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.

    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.”