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 Springbrook Alberta, Red Deer Regional Airport, Waskasoo Watershed, Gasoline Alley |
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May 30, 2009 |
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 Springbrook Community Centre located in the recreation and commercial complex Community Events Room Rental excellent facility for Receptions, Weddings, Parties, Banquets, Meetings, Seminars operated by the Springbrook Community Association |
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The project manager for the proposed $90 million Plasco waste-to-energy
gasification plant in Red Deer County met with members of the Central
Waste Management Commission yesterday to assure them that the project is
still on schedule to start construction this summer and be completed
late next year. The 200-tonne-a-day plant is to be built next to the
Horn Hill Waste Transfer site east of Penhold and Highway 2. The nine
municipal members of the commission (the city of Red Deer, Red Deer
County, the towns of Innisfail, Sylvan Lake, Penhold, Bowden and
Blackfalds, and the villages of Delburne and Elnora) will provide
garbage to the plant, the first commercial venture of its kind.
The
Red Deer River Watershed Alliance presented its State of the Watershed
Report to the public yesterday. The report states that the river system,
including its sub-watersheds, is under stress as a result of
agricultural practices, oil and gas activity, shoreline development and
loss of vegetation and wetland. Of the 15 sub-watersheds, five were
given a poor rating and two were
given good grades. The remainder were in the middle, including the Waskasoo
Creek sub-watershed but lacked significant data.
Both the city of Red Deer and Red Deer County were commended for their
increasing efforts to protect the watershed but much more needs to be
done. The plan for a regional wastewater system was also lauded. The Red
Deer River watershed forms the largest sub-basin of the South
Saskatchewan River basin and is the only river in southern Alberta that
is still available for new water licenses. 
Red
Deer County council yesterday approved additional annual funding for
community facilities that includes the Springbrook Community Centre. The
maximum annual operating grants for community halls will increase to
$7,500 from $5,000 for Level A facilities under the Annual Basic
Operating Assistance Grant. The Springbrook hall is one of 10 in the
county considered a Level A facility as it is used weekly and has a
capacity of over 150 people. Ridgewood Community Hall is considered a
Level B and Antler Hill a Level C. The overall increase for all county facilities,
including arenas and cemeteries, will increase by $200,000 compared to
the $395,000 currently available. The program was initiated a few
years ago following the completion of a major review of community
services needs. In addition, the maximum available for the Rural
Community Facility Capital Assistance Grant has been increased to
$100,000 from $75,000.
Hampton Inn Project in Gasoline Alley Well Under Way
Plasco company officials are indicating that the temporary layoff of 57
engineers for 13 months will not have an impact on the schedule for
construction of the $90 million garbage gasification plant proposed to
be built at the Horn Hill Transfer Site east of Penhold. The 200-tonne-a-day plant is still set to be operational in the
summer of 2010.
Penhold
town council has passed a resolution urging the province to
consider trail construction as part of the building or rebuilding of
roads and highways. The resolution will go to the AUMA (Alberta Urban
Municipalities Association) convention this fall to vote on as an
association resolution to the province. Several other Central Alberta
municipalities have passed a similar resolution, including Red Deer, Lacombe, Ponoka, Sylvan Lake and Blackfalds. The resolution recommends a
change in policy to provide for alternative modes of transportation such
as cycling, running and walking along or across highways as a means of
connecting communities during the design process. Currently, Alberta
Transportation policy only provides for the movement of vehicles in
highway right-of-ways with very rare exceptions.
Inflationary Increase for County
Taxpayers
Perhaps
because of the exceptional weather after a long winter, a smaller than
expected group of people attended the free concert put on by the St.
Alberta Singers Guild at the Springbrook Community Centre this
afternoon. The approximately 40 singers and musicians put on an lively
and entertaining performance singing Canadian folk songs like 'Royal
Hudson', 'Four Strong Winds' and 'Hallelujah' as well as several African
songs.
