Free trail building clinic at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Government of Alberta press release

Join provincial parks staff and the International Mountain Bike Association Canada for a free trail building clinic for all trail users at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, near Medicine Hat.

Alberta and Canada sign new 20-year contract for RCMP as provincial police service

• Alberta is first among provinces and territories to sign

The governments of Alberta and Canada agreed to a new 20-year contract that will see the RCMP continue as Alberta’s provincial police force to March 31, 2032.

Operation Jubilee: Remembering Dieppe

Photo courtesy Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Chris Davis

A dark and deadly day in Canadian history happened 69 years ago, August 19, 1942, with the second-world-war raid on well-entrenched German forces at Dieppe, France.  4,963 Canadians embarked from England for the operation, code-named "Jubilee", and only 2,210 returned.  Many of these were wounded.  Lessons learned at Dieppe were invaluable in the later D-Day offensive, which turned the tide of that terrible war.

Pincher Creek Pro Rodeo Team Roping results

Chris Davis

The Pincher Creek Pro Rodeo got off to a fast start yesterday, August 18 with Team Roping. 114 entrants competed for a total of $6840.64 in prizes. The team of Header Mace Prozak and Heeler Colter McDonald took first place in the competition with a time of 18.75/3, taking home $909.84 each. Header Clint Weston and Heeler Cam McDonald placed second, with a time of 20.73/3. Chance Paradis and Colter McDonald took third place with a time of 22.28/3.

Steers were supplied by Troy Houff.

Stay tuned, we will have photos and more information from this and other Pro Rodeo events over the course of the weekend.

Local Dog Club Members do well in the U.S.

Judge Richard J. Lewis,Sharlot Caroe, Easy Ryder, Mary Ellen Whyte, Tess

Chris Davis

Pincher Creek's own Mary Ellen Whyte with her German Shorthaired Pointer "Tessa" and teammate Sharlet Caroe with Snowy Creek's Easy Ryder traveled to Great Falls/Missoula, Montana for the Electric City Kennel Club Dog Show this summer. Tessa won Highest in Class all three times in Rally Novice B competition, to obtain her US Rally Novice title three time straight. The duo moved up to Rally Advanced B, tied for 4th place, and then took High in Class the last day with 95/100.

Romi Mayes and Jay Nowicki rip it up at the Twin Butte General Store

Jay Nowicki and Romi Mayes
C. Davis photos

Chris Davis

Romi Mayes and Jay Nowicki brought their rollicking rock and rhythm show to the Twin Butte General Store and Restaurant on Tuesday, August 17.  Two electric guitars, one electrifying voice, a big bucket full of original gutsy songs, and an acerbic sense of humor made for a phenomenal show in the intimate space, before a small and enthusiastic crowd.

One more week for beach volleyball

Kaitlyn MacMillan photos

Beach Volleyball at Juan Teran Park has proven itself to be a fun summer diversion this year.  Spearheaded by Kaitlyn MacMillan with the Town Recreation office, the most successful outing so far had 26 people in attendance.  Tuesday, August 23 at 7 pm is the final day to play. Come on down to Juan Teran park and give the summer a proper farewell. There will be prizes and fun to spike your interest.


A reminder: don't forget the Street Dance planned for this weekend, on Saturday, August 20. Come down to the intersection by 7-11 from 7 pm to 9 pm. There will be a DJ spinning music, face painting, multiple games, balloon animals as well as prizes and much more. It promises to be a great free event to take your family to during the busy Rodeo Weekend.
Food bank donations will also be accepted during this fun-filled event.

Coleman's Rick Rypien found dead

Rick Rypien was found dead on Monday afternoon, August 15 in his Coleman home by a family member.

Restorations continue at museum

C. Davis photo

Chris Davis

The spirit of renewal continues unabated at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek.  The latest structure to get some much needed attention is the front administration building, Pioneer Place.  New steel roofing was installed this summer by JB Construction, and Twin Butte Log Homes is now in the process of stripping and refinishing the exterior of the structure, which is constructed of large logs.  It's a big task, but quite necessary as the extreme weather we face here has weathered the building quite a bit in the ten years since it was first constructed.

Local Mini-Bike collection displayed

C. Davis photos

Chris Davis

Pincher Creek residents Dave Fouillard and son Riley have an extensive collection of mini-bikes, some going back to the mid-1960's. The bikes are found via the internet or good luck and then lovingly restored in their home shop. Dave brought 30 of them out for a good look today, and said there were another 10 in various stages of restoration not shown here. "I buy them and keep them. Riley buys them and sells them," he said. Apparently Riley has made a tidy profit in this manner over the last few years. It's a beautiful collection, and a testament to hours of painstaking labour.

AUC to hold transmission line hearing in Pincher Creek

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Chris Davis photo

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) will be holding a public hearing regarding power transmission lines proposed for our area.  The hearing will be held at the Heritage Inn,  Pincher Creek, August 23 - 25, starting at 9 am each day.  This hearing has been scheduled for three full days, but may not take all three days allotted.
Local individuals, the Alberta Electric System Operator  (AESO),  AltaLink, and  The Livingstone Landowners Group are all expected to present at this hearing.

Visit www.auc.cab.ca for more information about the hearing.
Visit www.livingstonelandowners.net for more information about local opposition to some of the projected routes this project may take.

Car enthusiasts converge on Twin Butte

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

C. Davis photos

The Twin Butte General Store and Mexican Restaurant held their first annual "Rumble in the Butte" on Saturday, August 13. Classic-car and motorcycle enthusiasts gathered to show off their vehicles and enjoy some barbeque. The Sicka Surfin' Band, a country/surf combo, provided the live music for the event. The weather was spectacular, sunny and hot. Turnout was better than expected, with the event bringing in curious passers-by in addition to those who planned on attending. Over 30 classic cars, many belonging to Creek Cruzers members, sat gleaming in the sun. Vintage cars loving restored shared the parking lot with imaginative reinventions, with some shiny new toys on display as well, including a Ferrari that stopped in on a whim.

Blue-green algae and botulism threaten waterfowl on Alberta lakes

Government of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development information bulletin

Blue-green algae blooms and avian botulism in lakes across the province may lead to higher-than-normal bird mortalities. These outbreaks are naturally occurring summer events in many Alberta ecosystems.

Briefly

Toni Lucas photo

Personalizing your own "Wacky Watering Can" is just one of the crafts that you will be able to do during Alberta Arts Days, being held across the province September 30 - October 2.  The Oldman River Rose Society will be at the Lebel Mansion with speakers, crafts for the kids, displays, photos, and informed people on site to answer any questions that you may have about roses.

Severe thunderstorms, often accompanied by hail continued
 to batter the Pincher Creek area this week.
Chris Davis photo

Toni Lucas photo

Anyone need a lift?  Matthew Halton High School is having work done on the roof, with supplies being moved up by crane on Thursday, August 11.

Chris Davis photo

Friends Kay Wolfe, Ada Buttle Hegion, Mary Cichon and  Mollie Dean were visiting the area from Minnesota last week. Ada, a former resident of Beaver Mines, was being treated to a memory filled-vacation by her friends.

Crestview Lodge packs 'em in for 50th anniversary

Chris Davis

Crestview Lodge was the site of an exhuberant 50th Anniversary celebration yesterday, August 11, 2011. Built in 1960 on the Hyde Street hill and opened in 1961, Crestview consistently gets very high approval ratings from residents and their kin. In 2007 it was ranked the happiest senior facility in the province, with the most involved residents. That kind of spirit was very evident at this event.

Piercing shop in Coleman shut down, customers urged to get tested for contagious diseases

Health Alert

The Victor Proctor piercing operation in Coleman did not properly sterilize its equipment, and has been closed down by Health officials. Anyone who received a piercing there may have been infected with the viruses that cause hepatitis B and C or Aids. If you were a customer there, please see a doctor and get tested. If you know someone who was a customer there, please tell them.

Hail again

Toni Lucas photo

Pincher Creek experienced a brief hail shower around 5:30 pm today. A homeowner on the west side of town reported no hail fell there.  Environment Canada issued a thunderstorm warning earlier in the day.  Today's storm was much milder than most of the other hail showers we've experienced this summer.  Keep an eye on our weather widget in the left column for current weather alerts.

Locals involved in highway tragedy

Pincher Creek residents Gordon and Lillian Casey were involved in a traffic accident on Highway 3 west of Sparwood on Friday, August 5, 2011. Gordon was killed and Lillian is in a Calgary hospital with multiple injuries, but is expected to recover.

Blackfoot Arts and Heritage Festival attracts 300 visitors to Waterton Park

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Shelly Mercer, Parks Canada, photo

The Blackfoot Arts and Heritage Festival was held at Waterton Lakes National Park August 2 - 4 at the Waterton School community field.

Artist Lance Tail Feathers and Cultural Society Executive Director Mary Ann Crow Healy welcomed over 300 people who came to participate, learn, and enjoy at this first-time event.  With over 70 dancers and three drum groups representing the Blackfoot Nation, this was a spectacular festival.  Dancers came from the Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, Cree, Nakoda Sioux (Stoney), Coeur D'alene, Oglala Sioux, Spokane, Arikara, and Tsimshian tribes, participating in either the youth or adult exhibition dancing, showing their skills to an appreciative audience.

Highway 22 crash leaves one person dead, five others injured

Fatal collision at junction of Highways 22 and 533
Dame Debbie Webster photo

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Nanton and Foothills Emergency Services and Nanton RCMP were called to the scene of a  collision just before noon yesterday, Friday, August 5. A GMC truck pulling a fifth-wheel trailer southbound on Highway 22 and a westbound Subaru car on Highway 533 collided, resulting in one man being pronounced dead on the scene. Reports indicate he was a passenger in the car. A family of four, reportedly from Okotoks, was in the truck. One adult female, a passenger in the truck, was transported by STARS air ambulance to a Calgary hospital with serious injuries. The other occupant of the car and three other occupants of the truck, including two children, were transported via ground ambulance.

Beach Volleyball a big success after slow beginnings

Chris Davis photos

The weekly beach volleyball game at Juan Teran Park saw a dramatic increase in attendance last Tuesday evening, with over 20 people showing up, enough for three teams.
Kudos to Kaitlyn MacMillan of the Pincher Creek Recreation Department for setting it up and persevering even though attendance numbers were initially disappointing.

 Everyone is welcome, Tuesday evenings all summer, Juan Teran Park at 7 p.m.

Local rancher Emily Puch does well in National Junior Angus Showdown

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Emily Puch and her prize-winning heifer "Red"

Emily Puch, of the Porcupine Hills northwest of Pincher Creek, entered two yearling heifers in the National Junior Angus Showdown in Weyburn Saskatchewan, held July 21 - 23. The heifers, Lucy and Red, did well in the competition, with Lucy winning Reserve Commercial Female.  Both animals will be shown again at the Alberta Junior Angus Show in Bashaw, Alberta, August 7 - 9.

Piikani 2011 Celebration and Rodeo

Chief Gayle Strikes With A Gun
Chris Davis photo

The Piikani Nation held their 54th Annual Celebration last weekend in Brocket.  The well-attended event was graced with blue skies and hot weather, with the mercury pushing 30 degrees in the daytime.  Under the big tent, drum and dance competitions entertained a capacity crowd. First-nations cowboys vied for fame and prizes in the IRCA-sanctioned rodeo. Chief Gayle Strikes With A Gun recieved a ceremonial head-dress of traditional design, honouring her leadership of the community.  "I feel just wonderful," she said, after the ceremony. "I cannot find the words to express the way I feel.  Listening to the elders as they told their stories, the dances, the ceremony, it's our way of life.  It's imperative we preserve it."

24th Annual Heritage Acres Show a rousing success

Chris Davis

The Heritage Acres 24th Annual show held last weekend was blessed with great weather and a huge turnout. Partnering for the first time with the International Harvester Collectors Club (IHCC) Chapter 38, the event was jam packed with antique farm equipment from IHCC's extensive collective collection, most of which has not been seen here before, coupled of course with Heritage Acre's own large collection of farm equipment, machinery, and vehicles. Around 200 IHCC member participated.

Local music sensations the Silver Saddles kicked the event off in style on the evening of Friday, July 29 with their blend of classic country songs.

MC Bob Westrop

Throughout the event, local MC extraordinaire Bob Westrop kept up an amplified running patter from behind the wheel of a pickup truck, explaining the various happenings and items of interest for the crowd.

News briefs July 25 - 31, 2011

Pincher Creek's own Tyrell Peters, 16 years old, has been participating in high school rodeos for about a year and a half.  "I love the rush, and meet so many people," he explained.  Tyrell recently won first place in cowriding in the Nanton Nites Rodeo on July 21st, 2011. Congratulations, Tyler, and good luck in your next competition on Monday,  August 1 (today) in Nanton, AB.

Chad and Kaylah Reimer
Chris Davis photo

Chad and Kaylah Reimer were helping their mom sell lemonade and goodies at last week's Pioneer Market at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village.  The market is held every Friday from 11 am until 2 pm.  Visit www.pioneermarket.org for more information.

British Soccer Camp
Chris Davis photo

The field behind the Pincher Creek pool was the site of the Challenger Sports British Soccer Camp, held from July 25 to 29.  Participation was open to kids between 3 and 16 years old.

Sheri Monk photo

EMS and RCMP attended an emergency situation in front of the Alberta Treasury Branch on Main Street on Friday night, July 29, around 8:15 pm. 

Traffic circle detour creates driver angst in Pincher Creek
Chris Davis photo

Sundown on highway 6, between Pincher Creek and Twin Butte
Chris Davis photo