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Conditions at
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Springbrook Alberta, Red Deer Airport, Waskasoo Creek Watershed, Gasoline Alley |
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 Publisher of  and webmaster for the following Red Deer County Recreation & Culture Boards: Division 3 Division 2 Division 1 Place your ad on this page or any page on this site for as little as $3.50 per month phone 403-886-2640 or email: paul@springbrookwaskasoo.com Rates * * * Archived News November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 August 10 Storm July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 |
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About
15 Springbrook residents attended the Springbrook Community Centre
Feasibility Study open house held yesterday at the current Springbrook
Community Centre to see the draft recommendations for a new facility.
Based on feedback from a community survey done last summer and
consultations with various stakeholders including the Community
Association, the consultants suggested a facility of 12,000 sq. ft.
which would cost around $3.5 million to build and $92,000 per year to
operate. 
Amenities
would include a banquet capability of more than 200 people, kitchen
area, indoor/outdoor washrooms, fitness/wellness area, storage space and
program rooms. The current leased facility has about 3,000 sq. ft. of
usable floor space plus a stage, small kitchen area, upstairs storage
and access to common indoor washrooms. A new site could also include
several outdoor amenities such as playground, picnic area, skateboard
park, sports fields, connections to trails and outdoor rink. The
draft plan recommends a stronger community association, partnering with
other organizations, and a greater population before such a facility is
built. 
There is also an expectation that most of the fundraising would
be done by the community itself. Prior to the open house, Red Deer
County representatives, including Mayor Jim Wood and Councillor Penny
Archibald, and members of the consultant team met with the Community
Association board of directors who expressed a desire to proceed,
perhaps with an expandable smaller facility, sooner rather than later.
Once the feedback of the draft plan is tabulated, the final version of
the plan will go to Red Deer County Council likely in March. Springbrook
and area residents can view the presentation and either download or fill
out online a feedback survey of the plan before February 15 at 
Between
75 and 100 people attended the Mintlaw Bridge Access and Preservation
Strategy open house held yesterday at the Red Deer County Centre to see
the draft recommendations for the historic landmark. Based on feedback
from landowners and several stakeholders including Central Alberta
Regional Trails Society, Alberta TrailNet, Forth Junction Heritage
Society, Central Alberta Historical Society, Waskasoo Park, City of Red
Deer, Town of Sylvan Lake and others, the consultants presented four
options from leaving the bridge as is to using the bridge as part of a
regional trail network. 
All options assumed preservation of the
structure and that, long term, the bridge would have public access from
both sides as envisioned by the county's Open Spaces Master Plan adopted
two years ago. Other
options included a viewpoint on the east side of the bridge but no
access onto the bridge and access onto the bridge but only from the east
side. The status quo option (no access to or onto the bridge) would cost
about $40,000 per year to maintain. The option of full public access to
and onto the bridge from both sides and part of a regional trail system
is estimated to cost between $2.7 and $3.2 million in one-time capital
costs and about $225,000 per year to operate and maintain. The other two
options would be somewhere in between. All
nine stakeholder groups that provided input supported pedestrian and
bicycle access from both sides, that the bridge be part of a regional
trail corridor and that the bridge be enhanced with an interpretive
area. Of the 38 adjoining landowners providing input, 37% supported
public access onto the bridge, 29% were unsure and 34% were opposed to
public access onto the bridge. Prior
to the open house, County representatives and consultants met with a
large number of adjoining landowners to outline the draft strategy. 
This
year marks the 100th anniversary of the structure being built by the
Alberta Central Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway. It is over 2100
feet long and 110 feet high at the Red Deer River and is the longest
railway bridge in Central Alberta still standing. 
Located just northwest
of Springbrook, it is the third longest steel trestle in Alberta --
third only to the two longest steel trestles in Canada located at Lethbridge and Fabyan. It supported its last train in 1981, was
abandoned in 1983 and purchased by Red Deer County in 2009 for $1. The
open house presentation and further feedback can be viewed online until
February 15 at
Red
Deer County has issued a conditional letter of support for a feasibility
study planned by the
Up
to 10 possible sites in various parts of the county will be examined
including county-owned land at Springbrook. The society prefers that the
chosen site be close to the existing active CPR rail line or in an area
of significant heritage value. 
Depending on the site chosen, the
park will eventually include at least two heritage centres, a family
theme park, a working 1/8 scale replication of the historic Jubilee
steam locomotive 3001 'The Chinook',
the replication of several historic railway stations of the region, a
retro bus depot, historic miniature rail museum and other features. If
close to an urban community, the park
could also include a heritage-entertainment-gathering centre, shops and
an observation tower restaurant, originally planned for the Riverlands
area of downtown Red Deer. The society is currently collecting historic
photos, documents and station building plans as well as developing self-guided regional historic
tours and preparing for the $40,000 feasibility study.
Red
Deer County and consultants RC Strategies are hosting an open house on
January 26 regarding their progress on the Springbrook Community Centre
Feasibility Study which will determine the need for a new facility in
the hamlet. Area residents and stakeholder groups have been surveyed as
well as other research activities conducted. A wide range of ideas were
offered by residents during the summer survey. The Springbrook Community
Association has been working toward a new community centre for several
years. The draft report will be available for feedback at the
currently-leased Springbrook Community Centre between 7 and 9 pm.
A
total budget of $73.7 million is projected by Red Deer County for 2012
including $35.5 million for operational expenses, close to the same as
last year and $38 million for
capital projects, compared to $26.5 million last year, most of which is
for roadwork, bridgework and drainage including $12 million carried
forward from 2011 for uncompleted road projects that were delayed
because of weather. The proposed budget is recommending a 3.5% tax
increase, described as being at the inflation rate. Total reserves
stand at $32.8 million. Adoption of the budget is set for Dec. 20.
