By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
A local man vying to become a senator-in-waiting for Alberta failed in his election bid Nov. 22, but said he will continue to champion the need for Senate reform.
David Usherwood, who lives on a farm northeast of Cochrane, placed sixth out of 10 candidates who campaigned for four positions.
The Progressive Conservative candidate earned 190,000 votes — nine per cent of the total — but fell short of being named senator-in-waiting.
Fellow Tories Betty Unger, Bert Brown, Cliff Breitkreuz and independent Link Byfield were the unofficial winners as of Nov. 23.
Despite not being one of the four, Usherwood said he is “encouraged by the results.”
Usherwood said he was writing to Prime Minister Paul Martin the day after the election to encourage him to support Senate reform.
“(Martin) has said he’s not going to appoint any (senators) until he deals with Senate reform,” he said. “If he’s serious about Senate reform, he should be doing it sooner rather than later.”
He said Martin should get the ball rolling by hold a meeting with the premiers focusing on reforming Canada’s upper chamber.
Despite Martin’s reticence about appointing senators-in-waiting, Usherwood said the process to elect Alberta candidates was not a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.
The election cost the Alberta government $3 million.
“It’s sending him a message,” Usherwood said. “It’s about making a political solution and in Alberta we like to do that and I like to do that.”
He would not rule out a future run for a senator-in-waiting position.
A Cochrane-area resident was named Rookie of the Year by the Alberta Paint Horse Club Nov. 13 at its year-end banquet in Red Deer.
The award was the culmination of a successful year for Janice Hepburn and her gelding Rubadub Tuff.
The two are in the top 10 in the Amateur and Novice Amateur divisions, which includes Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Hepburn is also sixth overall in the American standings for the Justin Rookie of the Year award.
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Cochrane council moved forward Nov. 22 with plans to borrow $836,646 to help fund the town’s new recycling depot.
The contribution from the town was increased Nov. 8 after council heard unstable soil and rising construction costs required an additional $100,000 from the original plan.
Lori Leipnitz, director of corporate services, told council in order to give final approval for the borrowing, the bylaw must be advertised for two weeks followed by a two-week period to allow opponents time to respond.
If it isn’t challenged, the bylaw returns to council for second and third reading but Leipnitz said there is still a 30-day period to challenge the debenture before the courts.
Council heard the town’s debt limit is $31,747,772 while the additional borrowing will raise Cochrane’s total debt to $12,510,148. The increase places the town at approximately 40 per cent of its available debt load.
The town would pay about $1.5 million in debt servicing annually with the additional borrowing for the recycling depot.
Council passed first reading with only Coun. Truper McBride opposed.
Following the meeting, McBride said he will continue to oppose any motion to borrow money until the town adopts a debt management policy.
“I’m not comfortable borrowing until we have some type of financial plan in place,” he said.
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Town council approved the agendas for a pair of upcoming briefing sessions Nov. 22, meetings recently opened to the public, to deal with its 2005 budget, a new communications policy and an update on the former Domtar site.
At its regularly scheduled Dec. 6 and Jan. 4 public committee-of-the-whole meetings, council will be given information updates on the three items. The meetings will both begin at 1:30 p.m.
Council heard it will continue to approve items for the bi-weekly meetings (there is only one meeting scheduled for December) and was presented a list of “pending” agenda items.
The list includes updates on the new fire/EMS facility, the town’s 25-year community vision, utility servicing for the Bow Valley High school, the Cochrane Society for housing options as well as the items to be dealt with in December and January.
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Faced with a threat of a lawsuit, town council approved a controversial water pump station for West Terrace Nov. 22 despite a resident’s last-minute assertion that councillors failed to stand up for landowners’ rights.
In a 5-2 vote, council approved a new draft agreement for the pump station that will provide water for the Cochrane Lakes subdivision north of town.
Francis Spence, who lives on West Terrace Rise, adjacent to the proposed facility, took aim at council for backing away from its initial support for residents.
“We have become a pawn in a much larger game being played out here,” he said, while other residents opposed to the pump house looked on from the gallery. “There is nowhere to turn. We may be the largest group of players . . . but we are powerless.”
Council had rejected the closure of a road right-of-way sought by Medallion Develop-ment Corp. after hearing from area residents June 28 that the pump house was unacceptable.
Residents raised concerns over possible noise, impact on property values, obstruction of the view of the Bow River, and possible problems for the pathway system, which would be used to access the pump station.
Following a meeting with its lawyer in July, the town opted to terminate an existing right-of-way agreement with Medallion, a move that led to the developer suggesting a lawsuit may be its only recourse.
Last month, council called on Medallion to draft a new plan to address residents’ concerns prior to its granting approval to move forward.
Medallion’s new plan includes assurances that the noise level will remain at acceptable levels, the riverbank will be restored to its original condition, landscaping will surround the underground station and the pathway will be maintained.
Coun. Jeff Genung said while he is comfortable with the agreement, he was concerned about the pathway becoming the permanent vehicle access to the pump house.
“I don’t think it’s a deal-breaker here,” he said. “It’s a small thing that would make a large difference in my opinion.”
Coun. Mary Lou Davis suggested an amended motion to enter into a utility right-of-way agreement with Medallion but once an alternate access is available, the path would no longer be used.
But not all councillors were on board.
Coun. Andy Marshall said the new agreement offers few certainties to landowners worried about the facility’s impact.
“I’m not sure how the best interests of the community are being served with how this project is being represented,” he said. “I believe there’s still some vagueness to the agreement that we’re being asked to approve. And I don’t like making a decision with the threat of a lawsuit pointed at our head.”
Coun. Truper McBride would not support a plan that wasn’t acceptable to residents.
“I want to see a letter from the (West Valley-West Terrace) community association saying they’re in favour of moving forward with this,” he said. “What we have not heard from these residents is what I asked for, which is more work (from Medallion) with those residents. It still hasn’t happened.”
McBride earned a quiet “good for you” from the gallery but rebukes from fellow councillors who questioned leaving council decisions in the hands of unelected community associations.
“We have been charged by the people of Cochrane to make a hard decision and this is a hard decision to make,” Coun. Ken Hynes said. “At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to decide, not the community associations and at our peril do we ignore the important things they tell us.”
Medallion will likely begin construction as soon as possible.
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Cochrane’s new arts council delivered its wish list to town council Nov. 22, calling for more space and support for the town’s arts community.
Starr Kolb, chair of the Cochrane Community Arts and Culture Council, said the group has found that residents are solidly behind expanding the town’s arts community.
“Cochrane has so much potential, with a lot of work to be done with respect to the arts and culture,” Kolb said.
She outlined an ambitious list of suggestions from the committee for the town to improve its arts and culture.
The suggestions included opening the RancheHouse to the arts community, creating more seasonal events, changing the name of Second Avenue West to “Arts Avenue”, relaxing some rules to encourage more creativity and turning the old train station on Griffin Road into a downtown art gallery.
Kolb said council should increase the budget for arts and culture and consider implementing a one to three per cent fee into future public buildings and developments, “to go toward public art and beautification.”
Coun. Truper McBride questioned how the fee would be incorporated.
Kolb noted Calgary takes a one per cent levy from new buildings that can be budgeted for works of art.
“This is money they can put towards a painting or a bronze statue or something like that,” she said.
Council heard the committee will begin working on concrete recommendations and cost estimates.
“At some point the town is going to have to step up to the plate and start contributing,” Kolb said.
By Pam Asheton
Special to The Eagle
Trainer Gregg Lauder and an outstanding team of riders, four from Cochrane and one from Calgary, are in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the prestigious National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) Affiliate Finals, held in conjunction with the NRHA Futurity that runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 4.
Reining, it was said a few years ago, was the equestrian world’s fastest growing discipline. Now the NRHA is actively seeking inclusion in the Olympics which may be good news for Lauder’s team of Laurie Gimber, Shianna and Brittany Turco, Erica Lee and Calgary’s Geri Greenall.
In addition, the nation’s best reiners will be going to Kentucky in 2005 as a result of the combined efforts of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the NRHA, and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).
The USEF Open Reining Championship will be the headliner class at Fiesta in the Park, a new show that offers reining and hunter-jumper events at the Kentucky Horse Park. The show, slated for Aug. 23-28, 2005, will also serve as an Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Reining Masters Series qualifying competition, which means it will be a qualifier for the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Final, scheduled to take place in Europe next year. The show will also feature a new USEF Youth Reining Championship, a large selection of NRHA classes and a Non Pro Classic.
In Alberta, the affiliate program is in its first year of running with Eastern and Western Canada qualifiers, which Laurie Gimber, a Youth and Rookie qualifier at Oklahoma City, helped set up and organize.
“We went to Oklahoma last year as spectators,” remembers her mother Isabel Gimber, “never believing it would happen for us, it was just a dream. The camaraderie between the five is incredible. Gregg’s attitude is that competing is part of the training — it’s ongoing.”
What she means is that Lauder has worked out a mind frame that cleverly avoids much of in-the-arena tension overloads often seen in competitors at shows. His five-women team looks at any given show as just part of a quest to improve as they go through the season.
“Confidence definitely went sky high,” he says, after an earlier foray south in late June to Kalispell, Mont., where the best northwestern American riders gathered.
“The final day there we just won everything, we couldn’t go wrong. We’d beaten them on their own home ground and that’s when they all started to believe Oklahoma was a definite possibility.”
Calgary’s Geri Greenall is one of his qualifying team, competing in the Rookie of the Year section, where more than 60 riders will execute patterns in perhaps one of the most hotly contested classes. Greenall works full-time in equity research for an oil and gas exploration company with her days running from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m, so for her night riding is the only option.
“I’m fortunate,” she said with wry humour, “that Gregg’s barn is only 20 minutes away.”
“This is once in a lifetime,” she exclaimed. “It’s akin to golfers (qualifying for) the U.S. Open. With more Canadians qualifying because of our new affiliate classes, I know there’ll be a huge spectator support this year cheering us on.”
And that support can be raucous.
“Oh yes,” explains Rhonda Turco nonchalantly, mother of qualifying riders Shianna and Brittany and aunt to the youngest of the Lauder team, Erica Lee. “The noise is incredible, even more than a hockey game if you can imagine that.”
The Turcos were crossing their fingers, however, and hoping Shianna’s mount, Legends Diamond, would be sound in time for the 35-hour journey. On a recent Saturday their rig completely jackknifed on an icy road. The trailer was a write-off and the truck not far off that mark, while the horses were hanging upside down and had to be cut loose, miraculously with no long-term damage.
“Doug and Shane Kinch were marvellous, and Jody Laye,” remembers a grateful Rhonda Turco. “They even brought warm clothes for everyone while we waited to get everything cleared up.”
Shianna Turco — who qualified for Oklahoma at the all-important Canadian Reining Breeders Classic in September at Winnipeg as Reserve Champion in the NRHA Youth 14-18 class — appears to be philosophical, sanguine even, at least on the surface.
“It’s my last year of serious competition time,” she said matter-of-factly, with full eye contact. “I go into full-time nursing training in January.”
Brittany Turco, meanwhile, has a few more years and she plans to go full throttle.
“I’m kind of like Gregg,” she grins, which may be a way of saying that neither of them is too precise at remembering the non-stop shows and endless wins relentlessly clocked up throughout the 2004 season. (For more details of results click onto one of the best Web sites I’ve seen: www.lauderranch.com).
For Lee, this season has generated such excitement that at one show she even left her brand new High Points prize winner’s saddle behind. That was at the opening NRHA show, the Cardston Derby in May when, teamed up with We Dawned Dun It, their season started as Reserve Champions (rookie), Reserve Champion Ranch Reining and Champion title in Youth 13 and Under for a highest points silver belt buckle.
They’ve continued that success rate relentlessly throughout the season and looked forward to Oklahoma City.
“I get to fly down,” Lee grins. “That way I only miss three days of school.”
By Sarah Junkin
The Eagle
The Wesley First Nation’s second annual National Addictions Awareness Week was so successful organizers say participation in activities quadrupled over last year.
“This year was a smashing success,” said Wesley Director for Wellness Adam North-Peigan. “I think it’s because the community is willing and able to look at addictions and wants to do something about it.”
Activities included workshops, a walk for sobriety, and a banquet which North-Peigan said was attended by nearly 200 people.
But he said the highlight of the whole week was a program called Scared Straight which saw First Nations inmates talking to junior and senior high school students about why they wound up in jail.
“They talked about what got them in trouble, usually alcohol and drugs,” said North-Peigan. “It was actually quite moving and there were a lot of tears.”
The climax of the week was the sober walk Nov. 19 when Wesley and Chinki band members gathered at the Morley school and then travelled to their respective elders’ lodges.
“This was amazing because the Chiniki band was having a walk too,” said North-Peigan. “So they joined us which was quite phenomenal because of the historic division between the two bands. It bridged a gap between us all.”
North-Peigan added he and his staff are continuing to work on community leadership programs and proactive mentoring.
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Hunting complaints have waned this year with fewer hunters descending on the area, according to Stan Hawes, a Cochrane-based Fish and Wildlife officer.
Warm weather is likely the primary reason hunters have stayed home, Hawes said, noting the general deer season is set to close at the end of November.
“In almost every case, when we get warm weather and there’s no snow on the ground, we don’t seem to have near as many hunters come out,” Hawes said. “With that, the complaints are slightly down.”
Deer, elk and moose are in season while mule deer are available on draws. Hunting season for cougars — done on a quota basis — begins Dec. 1.
Working in conjunction with their counterparts in Canmore, local officers have generated most charges through patrols while also responding to complaints from landowners and hunters.
“The most common complaint we get is trespassing and hunting on occupied land,” he said.
But the officers have a large area to cover west of Calgary.
“We’re spread pretty thin,” Hawes admitted.
Other offences include night hunting, improper storage of firearms and complaints under the Highway Traffic Act.
Fish and Wildlife officers have continued to hold checkstops, checking for illegal game and other offences.
Hawes said they also have a number of “incidents of animals shot and left.”
In one recent incident northeast of Cochrane, a bull moose and two cows were illegally shot on private land and left behind with the bull’s head cut off.
“They may have taken the opportunity to shoot them, got scared by something and took off,” Hawes said, noting it is under investigation.
Matching the decline in other complaints, reports of poaching have also been fewer this year.
Hawes said a couple of poaching investigations are moving forward including one using a DNA lab in Edmonton to determine if blood in a vehicle driven by a Calgary hunter matches that of a deer killed illegally.
“It’s a really good source for us,” Hawes said of the DNA lab. “It just firms up a case. We’re really beginning to rely on it.”
Meanwhile, Fish and Wildlife officers are maintaining a closure of the southern Ghost area as an aggressive grizzly and her cubs may still be roaming through there.
The area, west of the Bar-C Ranch Resort, stretches north along Highway 40, south past the Ghost River and west to the Banff National Park boundary.
The 25,000-hectare area has been closed to the public since Oct. 26. The sow grizzly has charged vehicles in the area.
Hawes said Fish and Wildlife officers scouted the area Nov. 17 and found no sign of the bear or her cubs but the warm conditions may keep them from hibernating.
“It’s still closed for now because the weather is still so warm,” Hawes said. “There is now evidence they are still frequenting the area but since we have no snow it’s hard to tell.”
By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Drivers in the Cochrane area are dealing with increasing numbers of deer near roadways, resulting in some dangerous collisions, according to a local Fish and Wildlife officer.
Stan Hawes said warm winters in recent years have contributed to a sharp rise in deer numbers, leading to collisions and close calls with motorists.
“We’ve received a tremendous amount of calls on it,” Hawes said, although he didn’t have specific numbers. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in road kills.”
A 68-year-old Calgary man was killed Nov. 18 when the vehicle in which he was a passenger rolled in a ditch on Highway 1A after it swerved to avoid a deer. On Nov. 9, a 46-year-old Sundre woman suffered serious injuries when her car struck a deer on Highway 567.
The local deer population has been on the rise since it suffered “quite a hit” during a cold winter in 1996.
“We’ve had so many easy winters over the last couple of years it drove the deer population really high,” Hawes said. “We’re also seeing an increase of traffic on the roads and the RCMP will tell you there’s still a problem with excessive speeding.”
Cochrane RCMP Sgt. Mike McTaggart said it isn’t unusual to have increased incidents with deer this time of year and drivers should be more vigilant.
“If you see one animal you have to assume there’ll be more,” McTaggart said.
According to Hawes, deer have become more active this month because it is breeding season.
He added most deer feed at dawn and at dusk, making driving during those periods the most perilous.
RSS SUBSCRIBE