated the outline for the ASP presented by Three Sisters receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), at length on Tuesday.

Since February 2009, TSMV has been in a court-ordered receivership and accumulated approximately $115 million in debt. The Town approved a framework agreement last month, as well as terms of reference for an environmental impact statement (EIS). Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Canmore approves 4.3 per cent tax increase

Canmore taxpayers will see a 4.3 per cent increase in municipal taxes next year after council unanimously passed its operating budget on Tuesday (Dec. 11).

The budget includes a 13 per cent increase for waste and recycling as well as a 12 per cent utility rate increase per year for the next three years, effective the first of January.

Totaling $39.3 million, next year’s budget includes funds for a full year of operations for projects such as Elevation Place, the Roam regional transit service between Banff and Canmore, the 20-year contract with the RCMP and a stand-alone fire rescue service. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Telus makes claim for cell phone tower in Canmore

A temporary cellphone tower located a half block from Lawrence Grassi Middle School could become permanent, however, the company in charge says the town is in “really good shape” concerning the amount of radio frequency energy it emits.

Two weeks ago, representatives from Telus, the cellphone company that owns the tower, conducted tests in and around the school after concerns were raised from local residents and parents regarding potential health affects.

Using specialized equipment involving a measurement box technicians wear around their head that’s connected to a handheld antenna, Telus said it was able to identify the strength of all radio frequencies in town. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.