House move planned from Brocket to Fort Macleod area on Oct. 14

According to 511.alberta.ca, on Friday, October 14, 2016 a portable house will be moved from east of Brocket to north of Fort Macleod between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, on a route that includes Highway 3 and Highway 2.

Vicious assault in Lethbridge, backlash for Blood Tribe members

Chris Davis - Lethbridge Police (LP) have charged Denzel Dre Colton Bird, a 20-year-old Blood Tribe man, with attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, and break and enter after a woman was attacked and sexually assaulted while walking to work on October 7.  According to a Lethbridge Police press release "Investigation by members of the Criminal Investigation Section has determined the accused is unknown to the victim and the crime was a random act of violence."

FASD workshop held in Pincher Creek

Cst. Roberta Small Bones and FASD Facilitator Sabrina Hacker

Toni Lucas - Close to 50 people who work with people who have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) met in Pincher Creek for a workshop on Friday, September 30. FASD is fetal alcohol exposure that causes permanent brain damage. Speakers included South Alberta FASD Network Prevention Conversation Facilitator Debbie Deak, Lethbridge Police Service Cst. Roberta Small Bones who was discussing FASD Youth Justice Project, and Adult FASD Justice Program Coordinator Sabrina Hacker. September was proclaimed FASD month by the Town of Pincher Creek and a number of awareness raising measures were undertaken throughout the month, culminating in the workshop. One of the goals of the monthlong campaign was to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy.

Fatal MVC on Highway 22 north of Maycroft

Crowsnest Pass RCMP - On October 9, 2016 at approximately 11:45 am Crowsnest Pass RCMP responded to motor vehicle incident involving two vehicles on Highway 22, approximately 50 kilometres north of Maycroft, AB. The incident occurred after a northbound sedan went into the opposing traffic lane and collided with a southbound SUV. The driver and lone occupant of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and lone occupant of the SUV was airlifted by STARS.

The name of the deceased is not being released at this time, pending notification of family.

The RCMP's investigation into the accident is still ongoing.

Autumn renewal: a recollection

Joyce Sasse - I was stressed, exhausted and feeling sorry for myself. The day was overfilled with meetings and details that needed attention. In between, I had to stop by our local Park to pick up a friend.

Near the Park entrance a magnificent display of autumn splendour catapulted my thoughts from WOE to WOW! Brilliant yellow aspens were framed by green fir, red kinnikinik and a royal blue sky. My anxiety melted. Despair changed to delight.

Missing Boston Terrier

Louey is a missing Boston Terrier who ran away from a kennel in the Burmis/CNP area at approximately 5:00 pm Friday, October 7. He was seen later that evening in the Leitch Collieries area.  He's very friendly but likely very frightened.  Please call 403-627-8363 if you see him or find him.  A reward is offered.

Fatal MVC near Priddis

RCMP Alberta - On October 7, 2016 at 10:22 am Turner Valley RCMP responded to a single vehicle rollover on Highway 22 W, near Coal Mine Road, in Priddis, AB. The sedan was travelling westbound on Highway 22, when it left the road, and rolled in the North ditch. There were two occupants in the sedan. The male driver, 85 years old, was pronounced dead on scene. The 87 year old female passenger was transported via ground ambulance to a Calgary hospital in critical condition.  The RCMP will not be releasing the names of the persons involved in this collision. Police are still investigating this collision.

Carfentanil detected in two Alberta deaths

Government of Alberta - Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is alerting the public, as well as health and law-enforcement officials, that the illicit opioid carfentanil has been confirmed by the Chief Medical Examiner in two recent deaths.

“Albertans need to know that the drug carfentanil has made its way into our province and that it is an extremely dangerous and deadly opioid. The smallest trace of carfentanil can be lethal and Albertans should be aware of the life-threatening dangers in using this drug.” - Dr. Karen Grimsrud, Chief Medical Officer of Health

Airdrie RCMP warn drivers of bad road conditions due to weather

RCMP Alberta – The snow and high winds have created hazardous driving conditions on the roads and highways in areas of southern Alberta and Airdrie RCMP are asking motorists to exercise caution when they are driving, or, if they can avoid doing so, not to be driving at all on the icy roadways.

Armed robbery in Stirling, suspects charged

RCMP Alberta - On October 3, 2016 at 9:00 am an Armed Robbery occurred at the Street Side Market in Stirling, AB. A masked person entered the store and demanded cigarettes and cash money. The store clerks refused to comply with the suspects demands. The suspect then produced a pistol and again demanded cigarettes and cash. The clerks still did not comply with the demands. The masked person left the store empty handed and got in to a Teal Green Ford Taurus car with no licence plate and drove off. Approximately 1 hour later, a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle used in the Armed Robbery was observed on Hwy # 4. A traffic stop was initiated and 4 subjects were arrested. 2 adults and 1 young offender are facing numerous charges.

Alberta RCMP and Traffic Sheriffs out for impact on Thanksgiving weekend

RCMP Alberta - Alberta’s Integrated Traffic Units (ITU), made up of Sheriff and RCMP traffic officers will be out on the roads this coming Thanksgiving weekend participating in Operation Impact, a Canada-wide initiative sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police focused on detecting impaired and distracted drivers, speeders and those not wearing seatbelts. Operation Impact takes place annually on the Thanksgiving weekend because research indicates that fatal and serious injury collisions are more likely to occur on weekends, and that a sustained and highly visible law enforcement presence plays a critical role in reducing them.

Blackfalds RCMP investigate plane crash

RCMP Alberta – On October 6, 2016 at approximately 2:30 p.m., Blackfalds RCMP were dispatched to a plane crash in Blackfalds. A lone pilot operating a biplane left Lacombe Airport and was experiencing what witnesses believed to be engine trouble. The plane then crashed in a field in the town of Blackfalds. The pilot was pronounced deceased at the scene. No one else was injured. Transport Canada will be attending the site and investigating further. The name of the deceased will not be released.

Waterton Biosphere Reserve hosts 2016 Carnivore Projects Tour

Cyr property, tour goers looking at a c-can with a bear proof door

Toni Lucas - Close to 100 people attended the 2016 Large Carnivores and Communities Bus Tour, which was hosted by the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association (WBRA) on Thursday, September 22 in the MD of Pincher Creek.  The weather was rainy and overcast for the event.  The day-long tour featured 5 stops intended to underline the problems local landowners have with large carnivores and what solutions they are using to reduce conflict with the wildlife in the area.  This area has grizzly and black bears, wolves, and cougars.

Victoria Crescent home damaged by fire

C. Davis photo

Chris Davis - Pincher Creek Emergency Services (PCES) responded to a fire in the basement of a house on Victoria Crescent (near Canyon School) at approximately 2:30 am this morning.  By 4:00 am the fire was contained.  PCES Deputy Fire Chief Pat Neumann said the fire crew was on-scene for 2.5 hours. According to Neumann no one was at home when the fire broke out. The homeowner of left the house at 1:30 am and arrived back to see smoke coming from the structure.  The fire started in a basement bedroom. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but criminal intent has been ruled out at this point. The house is currently not occupiable due to a combination of fire, smoke, and water damage.

Yesterday at approximately 11:45 am PCES doused a fire in one of the MD of Pincher Creek dumpsters on Macleod Road.

PCES photo

Alberta government seeks solar farm proposals

Government of Alberta - The Alberta government is aiming to support the province’s first solar farm to help meet its green power needs. A Request for Information (RFI) to provide advice on the potential cost and best approach for procuring solar power for half of government operations will be posted today. This will explore the opportunity to use solar energy to replace two existing green energy contracts that expire by the end of 2017 with solar power, and could lead to the first solar farm in Western Canada. The total consumption for the two contracts is 135,000 megawatt hours a year.

Pincher Creek RCMP summary for Sept.26 - Oct.2, 2016

RCMP Pincher Creek - The following is an overview of the nature of the complaints that the Pincher Creek Detachment received for the period of September 26 - October 2, 2016. Note that the summary indicates what was reported to the police and may not have been substantiated.

Total calls for service - 47

Assaults – 1

Break and Enter (residential) – 1

Uttering Threats - 3

Mischief (vandalism) - 2

Theft of motor vehicle - 1

Theft under $5000 - 1

Drugs - 4

Driving complaints general) - 5

MV Collisions - 7

Liquor offences - 2

Suspicious occurrences (general) - 1

Assistance to General Public (general) - 1

Assistance to other agencies - 2

False Alarms - 3

911 calls (invalid) - 5

Animal calls - 1

Municipal Bylaws (barking dogs / noise / OHV) - 1

Prisoners held – 4

1600 year old dinner unearthed at Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

Piikani elder Conrad Little Leaf makes tobacco offering at dig site 

"I do know that it's going to be kind of fun to open it up and see what was for dinner 1600 years ago." - Royal Alberta Museum Inventory Curator Robert Dawe

C. Davis / T.Lucas - A Blackfoot roasting pit carbon dated to approximately 1600 years ago has been excavated from a site at the base of Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, to be transported to the Royal Alberta Museum's new home in Edmonton, where it will be fully excavated before becoming part of a permanent exhibit of Alberta First Nations artifacts. The pit, carefully encased in a plaster jacket to enable its extraction, is completely intact and includes a prepared meal that was left uneaten.

The artifact (which is really a number of artifacts) was hoisted from its original location on Tuesday October 4, after a ceremony that began with a prayer from Piikani elder Conrad Little Leaf which included a traditional ceremonial offering of tobacco by the small group present for the event. The prayer, conducted in the Blackfoot language, included blessings for the archaeologists and the crew responsible for moving the artifact. The dirt that was removed during the excavation was placed in several piles to enable it to be placed back in the hole in the same layers as it was removed.

Quinton CrowShoe and Conrad Little Leaf

Following Little Leaf's prayer, Head Smashed In's Marketing and Special Events Coordinator Quinton CrowShoe (“Kainaikoan”) commented about the blessings, prayers, smudging, and the ceremonial painting of those who worked on the project. "This is our ancestors', it is a sacred thing, and it really shouldn't be moved, but that decision has already been made, so we really wanted to take care of everybody who worked here, through our prayers."

The site was home to tribal gatherings by Aboriginal people of the Northern Plains for 6000 years or more, and includes a wealth of artifacts as a result, but never before has a complete roasting pit containing a complete uneaten meal been found.

Earth oven aka roasting pit illustrated

Several signs of other roasting pits could be seen around the edges of the excavation, and a small archaeological team of 3 conducted one more investigation of the hole after the roasting pit was removed before filling it in again.

Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump (estipah-skikikini-kots in Blackfoot) was designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in 1981. According to Unesco, "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is one of the oldest, most extensive, and best preserved sites that illustrate communal hunting techniques and the way of life of Plains people who, for more than five millennia, subsisted on the vast herds of bison that existed in North America." The Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre was opened in 1987. It is a significant facility, but is not a museum, and doesn't have the necessary climate controls and other criteria necessary to properly store and display artifacts of this complexity and potential fragility, according to Royal Alberta Museum Inventory Curator Robert Dawe. Dawe discovered the roasting pit in 1990 at the end of a four year excavation project adjacent to its location.

Robert Dawe and Darren Tanke

"I really didn't know what I had, at first," said Dawe. At that time they found a dog paw and the leg bones of a bison calf still in their anatomical positions. The jump area meant that the bodies were by the cliffs, and the clearing was a good place to process the food. Some of those processes included drying meat for storage and transportability, and making pemmican with a mixture of dried meat, berries, and fats. "By and large what we're looking at is the processing and the celebration of a successful buffalo hunt."

Layers of history seen at edges of dig

"To get down to that object, we had go through 1600 years of history." Some of the items found at Head Smashed In over the years include roasting pit stones, bones, discarded tools and weapons, evidence of tools being fixed or made, children's toys, beads, and ornaments. "By and large it is mostly debris from pemmican making."

According to Dawe, once the encased roasting pit is at the Royal Alberta Museum the protective coating will be carefully removed, and then over the course of several months the roasting pit will be delicately excavated in full and properly preserved. "This thing hasn't seen the light of day since 1,600 years ago. Nobody has seen the contents of this meal since it was prepared for a delicious feast. For some reason, the people never came back and opened up this object." Dawe said they do not know what is in the roasting pit. "It hasn't been fully excavated, yet. As soon as we know what we had, we covered it back over, and protected it." He added "We have never found anything like this before. We have found other roasting pits, but never with everything left in place."

"Every bone has to be kept in anatomical position, and in place."

"To be able to have the aide of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, having them send Darren Tanke (Royal Tyrrell Museum Canadian fossil preparation Senior Technician Darren Tanke) here, to help plaster jacket this and preserve it, it's a first, as far as we know, for Canada. To have this kind of a collaboration to preserve an archaeological specimen."

"It's a one of a kind thing."

"Sometimes we forget that these are people and they were out here trying to make a living, and their concerns are to eat, and take care of their family, just like ours are."

Dawe said approximately 50 people have been involved with the excavation project, in many different roles.

Crane Operator Sean Hanson said he has moved large and delicate items before, but nothing like this. He was visibly moved when talking about the historical significance of his precious cargo. Hanson said, "I feel pretty lucky, to be in on this." For the record, so did these two reporters.

Royal Tyrrell Museum Canadian fossil preparation Senior Technician Darren Tanke was brought in on the project to help stabilize the entire find as a single unit and prepare it for transport, protecting layers of the pit within a plaster case. "I was very nervous about this project," said Tanke, explaining he is used to preparing specimens for travel in plaster, but this project offered a special challenge. Dawe requested the entire roasting pit be encased before anything was moved. Tanke said that usually artifacts he works with are stabilized, and then plaster is applied to approximately 80% of the mass, including the whole top, the sides, and some of the underside. Then the artifact is carefully moved and the bottom is then encased. The process involves carefully protecting the entire unit with tinfoil and making sure all the seams are made water tight, after which it is coated in fiberglass-reinforced gypsum. For this project the artifact was physically undercut and stabilized with wooden blocks when the top and sides were plastered so the encasing could be achieved without moving the specimen until it was totally enveloped. After it was on the truck Tanke said "I am very relieved." He said this was the largest specimen he has ever encased 100% in place.

University of Lethbridge Associate Professor of Archeology Shawn Bubel

Robert Dawe explained the basic of a buffalo jump event. "You would need hundreds of buffalo to make it work, and hundreds of people to orchestrate this thing." He explained a buffalo can run faster than a horse, are very agile for their size, and gregarious in temperament. If it was only a few buffalo involved, they would not get so crowded or confused as to be chased over the edge of a cliff. A jump would require a large number of the buffalo, who could be panicked and stampeded over the cliffs. For the indigenous people it was a dangerous procedure of herding wild and wary animals. "The whole way this thing works is you have the mass of buffalo pushing them, all the time." This mass blocks the view of those buffalo behind, and the momentum of those animals behind forces the one further forward to keep proceeding forward, even if they realize they shouldn't.

"If you get 50 yards away from the edge of the cliff, and you look this way, (east) even though you know that cliff is there, you cannot see it. It is like an optical illusion, it looks like continuous prairie. If you are a buffalo, and you are running scared, and there's a bunch of guys behind you, and it's all dusty, and you have poor eyesight to begin with, you would not see that cliff until it was way too late."

Some of the practices during a buffalo jump included making funneling laneways with brush to narrow the passage of the animals, using smoke and the scent of carnivores to help herd the animals away from areas and keep them confused, and using the scent of a younger buffalo to create a pathway for the cows to follow.

The Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, which is located just north and west of Fort Macleod, and also just north of Piikani Nation, has a special theatre that shows a polished movie made using local Blackfoot talent that demonstrates the mechanics of a buffalo jump, and the value to the community that surrounded such an event. If you visit the centre, it's well worth taking the time to see it.

Several people at Tuesday's event expressed the hope that one day the roasting pit will be repatriated to the Head Smashed In site, perhaps after proper storage facilities for it are in place.

T.Lucas/C. Davis above photos/video

Update Oct. 8, 2015

Avoiding deer on road near Cowley sends one to hospital

Toni Lucas - Pincher Creek Emergency Services and RCMP responded to a single vehicle accident 1.5 kilometres south of Cowley on Monday, October 3 just before 9:00 am.  The driver said they had swerved to miss a deer on the road.  Three people were in the four door sedan, which ended up in a field.  One female passenger was transported to hospital with minor injuries.

Creekside Village Condos responds to Town decision on roads and infrastructure

Creekside Village Condos Board of Directors - response to Town Council Decision

The Board of Directors, on behalf of the Owners of Creekside Village Condos, issues the following response re: The Town of Pincher Creek denial to assume responsibility for the roads and infrastructure at Creekside Village Condos.

Conservative Caucus launches Alberta Jobs Taskforce to address growing jobs crisis

Foothills MP John Barlow -  In response to the growing jobs crisis in the province of Alberta, today the Conservative Caucus launched the Alberta Jobs Taskforce.

Unemployment is quickly reaching a crisis situation in Alberta. Since the beginning of 2015, the number of Albertans out of work has nearly doubled to 200,000. For a province that was, until recently, the economic engine of Canada, this situation affects the entire country and demands swift and dedicated action.

Assault in Fort Macleod

RCMP Alberta - On September 23, 2016, a homeowner in the 300 block of 21 Street in Fort Macleod noticed an intruder attempting to gain access into his backyard. The homeowner confronted the suspect and was assaulted. The suspect is described as an aboriginal male, early 20s, slender build, thin face with acne, with hair two inches long that was styled straight up. If you have any information please contact the Fort Macleod RCMP at 403-553-7200.

Jason Kenney visits Heritage Acres, touts conservative unity

Jason Kenney at Heritage Acres

Toni Lucas - Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jason Kenney brought his "Unite the Right" campaign to Heritage Acres on Thursday September 29, touring the grounds and speaking to a small crowd of approximately 25 people.

RCAF to conduct rescue aircraft training in Lethbridge area

Canadian Armed Forces - From October 3 to 7, 17 Wing Winnipeg's 435 "Chinthe" Transport and Rescue Squadron will conduct its annual search and rescue (SAR) training exercise CHINTHEX, within the vicinity of Lethbridge, Alta. Training flights will be closely coordinated with Lethbridge Airport Traffic Control, normally commencing and terminating at the Lethbridge Airport.

Flowers leave their fragrance - thank you Pincher Planters

T. Lucas photo

Joyce Sasse - Our community faced a decade of disaster between 1990 and 2003. There were murders, drought and grasshoppers, a major flood knocking out 19 bridges in the Municipality, prairie fires to the north of us and forest fires to the West … And then there was BSE, which devastated the livestock industry. The weight of depression was evident everywhere.

What would happen if we prayed?

Chris Ney  - There was a man named Elijah who had a couple of people around him that were horrible people, like the worst of the worst. They were leaders of a country and ruled harshly, Elijah tried to work with these people and tried to get them to change and listen but they would not, so what could he do. He could have got mad and moved away, or taken things into his own hands. He had every right to do that, but instead he decided to pray. He decided to have a conversation with God and ask God what he should do.