In the years when men risked their lives daily to eke out a living from the coal in the valley, 210 men perished in the mines.
    Now every year the Drumhellercommunity honours them.
    The annual Miners Memorial ceremonies are coming up on Sunday, May 20.
    Jay Russell of the Atlas Coal Mine says this year they are approaching the celebration a little bit differently than last year.
    This year there will be no march. Rather the Memorial will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday morning at the Miners Memorial Park beside Drumheller Town Hall on Centre Street.
    Russell says there will be some guest speakers, music provided by Marie Anderson Russell and the reciting of the 210 names of the miners who died in the Valley’s mines.
 Following the ceremony, there will be a reception at the Atlas Coal Mine. There is a full slate of activities planned including pony rides, kids games, and light refreshments.  
    At 2 p.m., there will be a special screening of the short feature “In My Bones” at the East Coulee School Museum. The film by Dennis Envoldsen debuted at the Miners Memorial a couple of years ago, and Russell says it is back by popular demand. The Valley and its miners are featured heavily in the short film.

    The Town of Drumheller has an ambitious slate of road work projects this season.
    Director of Infrastructure Services, Armia Mikhaiel, charted out the work that is to be done on Drumheller roads this spring and summer, and the list is extensive.
    One major project will be an overlay on 2nd Avenue between Centre Street and  2nd Street West. This stretch has seen much more traffic in recent years, as it is the first entry into downtown Drumheller heading south off the  Gordon Taylor Bridge.
    Residents on Hunts  Drive will also see some work this year. In previous years the town completed the west part of the road.
    “This year we are doing the south-east portion,” he said.
    This project is paving Hunts Drive from 11th Ave SW to a lane crossing on Hunts Crescent. This will leave the center portion of Hunts Crescent to be completed. Mikhaiel explains the centre portion will be completed next year. This is because of drainage issues, as the middle section has weeping tile that needs to be connected.
    “So it will have to be done last to make sure it is connected and draining properly,” he said.
    The town will also be doing some extensive sidewalk repairs. One section that is badly needed is along South Railway Avenue north of the Quality Inn Hotel.
    He is also aware of some of the province’s projects including the milling and overlay from north of Gordon Taylor Bridge, to near Fountain Tire. This will be an overlay in the driving lanes and median construction.
    There will also be repairs on Highway 9 to the asphalt and median in front of Westergard Motors and Subway.
    “This portion was recently done, so they are just doing a repair,” he said.
    The province will also be undertaking the replacement of a culvert on South Railway Avenue near the PetroCanada Petro Pass this season.
     Mikhaiel says in the long run, he believes residents will appreciate the work. In the short term, he asks for patience.
    “Please obey the traffic controls and follow the signs. The Town will be publishing the construction details and the areas that will be closed or detoured, so follow up with the  Town’s website,” he said.
     Costs for the project will not be realized until the Town receives tenders for the projects.

A motorcycle carrying two passengers headed southbound on the Gordon Taylor Bridge slid into the barricade on Saturday, May 19. RCMP, Drumheller Fire Department and EMS are currently on scene to assess the situation.

More information will be made available as it comes in.

Drumheller Valley Secondary School is one of 10 Alberta schools to receive hand tool and equipment grants to enhance its CTS programs.
DEWALT and Stanley Tools have partnered with Skills Canada and Skills Canada Alberta to gift ten Alberta high schools with a collection hand and power tools that will be used at the Provincial Skills Canada Competition and Skills Canada National Competition. Each school will receive packages of tools and equipment valued at approximately $12,000.
DVSS was a recipient of the national grant.
The Stanley and DEWALT Tool Enhancement Grant will allow students to gain more in-depth CTS Program experience by learning specialized skills and techniques. Adding the new equipment ensures that schools have the tools and resources they need to help students make the link between the classroom and a career in trades and technology.  
DEWALT and Stanley Tools are the official hand and power tool sponsors for the 2018 Provincial Skills Canada Competition, providing tools to Skills Canada Alberta that will be used in 17 of the 45 competition areas.

"Lock up your stuff!"
That's the best way to protect your belongings and personal property from theft, according to Drumheller RCMP Constable Eric Doucette, following a rash of vehicle thefts early Monday morning.

Drumheller RCMP are investigating four vehicle thefts on May 21 on 1st Street south west. All but one vehicle has been recovered

Doucette tells The Mail that between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. a Dodge Durango was stolen, and then abandoned a short distance away. The culprits returned and took a second vehicle, an F250, from the same home. This vehicle was recovered at a traffic stop in Calgary at about 11 a.m. Three females in the truck were arrested.

About a block away from the above theft, a 2018 GMC was taken. Doucette said the owner discovered the truck missing at about 9 a.m., and while He was on scene, they were able to track the vehicle using OnStar. It was located driving down Deerfoot Trail in Calgary.  He explains that OnStar is able to disable a vehicle but only when police are in the vicinity to ensure safety. By the time Calgary Police had caught up with the truck it had been ditched, and there were no suspects.

A fourth truck that has not been located is a 2007 Chevrolet pick up with a slip tank.

During the same timeframe, a couple of vehicles on the street were rummaged through, and small items were taken. Police have surveillance video of two male suspects.

A vehicle recovered on Monday near the scene, was reported stolen from Calgary.

“The vehicles that were gone through were unlocked and the vehicles that were stolen were all stolen using the keys,” said Doucette.

He says RCMP reminds property owners to secure their property by locking their homes, sheds, and vehicles.

“These are crimes of opportunity. If people secured their property properly, it would deter much of this crime,” said Doucette. “For the most part, you are not going to be the target of this type of crime if you lock your stuff.”

    The Royal Tyrrell Museum has lent a hand to Janaya Chekowsky-McKenzie who is an eight-year-old child battling a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
    The prestigious museum offered a VIP guided tour and a VIP meet and greet with Dr. Locke and his trusty dinosaur on Tuesday, May 22, to help the young girl cross off bucket list items.
    Janaya was sworn in as Mayor for a Day at the Drumheller Committee of the Whole meeting. She was also assisted by two Drumheller Fire Department Firemen who carried her up the World’s Largest Dinosaur to add to her special day.
    “I already know she’s excited, she loves the pool,” said mother Amanda Chekowski. “We are going to see some dinosaurs. It’s a memory for the rest of the family too because half of the people that are here haven’t been here before so it’s going to be a memory that all of us will really cherish and appreciate. We can’t thank everybody enough for everything.”
    The young girl has about a 50 per cent chance of living for another year so once word had spread about her condition, the Drumheller community stepped in to help her with her wishes.
    Calgary Radio Station CJAY 92 initially learned of her story and shared it which set off a chain of events that will help make her wish come true.
    Her story has been shared locally through social media, and many community groups and businesses have shown support for Janaya’s wish.
    “It all started with a bucket list and then it turned into a lot of generous people who wanted to help,” said Chekowski.
    “I don’t know if there are really words for it, Everybody has been so amazing and whether it’s from Edmonton or Calgary or Drumheller or Beaumont, I’m speechless. It’s more than words could say.”

    The Mayor of Carbon Guss Nash has resigned from his position.
    The former mayor was at the helm for nearly 20 years before abruptly quitting due to a ‘toxic environment’.
    This comes after a tumultuous few months. In less than a year the village has seen a turnover of a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and an Interim CAO. Shortly after the October general election, Clark Garret stepped down, and then longtime Councillor Keith Bramley resigned.
    The village also saw the suspension of its fire service for about a week in January.
    “I was getting in such a negative, toxic environment,” began Nash. “I don’t need that. I put 19 and a half years into it and I always look at the positive side, not the negative. We have accomplished a lot in 19 and a half years, all of them have been for the village.”
 Michelle Lomond and Thomas Laffin have put their names forward in a by-election to replace Keith Bramley Carbon residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 5.
    Nomination Day for the Mayor’s seat will take place on Thursday, July 12 with voting to follow on Thursday, August 9.
    “I’ll still be apart of it, I’ll still be there for my community. It’s a great place to live,”  he said.
    Nash is leaving his position at the village in a good financial position.
    “We have just finished our audit and the auditor says “You are one of the few that we audit that is in great financial shape” so there is a lot of positives,” said Nash.
    One of his biggest accomplishments goes to amending a road ban regarding the use of Highway 836 that runs through Carbon. The amendment allows large semis to haul goods within village limits.
    Nash is not sure of what the future has in store.
    “I don’t have to work so I don’t know,” laughed Nash. “I’m still on the board of directors for Nathan Cooper and the United Conservative Party and Martin Shields for the Conservative Party of Canada and also I sit on the Royal Tyrrell Museum Cooperating Society board so I’ve got things to do.”

    The race is on to be Canada’s Most Rider Friendly Community.
 Drumheller is a finalist in the national contest where Canadians vote for the most rider friendly community, Drumheller is going head-to-head with Lloydminster.
     Linda Buchamer of Top Rocker has been at the forefront of the campaign, and she explains the format of the contest has changed a bit since it began about three months ago. Because of the tragedy facing Humboldt and the recent flooding in the Maritimes, rather than pitting the east versus west, they are staging a showdown between the two top vote-getting communities.
    In this case, it is Drumheller versus Lloydminster.
    “We already beat Lloydminster,” Buchamer tells The Mail. “But suddenly Lloydminster is now playing because they are close to winning.”
    Voting in the final round began on May 17 and closes on June 2, and Buchamer says it is a real race. In fact, it is neck-and-neck. Virtually every day the lead is changing. Lloydminster has a strong motorcycle community and population-wise, they have the edge.
    This is why Buchamer says it is important that Drumheller launch a consistent effort.
    “They have 30,000 people and we have 8,000, but we certainly don’t have 8,000 people voting,” said Buchamer. “We need to motivate. If we got 10 per cent of the people here engaged we could double their votes.”
    She says it is important for the town to surge and get a strong lead, and then work on maintaining it.
    The top prize of the contest is $35,000 in marketing for the valley.
    ‘It would be good exposure for all of Drumheller,” said Buchamer.
    To vote go to www.riderfriendlycointest.ca and register. You can vote once a day until June 2.

Photos courtesy of Christine Wolf

Emergency services were on scene of a structure fire this morning at the Starland County offices in Morrin. The initial reports came in at about 4:30 a.m. it appears there was smoke but no flames visible. The Mail will provide updates as they become available.

Update: The Morrin, Munson, Rumsey and Drumheller Fire Departments are actively battling a blaze at the Starland County Office this morning, Friday, May 25.

The fire was called in at about 4:30 a.m.

Starland Reeve and Munson Fire Chief, Steve Wannstrom, says firefighters are still actively fighting the fire. About half of the building is damaged by fire while the rest has extensive smoke damage. Reports are that the backside of the building has caved in.

EMS and RCMP are on standby monitoring the situation.

There is no indication of the cause of the fire at this time.

Starland County CAO, Shirley Bremer, says County staff will meet this afternoon to discuss moving forward following a fire that has destroyed the County’s office this morning.
Bremer was awakened up by a call from the fire department and when she arrived on scene, saw smoke billowing from the building. Firefighters are still actively engaged in battling the blaze in Morrin, which has a spread all the way through the roof.
She said along with area fire departments, the County has engaged its tanker trucks and equipment. As well, private trucks are helping to bring water. The local Hutterite colonies are also pitching in. She said Morrin’s water supply is running low and asks residents to conserve water today.
“For the County residents, we are going to regroup this afternoon and try to get a plan going on how we will proceed from this. Of course, none of us have ever been involved in a situation like this, but we are going to regroup,” she told The Mail Friday morning.
She adds that crucial records are safe and backed up on a secure cloud server. On a lighter note, she says tax notice might be a little late.
Bremer has been with the County for 35 years.
“It is awful, I am very proud of the place I work and this is really tough, and I know it is on other people too. We will pull together as a group and we’ll figure it out,” she said.

As you are probably aware a fire in the Starland County Administration Office early Friday morning, May 25, has resulted in what is expected to be a total loss of

the building.
First of all, we want to thank all of the responders who arrived at the scene to give aid and support to all of the fire departments from Starland County and Drumheller, who fought so valiantly to save the building. Your efforts show us once again, how important it is to be a part of such a giving community.
We used Starland County equipment to bring down portions of the building that contained hotspots, and are now awaiting fire investigators, and our own insurance provider to complete their investigations.
It important for our residents to know that Starland staff at all levels are working to restore and maintain County operations as quickly as possible. We are currently looking at several options for temporary and suitable office space for administration staff, and thanks to all who have offered solutions. We have also received confirmation from our information technology providers that they are able to restore service within a few days of finding the proper office space.

All cell phone numbers for all staff are still in effect. The only number NOT in service is the main number you have always used. (403 772-3793). A new county number will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
All emergency numbers appearing on the website are still in effect.
Some financial transactions may be interrupted during the course of the transition and we ask for your patience.
Normal water utility services are continuing uninterrupted.
Telephone numbers at the Starland Public Works Offices are working and our staff will answer any questions residents may have.
Please use cell phone numbers until further notice.

Thank you to all for the assistance you have provided in any form.
Reeve and Council
Administration and Staff
Starland County

Starland County staff had a meeting at the Morrin Community Hall following a seven-hour long blaze that ultimately destroyed over half of the Starland County Office on Friday, May 25.
The fire began at approximately 5:00 a.m. where Morrin, Munson, Drumheller, and Rumsey Fire Departments were dispatched. EMS and RCMP were also at the scene.
The County has determined that another meeting will take place at the Munson Community Hall on Monday. Priorities include essential services like the fire departments, communications, and cemetery records, and the water system that is controlled by the county.
“We are still Starland County Strong,” said an emotional Shirley Bremer, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Starland County, at the beginning of the meeting.
The structure sustained tremendous smoke damage. Trackhoes and backhoes were used to lift up the roof so more water could enter to battle the blaze.
At one point, the Village of Morrin was running out of water, so neighbours of the community stepped in to offer up their tanker trucks that were fully stocked. ATB Financial and Mountain View Credit Union provided water, sandwiches, cookies, pizza, and chips for all emergency services and county staff.

Before the meeting adjourned, Bremer confirmed their plans for the near future.
“Our engineers are already on board transferring our water system into their records. We have our engineers with a lot of our records that we can collect from them so they can run our SCADA (computer infrastructure) system,” said Bremer.

Occupational Health and Safety has been notified. 19 people work out of the county office.
A few places in Drumheller and area are being considered as a place for a satellite office. The Town of Drumheller offered their newly purchased Public Works Building, and ATCO Electric offered a large wing of their new shop. Both locations are in the industrial zone of Drumheller. Stettler and Delia also offered temporary spaces for them to stay in.
Updates will be released on the Starland County Facebook Page as more information is revealed.

mailphotos by Terri Huxley

    It was standing room only in Hanna last Thursday night at the United Conservative Party Constituency Association AGM.
 Stan Solberg attended the meeting on May 24, and is now a director. He said the previous record for attendance was 80. President David Mohl said there were 313 voting members at the meeting, including a busload of interested members coming to the meeting.
      The three candidates running to represent the party in the constituency come, the next election, were given the opportunity to address the meeting. This included incumbent Rick Strankman, Nate Horner, and Todd Pawsey.  
     Mohl said there was a good cross-section from a variety of political backgrounds, from in towns and the rural communities. He notes that much of the interest came from a younger crowd.
    “The age on our board dropped immensely,” said Mohl. “I am excited, because they are young, reliable and definitely  for open nominations.”
    Mohl remained president,  Richard Bailey is Secretary and Michelle Toews is Chief Financial Officer. Mohl said 23 of the 27 members of the board are new. Local representation of the board includes Solberg, Linda Fisher, Donna Vigar, and Lyle Rowe. Vice presidents will be appointed at a regular meeting.
A local nomination committee made up of Doug Jones, chair, Michelle Toews,  Brad Slorstad, Brad Osadczuk, James Marshall, was appointed.
    Mohl says the rules of the nomination process are set by the party, and he believes it will be a level playing field.
    “When I came, all I said was ‘I don’t care if our MLA is running again, there is going to be open nominations. With a new party formed out of two parties … anybody should be able to run,” he said.
    He said the local nomination committee sets the time frame, and encourages people to run. They will also look at things such as forums and polling stations.
    “The party does all the vetting and the approvals. Once the nominations closes, if there is more than one candidate, they determine to run an election,” he said.  
    Mohl said the committee will be meeting in the near future to nail down the nomination details.

The Drumheller Fire Departments were busy again last night, Friday, May 25, as they battled a blaze in East Coulee. The historic Bethel United Church in East Coulee caught fire. Firefighters responded to the blaze on 2nd Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. and they were able to quickly douse the fire. Kimberly Augart shared her photos with the Mail.

Congratulations to the DVSS Class of 2018. On a beautiful May morning, 93 students received their High School Diplomas at the Badlands Community Facility, marking the completion of 12 years of hard work. Special guests included Golden Hills School Division Trustee Justin Bolin, Mayor Heather Colberg, MLA Rick Strankman and MP Kevin Sorenson. Olivia Candy was the valedictorian. The celebrations continue this evening.

    Nothing tastes better than a 4-H raised steak, and one of the best chances to get one is this Sunday at the Hussar Arena.
The annual Hussar 4-H Show and Sale is this Sunday, May 27. There will be 49 4-H raised cattle on the block, plus a charity calf.
    Sale Association President Janet Yule says the Hussar 4-H Beef Club has been growing in numbers and strength. A few years ago it amalgamated with Gleichen and Cluny clubs. Now it has memberships from all over.
    “We have members from Gem to Carbon,” said Yule “It has been a long-standing club. We have kept the same mandate and have grown steadily.”
    She adds there are many strong families who help to keep the club strong.
    She says this year they are wanting to make it an enjoyable day for the membership and the buyers. The show starts at 10 a.m. and the auction will start immediately after the awards are presented. For buyers who aren’t able to make the entire show, she suggests they are at the Hussar Arena by 2-2:30 p.m. to be sure not to miss the auction.
    Darren Rebalkin is back in the auctioneer’s seat and will work to make sure top dollar is bid.
    After the sale, Yule said participants and buyers are invited to attend a roast beef dinner. Buyers and a guest will be provided for, and others can enjoy the meal and buy tickets at the door.

    Morrin School has seen provincial attention after a video released last week on the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) Facebook page.
    The video, which was filmed in December, shows how the Morrin School Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) Chapter made hand drawn liquor bags which were distributed to local stores in Drumheller to share the dangers of drinking and driving.
    “They really wanted to highlight the whole process because a lot of people don’t understand there is the contest involved with it so the bags they are getting in the liquor stores aren’t necessarily the ones that are being entered into this contest,” said Reach Wellness Worker and SADD Chapter advisor Katie Suntjens.
    Featured in the video are Suntjens, Grade 12 students Mesha Olson and Vannessa Richmond, and Grade 4 student Reid Macfarlane.
    “When I showed the video to Mesha and Vannessa, they were really impressed and shocked at how good of quality the video was because they themselves weren’t sure what it was actually going to turn into,” she said.
    Morrin holds the largest SADD Chapter in the province. Suntjens credits the strength of the program to continuous interaction between younger and older students.
    “We always ask “Oh, do you know who these kids are?” and they are like “Oh yeah, that’s so and so, she rides on my bus. I’m like “Okay but do you know what group they are in the school?” and they all know they are in the SADD Chapter. By the time those kids get into Grade 7 and they are able to join SADD, they already have that foundation about what types of activities they are going to be doing. That’s what has helped make our chapter a little bit more sustainable.”
    The school community wasn’t sure what they were getting into in the beginning.
    “They wanted a school that they knew was active in the campaign and SADD has a tendency to contact our group because they know we are really active. Of course we jumped on it and in December they came out twice. They filmed the interviews and the decorating part where we were in the classrooms doing the workshops with the elementary students,” said Suntjens.
                The no drinking and driving campaign began roughly 10 years ago where it annually begins in September and ends in May.
    “This year we produced a video to capture the spirit and heartfelt energy and to share with Albertans the magic of the SADD One Million Liquor Bags program,” The AGLC Facebook post attached to the video read.
    Grade 11 student Portia Miller of W.R. Myers High School in Taber won the overall contest where her bag design has been printed 1 million times and distributed across Alberta starting this past May long weekend.
    “I think that this campaign specifically is so important because it involves so many different age groups so it isn’t necessarily the ones who are driving, it’s going to filter out to the ones that are purchasing the alcohol in a store and it’s also connecting to the younger ones who are decorating the bags. It’s more of a visual reminder not to drink and drive. A lot of the stuff that is out there is very much just messaging focused so they don’t really have that image to connect everything.
    On the bags, it tells you what school the bag was decorated in.
    “So when they see that they might think about people and kids who they know in that school so then it impacts them a little bit more.”

On Sunday afternoon the Rosedale Fire Department and the Drumheller Fire Department responded to an apparent grass fire on Hwy 10 in a resident’s yard on the North side of Cambria.

The East Coulee Fire Department used their water truck due to the remote location. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

    Todd Pawsey of Paintearth County has decided to put his name forward in the upcoming United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership position nomination for the Drumheller-Stettler riding.
    The 50-year-old single father of two was born and raised on a grain farm south of Edgerton. He has over 26 years experience of working and serving rural communities in the community services department of two municipalities.
    Pawsey put his name into Elections Alberta the first weekend in May after pondering his choices for roughly six months.
    “We were hearing a lot about how our area could be better represented and I’ve worked 26 years in rural county government. A lot of my work is an overlap of what a representative for the area does so I put my name forth because I think I have a lot to offer,” said Pawsey. “I’m an empty nester with lots of time, passion, commitment, and experience to be a good voice for our riding.”
    The candidate worked for the MD of Bonnyville for 16 years as the Community Services Director before moving to the County of Paintearth for a position as the Community Services Development Officer for 10 years.
    “So basically I’m dealing with all things of life in rural Alberta and local governance levels dealing with counties, towns, and villages,” he said.         “I’ve got a wide breadth of experience with various different provincial government departments to see how they impact our resident's lives, businesses, and various facets. That’s why I think I have a lot to offer.”
    Pawsey wishes to see more representation within the constituency which will reflect the needs of the area in Alberta’s capital.
    “We need to have an MLA that is in touch with the community. From what I hear is that not so much has changed in the government but also hasn’t changed in representation so we need to make sure the person we send into Edmonton just doesn’t disappear for four years and represent Edmonton back to us,” said Pawsey.
    Nomination Day is Saturday, June 23. Only members of the party are allowed to vote for who they think best fits the bill so all three candidates including Nate Horner and Rick Strankman are trying to sell as many memberships as they can.
    “Our time crunch to sell memberships to support our candidacy is limited down to about June 1. After June 1, only party members can vote and that’s why it’s critical to reach out now,” he said.