Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012 by Black Press Media Group

Serving the communities of Rimbey, Bentley, Bluffton, Winfield, Alder Flats and Buck Lake

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

www.rimbeyreview.com

Volume 14 Number 44

Council holds secret ballot to vote in a new representative to sit on Rimoka board By Treena Mielke There was a few tense moments at council’s organizational meeting, Oct. 22, when a secret ballot was called to determine who would represent council on the Rimoka board. Once the vote was counted, it turned out Coun. Jack Webb, who has represented council on Rimoka for two years was ousted from the position by Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson and Coun. Gayle Rondeel. Mayor Ibbotson and Coun. Rondeel, who replaced former councillor Joe Anglin on the board, each said earlier they wanted to sit on the board. “I would like to be more involved in Rimoka; what they do and how they operate at a board level. I look forward to the opportunity of being part of their efforts,” said Ibbotson after the meeting. Coun. Rondeel said later she wanted to be on the board because of her concern for seniors in the commu-

Tasting good: Janaya Ogieriakhi from Fingerprints Playschool at the Rimbey Christian School samples some of her pie crust during the playschool’s harvest theme baking day held last week. Treena Mielke Photo

Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson

Blow out!!!!

nity. “The level of support for seniors, whether they are active and mobile or need a higher level of care, is important to me.” Coun. Jack Webb said he enjoyed his time on Rimoka board and is disappointed he will no longer represent council in that position. He said he, too, cares about the seniors in the community, noting his family roots go back generations in Rimbey. “Does anyone here think I didn’t do a good job while I was on the board?” he asked council before the vote was taken. Webb was assured that his time on the board was well spent and he represented council well. Assistant CAO Melissa Beebe said it is unusual to have three vying for a position on a board, but if it does occur, a secret ballot is held. There were few changes to the other boards and committees for town council.

Coun. Gayle Rondeel

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2 The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012

The Community Calendar Proudly Presented by Rimbey Co-op and the Rimbey Review BINGO’S BINGO

Rimbey Legion, 2nd Friday of each month, @ 7 pm. p.m. Rimbey Lions Bingo at Ponoka Bingo Plaza. 1st & 3rd Thursday, 6:00 Hoadley Hall, 1st & 3rd Mondays, starts at 7:30 pm 4th Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. Rimbey Curling Club Bingo at Ponoka Bingo Plaza Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. West Pine Lodge Bingo in Winfield. MEETINGS 1st and 3rd Mondays 7:30 at Hoadley Hall Bingo doors open at 6:30 (non smoking) Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Mondays - 7 pm at the New 2nd Saturday, 6:00p.m. Rimbey Historical Society Bingo, Ponoka Bingo Plaza Life Fellowship Church building. Call 403-843-4570 for more info. rd Plaza 3 Saturday, Rimbey Drop-In Bingo at Ponoka Bingo Sleigh,Legion Wagon, & Saddle Club 1st Tuesday of each month 3rdRimbey Sunday, Rimbey at Ponoka Bingo Plaza

7:30 pm at the Smithson Truck Museum.. MEETINGS Rimbey Fish and Game 1st Wednesday of each month - 7 pm at TOPS ( Take off Pounds Sensibly) meets Wed evenings, Rimbey United Church Super 8 meeting room. basement. You are invited to an open house. Oct 17 @ 7pm Nancy 843-0067 Bi-Polar Support Group 3rd Wednesday of each month –7 pm Bentley Minor Hockey Annual General Meeting- Oct 17 at 7pm at Drop-In Centre. Ponoka Prov. Building. Call Call 748-4838 or 748-2078 for info. 403-783-7903 forAnnual more Fall info.General Meeting- Oct 17 at 7:30pm at The Bentley Curling Club Bluffton ofand Commerce 2nd Wednesday of each Curling Club Chamber Lounge. New Returning meeting curlers invited. month-Valley 7:00 4_H pm Bluffton Blindman Beef ClubHall. Parent Oragnizational Meeting- Oct 17 at 7:30 pm at Alcoholics Bentley Ag Centre. Call 748-2374 or 748-4739. New welcome. Anonymous Wednesdays8:30 pmmembers at the Rimbey Rimbey Elementary School Parent Council Anglican Church. 403-843-6697 info.Meeting- RES room Oct 16 at 7:00pm Tuesday each month pm Rimbey Health stCentre Rimbey Hospital 2ndRimbey Royal Cdn.1 Legion meeting1 Thursday ofAuxilary each month, 7:30 1st Thursday each month, 7:30 p.m.th Regular Members Meeting, Rimbey Legion pm Rimbey Legion, 5019 50 St. #36. Rimbey Ag Society 3rd Thursday each month- 7:00 pm at the 2nd Thursday each month- Rimbey Ag Society 7:00pm at the agriplex Agriplex. 3rd Tuesday each month- Caregiver Support Group 10am at Rimbey Health Divorce Care Support Group Mondays - 7pm in the Rimbey Centre. Alliance Church. 403-872-4252 info. ACTIVITIES Rimbey Hospital Ladies Auxiliary meeting 2nd Tuesday every month, Bentley Library Society Dinner Theatre- Event to take place Oct 20, tickets now on 1pm Hospital Conference Rm. sale. Call Arlene 748-4429 Rimbey Art Club AGM Nov. 12 @ 7:30 pm, Rimbey Comm. Centre. Bentley Carpet Bowling- Wednesday mornings. Bentley Hall. 9:30 am. New Players Call 403-843-2773 for more info. invited. Call Harry or Georgina 748-3404 for more info. Bentley Municipal Library AGM Nov. 14 @ 7 pm library. “ Food For Fines Week” at the Bentley Municipal Library Oct at 22-27. Donate dry

COMMUNITY

P H O T O O F T H E W E E K

foods in lieu of library fines. Will be given to Bentley Blessing Pantry. ACTIVITIES West Pine Lodge In Winfield- Chicken Supper Oct 19 @ 5:00pm. For more info call Rimbey Gymkhana Club rides every Thurs. @ 6:30 pm weather Wendy @ 780-682-3960 permitting, at rodeo grounds. Winfield Playground Fundraiser- Supper & Silent Auction, Oct 19 @ 4:30,Winfield Crib games, last Thursday of each month, 7 pm at the Rimbey Legion. Rec Centre. Skating,Crafts, Clown and more. Call 682-3788 for more info Regular Jammer’s @Auction Rimbey Centre, every Tuesday Family Halloween Dance Dances and Silent on Drop Oct 27Infrom 5-9 pm at the Bentley nights @ 7pm. Community Hall. Hosted by Bentley Nursery school. Call Tina 748-4407 for info. Seniors info & referral services. Freefor help with senior’s forms.Oct Nov. Rimbey Community Chorus- Starts practice Christmas, Wednesday 10 13, from at 10United am – noon. Rimbey Review Drop In Centre, computer room. 8:45pm Church. New singers welcome. Annette 843-3115 Rimbey United Church is planning a Memorial Hymn sing Nov 4 at 2:00pm. For info call Alice 843-6732 or the church 843- 2458.

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T. Lowe Photography and the Rimbey Review welcome submissions for the Photo of the Week. Submissions can be dropped off at T. Lowe Photography or the Rimbey Review, mailed to Box 244, Rimbey, AB. T0C-2J0 or e-mailed to admin@rimbeyreview.com. Each week’s selected photograph will be chosen at the discretion of the Rimbey Review. We may also, at our discretion, crop or edit the photograph prior to publication.

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Keeping Your Community in Touch! Kids Club Birthdays 843-2258 for Nov 1 - 15 RIMBEY CO-OP AARON BARR WINTER HOURS: SAVANNAH HARDEN HOME CENTRE CARTER EADIE MONDAY - SATURDAY: 8 AM - 6 PM JOHN BENDER CLOSED SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS TREVOR SIEBOLD GROCERIES MARIAH MILNE CONNOR MURPHY SUNDAY: 11 AM - 5 PM CLOSED HOLIDAYS COLTON TRAFIAK

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COMMUNITY

The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012 3

Anglin speaks out against the Electric Utilities Amendment Act By Treena Mielke MLA Joe Anglin is less than impressed with a new bill introduced by the Tories to ensure all future transmission line projects are reviewed and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. “Every jurisdiction in North America uses a utility board to make decisions,” he said. Anglin, the Wildrose MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain HouseSundre, said the bill was changed by the Conservatives in 2009 to eliminate the process of approval by the AUC, and instead making it law that the provincial cabinet approve the projects. Anglin said his primary bone of contention with the bill is the government wants to leave the lines in that they have already approved. “That is problematic on a multitude of levels.” The MLA said DC power lines have been approved between Calgary and Edmonton at an additional cost of $2 million. “No one can answer the question as to why DC lines were used,” he said. “Who made that decision? Nobody seems to know. And what does it get the public?

Anglin said the issue may be debated in the legislature Oct. 31. “They are wasting a lot of money.” Bill 8, the Electric Utilities Amendment Act, 2012, is based on input from Albertans and a direct response to a key recommendation in the Critical Transmission Review Committee report, which the province accepted in February. Under the Electric Statutes Amendment Act, 2009, the government approved the need for four critical transmission infrastructure projects. These included the Heartland transmission line, the Edmonton to Fort McMurray transmission lines, reinforcement lines between Edmonton and Calgary (north-south lines), and a Calgary Substation. These projects will all continue as plans; however, all new projects will be subject to the AUC needs-assessment process. In its report, the CTRC reaffirmed the need for the north-south projects. “Alberta needs strong transmission as our province continues to grow,” said Ken Hughes, minister of energy. “Allowing the electricity regulator to determine need will give confidence to Albertans that projects moving forward will help power our homes and communities.”

Council notes and highlights By Treena Mielke Council, at its Oct. 22 regular meeting, heard from a representative from the Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association. Tabatha Phiri, program co-ordinator for Women’s Economic Security and Safe Home Program from the Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association told council the program is looking for people to participate in focus groups who have immigrated to Canada and have had challenges finding employment, encounter language barriers, cannot find adequate housing and are facing other challenges. Anyone interested in participating is asked to contact the Central Alberta Women’s Association at 403-341-3553 in Red Deer. The women’s association also wants a representative to sit on the advisory board. Council forwarded the information provided by Phiri to FCSS. Walking trails budget deferred Council deferred a decision to fund walking trails until budget meetings that are to be held in November. The recreation board is looking

to extend the existing trail north from the RV Park to the Best Western Hotel area. Costs to develop trails is estimated at $125,000 per kilometre. Administration will meet with Tagish Engineering and the rec board to determine the trail location, length, surveying and right of way agreements with landowners as well as construction costs. Rimoka’s Rimbey project looking good Coun. Gayle Rondeel reported she had attended an annual general meeting of Central Alberta Seniors’ Housing Association Oct. 19 at The Black Knight Inn in Red Deer. Mike Leathwood, assistant deputy minister for Alberta Municipal Affairs, reported on the Rimoka’s Rimbey project for seniors housing. “He said they were very close with the re-development application and Dennis Beasley, who is the CAO of Bethany Group, said this is very significant because it is the first time the project has been mentioned at a public forum by the government.” Rondeel sees this as a positive indication of the project moving forward.

Accident: Rimbey Volunteer Fire Department, Rimbey RCMP and emergency crews responded to an accident on Highway 20 at Range Road 32 between a truck and a car. The accident occurred at around 5 p.m. and traffic was down to one lane until around 6:30 p.m. The drivers of both vehicles and a passenger in the car suffered minor injuries in the accident. APN Photo

Remembrance Day Service Rimbey Community Centre Nov. v.. 1 11, 10:45 11, 5 AM Anyone wishing to lay a memorial wreath contact Barbara Patey: 403-843-2844 Herb Keith: 403-843-2384

“Lest We Forget”

Rimbey Legion Branch #36

THE will be closed Monday, November 12 in recognition of

Remembrance Day

4 The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012

Connie Johnson Sales

sales@rimbeyreview.com Treena Mielke Associate Editor

reporter@rimbeyreview.com George Brown Editor

editor@rimbeyreview.com Michele Rosenthal Publisher

manager@rimbeyreview.com

Letters to the Editor Policy The Rimbey Review welcomes letters to the Editor, especially those dealing with topical or local issues. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words in length and must have the writer’s signature over printed name, along with the writer’s address and telephone number. The address and telephone number will not be printed. This newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for length and legal considerations. Deadline is noon the Thursday prior to publication. Send your letter to: The Editor, Rimbey Review, Box 244, Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0 or email: editor @ rimbeyreview.com

Copyright Notice All printed material, including photographs and articles, is the sole property of The Rimbey Review. No reproduction of this material is permitted without permission of the publisher.

Phone: 843-4909 Fax: 843-4907 Sales deadline: Thursday at 12 noon Classiﬁed deadline: Thursday at 12 noon Prooﬁng Deadline Friday at 12 noon

Production: Red Deer, Alberta Published every Tuesday by PNG Prairie Newspaper Group in community with: Publisher: Fred Gorman

COMMUNITY

Businesses will drive growth here Every week should be Small Business Week. The growth of Rimbey’s economy doesn’t just happen — it’s driven by small businesses and their patrons who have an incredible influence on success. From restaurants to car washes and your hometown newspaper, small businesses have a huge economic impact on our communities. Today is certainly a period of opportunity and crisis for small businesses in Alberta. It takes a lot of courage to be in business. Economies are growing and creating huge emerging markets. Businesses are George Brown setting their sights on Off the Record the enormous potential of these expanding new economies. To survive and thrive, our small town entrepreneurs need to be part of this movement by taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities arising in a world without boundaries. Even as some small businesses are laying off workers, there are still lots of job openings to take up the slack. Certainly the entrepreneurial spirit of these business owners is inspiring: they have an idea, a business plan and the drive to see their dream come true. With their ideas they are making our communities better places to live and work. They make our communities stand out from the cookie cutter power centres that assault the scenery on your trips to the Big City. Shopping locally recycles your paycheque through the community. Local small businesses use local suppliers, pay rent to local landlords, advertise in community newspapers, and open accounts in our banks and credit unions to pay their bills and employees. A vibrant downtown must be a central part of planning Rimbey’s economic future. Rimbey’s planners, facing a new set of growth challenges, must be reminded that there are a number of economic, social and environmental benefits to strengthening local businesses. We are facing the challenge of preserving historic small town values without stifling economic growth. We need to retain our communities’ character and values while at the same time providing and nurturing new economic opportunities. A dozen small businesses, offering a multitude of product and service choices, will do more for the community and competitive pricing than a couple of big box stores giving us the same product at “bargain” prices. We need prosperous small businesses in our local economies. Without them, we lose our power to influence the decisions that affect our community. On a personal note: Congratulations to my old drinking and fishing buddy, Randy Bertrand, recently retired as the Town of Devon’s manager of economic development. The Alberta Tourism Awards Committee has given him the 2012 Alto Ambassador Award for his outstanding contributions to Alberta’s tourism industry. Randy was an inspiration to many of us on the economic development board and chamber of commerce in Devon. He is known throughout Alberta as a leader and true ambassador of tourism. His vision and dedication has contributed to tourism becoming the largest economic driver in Devon, which now welcomes more than 750,000 visitors annually. His successes are proof this economic development mumbo jumbo actually works.

Fuel from air to replace oil? (by Klaus Lackner of Columbia Stockton-on-Tees, a small city University and David Keith of in northeastern England, has only Gwynne Dyer the University of Calgary) that one claim to fame: the first-ever Guest Columnist can extract CO2 from the air train ran from Stockton to Darin industrial quantities, but the lington in 1825. But it might one price per tonne at the moment is day have another claim: a locally based start-up company called Air Fuel Synthesis about $600. That’s far too much but as Lackner points out, has just produced the first gasoline from air and the cost of any new technology plunges steeply water. It isn’t a lot of gasoline — five litres (one once it goes into volume production. And the cost gallon) in two months — but Peter Harrison, the of getting hydrogen from water may also drop company’s chief executive, hopes within two dramatically. Daniel Nocera of the Massachusetts years they will build a larger plant producing a Institute of Technology has developed a catalyst tonne a day. He envisages refinery-scale opera- made from cobalt and phosphorus that can split water at room temperature. tions within 15 years. Peter Harrison is cagey about his current “We’ve taken carbon dioxide from air and hydrogen from water and turned these elements into production cost per litre, but as he told The Ingasoline,” Harrison told a conference at the Insti- dependent in a recent interview, “You’re in a tution of Mechanical Engineers in London. Since marketplace where the only way is up for the price the carbon dioxide that goes into the air when this of fossil fuel. At some point there will be a crossfuel is burned exactly equals the amount taken out over where our fuel becomes cheaper.” David Keith sees it the same way. “You’re of the air when it was fabricated, it is a carbonneutral fuel. Provided, of course, the electricity selling this fuel, and they’re burning it, putting used in the process comes from renewable sourc- carbon in the air but then you’re recapturing the same amount of carbon and selling it to them es. No wonder people who worry about global again. That’s a business model that could conwarming are excited about this breakthrough — ceivably take a whack at the global transportation but chemists have long known how to create a market, which is the hardest part of the climate complex hydrocarbon like gasoline from just air problem to attack.” Maybe Harrison’s process will not win the and water. The question is how much it costs to do it, compared to just pumping oil out of the ground race to capture that market. Maybe the cheaper option will be to grow green algae in wastewater and refining it. The answer in the past has been: far too or salt water, crush it to extract the oil and then much. Splitting water molecules takes a lot of refine the oil into gasoline. But one way or another, the gasoline we put energy. Carbon dioxide is freely available as the by-product of burning coal, gas or oil but using in our vehicles in 25 years’ time will probably not that CO2 as the feedstock for artificial gasoline come out of the ground. Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent only postpones the moment when it gets into the journalist whose articles are published in 45 counatmosphere. If you want a truly carbon-neutral fuel, then tries. Please let us know if you would like to see the carbon dioxide you use must come straight this column published regularly in the Rimbey from the air. Prototype machines have been built Review. Email editor@rimbeyreview.com

COMMUNITY

The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012 5

The sad state of the beef industry The most recent massive recall at Alberta-based XL Foods is the last thing the Canadian beef industry needed, especially as it supplies 40 per cent of all beef consumed domestically. This incident may yet again damage the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already fragile image, particularly considering that the USDA may have discovered the outbreak before our own Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). As consumers are questioning their relationship with their steak or hamburgers, the beef industry in Canada continues to work to recover from the 2003 mad cow crisis. Given the potential impact of this recent incident, it may never. On May 20, 2003, international borders were closed to the import of Canadian beef almost immediately following the announcement that mad cow disease had shown up in an Alberta Black Angus breeder cow. Thankfully, the cow didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get into the human food chain but the damage was done. The embargo lasted more than two years and the industry lost more than $4 billion. Domestically, however, Canadians kept on buying beef. In fact, Canada became the only country in history to have seen its beef retail sales go up after discovering its first native mad cow case. In a time of crisis, Canadians showed solidarity toward their farmers. Indeed, Canada Food Day, a national event that celebrates local Canadian food products, began as a response to the mad cow crisis. Overall, from the perspective of Canadian consumers, this potentially disastrous incident never became a food safety-based confidence issue. However, nine years later, times have changed. More Canadian consumers are having serious conversations about diets, trends and global food systems; that is, they care more about where their food comes from. In addition, aggregated food demand in the country is fragmenting faster than ever; many consumers are increasingly shopping with a conscience, asking questions about such issues as conditions of production, which includes the issues of animal welfare, fair trade and organic farming. As these and other questions get

Sylvain Charlebois Troy Media Guest Columnist

deeper traction in our collective Canadian food space, producers must recognize that critical consumers are increasingly a force to be reckoned with. As a result, demand for beef has been shrinking slowly but surely since mad cow hit the sector almost a decade ago. To make matters worse, the sluggish economy has compelled consumers to opt for options such as cheaper proteins like chicken and other substitutes. The beef industry is also facing some major challenges in international markets. In 2003, the Canadian dollar was at 73 cents US; as a result, America, historically our biggest export market, considered Canada as an affordable source of fresh beef products. Now, with the dollar hovering at around parity versus the American greenback, the Canadian beef industry is regarded differently down south. For Americans and other export markets, the macro-economic environment has forced our beef industry to charge more for virtually the same product. Since 2003, the Canadian beef processing industry contracted by more than 15 per cent and the XL Foods episode will definitely not enhance the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality image abroad. To add to the systemic pressures the Canadian beef industry is facing, input costs are also increasing, which makes its business case weaker almost by the day. The global market landscape for beef has changed. What is worse, though, is that consumers themselves are in a different place as well. With this latest recall at XL Foods, the Canadian beef industry is facing some major headwinds. In 2003, in the midst of the mad cow crisis, the Canadian consumer came to the rescue. It is unclear whether Canadian consumers are willing to give the industry another chance, as more options and substitutes are offered to them. Only time will tell. Sylvain Charlebois is associate dean of the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph.

Rimbey great community to live in Dear Editor: I came to Rimbey 11 months ago. I came to cover a three-month sick leave for Rimbey Victim Services. I am now leaving to move to Mexico with my family. I just wanted to take a minute to tell the community how absolutely awesome the people on Rimbey and district have been to me and my daughter. I could name so many places like the library, the post office, the churches, interagency, the schools, the art club, the Lions, the Royal Canadian Legion. I could go all day telling what great groups and business you have.

I appreciate all of you. I have enjoyed the friendships, the kindness and the acceptance. I appreciate all the wonderful meals and fun house sitting jobs in and out of town. Victim Services has a great board and group of compassionate advocates. Everyone made my job easy. I must also remind you that the Rimbey RCMP is composed of many caring individuals who work very hard to keep your community safe. Thank you for the Rimbey experience. Janet and Gabby Porter

6 The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012

COMMUNITY

Aquatic centre busy last summer, revenues show increased usage By Treena Mielke

The Rimbey Aquatic Centre was a busy place this summer and the children’s slide and play area was especially active. File Photo

The Town of Rimbey got its feet wet this summer with the opening of its new outdoor aquatic centre but while the municipality sometimes appeared to be sinking in the deep end, overall, the pool’s first season went swimmingly well. Recreation director Rick Kreklewich said even though the pool ran at a $88,000 deficit, revenues were higher than expected. “The old pool had a revenue of around $60,000, and we have so much more to offer the community with our new facility.” Kreklewich presented a report to council regarding the aquatic centre at its Oct. 22 meeting. The report stated head counts of people using the pool showed a significant increase from 2009. He said during 85 operating days, 2,315 people used the pool compared to 2009, when there were 880

Public Notice

Proposed Amendment to the Town of Bentley/Lacombe County Intermunicipal Development Plan By-law No. 136/2009 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Town of Bentley has given ¿rst reading to By-law No.162/2012, to amend the Town of Bentley/Lacombe County Intermunicipal Development Plan By-law No. 136/2009, Future Land Use Concept Map, as follows; a. Designate the area directly south of the Bentley Cemetery as the location of the future cemetery expansion, said area identi¿ed as Public/Institutional as shown on the following revised Future Land Use Concept Map b. Designate the area directly east of the Town’s corporate limits to Urban Commercial, as shown on the following revised Future Land Use Concept Map. A copy of the By-law may be inspected by the public at the Town of Bentley, 4918 – 50 Avenue, Monday through Friday, during regular of¿ce hours. A Public Hearing will be held in Council Chambers, 4918 – 50 Avenue, on November 13, 2012, at 7:00 pm, at which time any person wishing to comment on the Bylaw may do so. Any written submission must be signed and ¿led with the Chief Administrative Of¿cer no later than 4:00 pm, on the date of the Public Hearing. If you have any questions, Please contact the Chief Administrative Of¿ce at 403-749-4044

Date of ¿rst publication: October 30, 2012 Date of second publication: November 6, 2012

Elizabeth Smart Chief Administrative Of¿cer

single admissions during 88 operating days. Adult admissions increased significantly from 2009 with 565 adults signing in to use the pool compared to 101 three years ago. The pool saw 488 family admissions compared to 293 in 2009. This year 75 individual seasons passes and 51 family passes were sold compared to 28 individual season passes and 28 family season passes in 2009. The sale of individual and family punch cards more than tripled from three years ago. Despite the added usuage, the pool was closed at least twice due to mechanical problems. “We expected to run into a few unforeseen issues in our first season, but we never expected the issues to be as severe as they were,” said Kreklewich. “The first issue that we discovered was the pooling of water in the change areas and the slippery conditions it caused. The drains in the change areas of the building seemed inadequate, considering the level of water coming from both the showers and pool. As a cost-saving measure, the floors of the change areas were left as finished concrete instead of tile. This created a slip hazard when the water pooled on the floor.” Kreklewich said matting on the walkway beside the showers helped alleviate slipping and the floors are now being acid-etched and painted with epoxy paint. The pool was closed for a few days this summer due to a leak in the main drain box caused by water pressure. To ensure the leak doesn’t occur again concrete was added underneath the box, the box seam repaired and a layer of pool membrane added to provide additional support. At the end of the season, another leak was discovered in the pool in the main drain line from the pool crawl space to the mechanical room. This leak is being repaired as are superficial cracks in one of the hot tubs. On July 13, in the middle of the pool’s busiest time, the boiler pump motor quit and the pool ran without heated water until July 20. The pool operated regularly for the rest of the summer until Aug. 27 when the chlorine levels were below required operating levels. The pool re-opened on Aug. 31 and closed for the season Sept. 3. Changes made to the spray park included placing matting at the end of the slides to cushion the landing. A second filter was also added to the mechanical vault. Kreklewich said the area next to the tipping buckets needs to be landscaped to prevent water pooling there. Despite mechanical issues, Kreklewich said the pool operated as closely as possible to the original schedule. “We had the same schedule as in years past but included more aquafit times, a teen night and a free swim which was very well received sponsored by Value Drug Mart. The busiest times were the afternoon and evening public swims followed by the family swims.” Despite a few ripples in its first season, Kreklewich said pool staff maintained constant levels of professionalism and expertise. “We received a lot of positive comments about the staff and how they were aware on deck and great swimming lessons instructors,” he said. “One of the areas that we will try to improve upon is thorough training of staff on the pool mechanical.” He said it was difficult during busy times for staff to be both guarding and attending to patrons at the front desk. He suggested keeping staff at the front counter on busy days and adding a debit machine as a method of payment. Kreklewich is optimistic the pool will run smoothly next year. “In 2013, the pool should be fully operational,” he told council. “We will have our leak issues fixed prior to winter. We plan on purchasing some new equipment including lane ropes, clock, aquafit supplies, office supplies, lifeguard supplies and various pool toys with the money provided by the Lions. New tables and chairs will be purchased for the pool meeting room. This will enhance what we currently provide at the pool.”

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The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012 7

Halloween safety tips Every year children anxiously count down the days until they are able to put on their costumes and head out into the neighborhood in search of candy. Although Halloween is meant to be a fun occasion for the young and the old alike, it can also be unsafe. To make Halloween a safe holiday, children and adults can heed these suggestions. • Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. Although kids might want to wear shoes that match the costume, shoes that fit well and are comfortable are a safer bet. This will help prevent tripping and falling over cumbersome shoes. • Go trick-or-treating in groups. Children should not be allowed to go out in search of candy alone. Going in a group means that someone can get help if need be. Also, there is safety in numbers. Predators won’t view a child as an easy target if he or she is with fellow trick-or-treaters. • Be visible. Since daylight saving time begins shortly after Halloween, there are fewer hours of daylight for trick-or-treating. When Halloween falls on a weekday, children have to wait until after school to venture out, and it can quickly become dark. Therefore, make sure that children are equipped with flashlights and put reflective tape on their costumes so they will be more visible to fellow pedestrians and motorists. • Stick to the sidewalks. Children should stay on sidewalks and cross the street only at established crosswalks. • Do not enter homes. Unless a child is with an adult and the home is owned by a trusted friend, kids should not enter homes for treats. • Avoid candles and jack-o-lanterns. A costume can easily catch on fire, so it is best to steer clear of candles, luminaries and lit pumpkins.

• Accessorize safely. Select flexible swords and knives if they are accompanying a costume. Avoid rigid items that can cause injuries. • Examine all candy before eating. Before kids have their first bite, parents should inspect candy wrappers to determine if there has been any tampering. Also, avoid homemade treats from homes unless you know the people who prepared the items.

Halloween: Many houses and yards in Rimbey are decorated in keeping with the season. This yard on 53rd Street is hauntingly realistic and depicts Oct. 31 in an especially creative way. Treena Mielke Photo

Public Notice Proposed Amendment to the Municipal Development Plan By-law 121/2007 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Town of Bentley has given ¿rst reading to By-law No. 163/2012, to amend the Municipal Development Plan By-law No. 121/2007, Future Land Use Concept Map as follows; a. Designate the area directly south of the Bentley Cemetery as the location of the future cemetery expansion, said area identi¿ed as Public/Institutional, as shown on the following revised map b. Designate the area directly east of the Town’s corporate limits to Urban Commercial, as shown on the following revised map.

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A copy of the By-law may be inspected by the public at the Town of Bentley, 4918 – 50 Avenue, Monday through Friday, during regular of¿ce house. A Public Hearing will be held in Council Chambers, 4918 – 50 Avenue, on November 13, 2012, at 7:00 pm, at which time any person wishing to comment on the By-law may do so. Any written submission must be signed and ¿led with the Chief Administrative Of¿cer no later than 4:00 pm, on the date of the Public Hearing. Date of ¿rst publication of this notice: October 30, 2012 Date of second publication of this notice: November 6, 2012 Elizabeth Smart Chief Administrative Of¿cer

8 The Rimbey Review, October 30, 2012

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Mimi’s Village informative and entertaining for children Mimi’s Village by Katie Smith Milway, illustrations by Eugenie Fernandes c.2012, Kids Can Press $19.95 Canada 32 pages So how are you feeling today? If you’re feeling well, that’s great! But think about the last time you felt really sick. That’s when Mom took you to see the doctor, who looked down your throat, checked your ears, and sent you home with some medicine. But what if you didn’t have a doctor nearby? What would your family do? What would you do? In the new book Mimi’s Village by Katie Smith

Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm

Milway and Eugenie Fernandes, a little girl thinks about that, and then she has a dream… It’s a sad day in the village where Mimi Malaho lives. Last night a baby died and his mother is weeping with the village’s other women. Mimi is too young to sit with them so she quietly goes home. She worries about her mother, and the baby Ma is expecting. Her family has been lucky; nobody has gotten sick so far. But then something horrible happens! Mimi’s little sister, Nakkissi, drinks some dirty water. She was thirsty and though Mimi knew she shouldn’t do it, she

gave Nakkissi a drink by the river. That night, Nakkissi felt awful. The little girl moaned. She couldn’t keep anything in her tummy, so Ma and Pa wrapped her in a blanket and put her in their cart. The whole family started walking down the path to the next village, where there was a clinic. It took an hour. The next morning, there were lots of people lined up at the clinic. Nurse Tela took care of everyone, including Nakkissi and all the babies. As Mimi watched Nurse Tela weigh each baby, she learned that the next day was vaccination day. The Malahos decided to spend the night at the clinic so they could get vaccinated. They wanted to stay healthy. When she got home, Mimi heard her father talking about malaria, which was making lots of the village’s children sick. Mimi knew that was true, and she was thinking about a wish she’d made the day before. She was thinking about it when she went to bed and that night, she had a

dream. Her dream led to an idea. Her idea led to a project. Her project led to something very good for Mimi, her family and her whole village. Even though your child is small, you can bet she’s listening. Surely, she knows that health care is a big issue these days. Mimi’s Village takes that knowledge to the next level. Inspired by real events and real people, author Katie Smith Milway explains a grown-up issue in a kid-friendly way and children will definitely identify with a girl like Mimi. Smith gives kids more information about Zambia health care workers and health care in general, then she and illustrator Eugenie Fernandes explain what readers can do to help make life better for other children around the world. For five- to eight-year-olds who love making a difference, this is a story that leads the way. And for you, Mimi’s Village is a book you’ll feel good about letting your child read.

CALNASH AG EVENT CENTRE NOVEMBER CALENDAR

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 1 Ponoka Composite High School Rodeo Academy 12-6pm

5 9-4 Open ride