Drumheller’s Habitat for Humanity is closer than ever to reaching its goal of constructing two homes for families that need a hand up.

This comes after RBC Financial made a donation of $10,000 towards the project. The funds come from the RBC Foundation. Members of the local branch also pledged to volunteer during the community build day Sheri Cooper, Chair of Habitat for Humanity Drumheller Chapter, says they have raised just over $60,000 of their $80,000 cash goal. The site has been donated in North Drumheller for a duplex and they are looking for a donation of about $40,000 in kind from trades.

The build is slated to break ground in the spring of 2018.

The committee is planning a community Open House for October 3 at the Badlands Community Facility to present the project to the community. To further its fundraising initiative, it is hosting a Diamond Dinner this fall.

The next stage of the project selecting two families to purchase the homes.

“We have lots of interest and great people who have joined up, excellent financial backing and a lot of optimism about the project,” said Cooper.

A new dinosaur attraction delivered in early October as the 2017 dino arts project to finish off the summer season.

“The new dinosaur is going to be a little more realistic, not quite so cartoonish but it’s definitely going to be very cool,” said Marley Henneigh, Office and Chamber of Commerce Services Coordinator.

To finish off the season, two more existing dinosaurs are to be painted around town by the volunteer crew. The dinosaur located by D.A.R.T.S and the tiny Triceratops out in front of Sun Life Financial in the downtown core will be updated before fall. The latter one took longer as it had damages that needed repair.

“That one had to be repaired first,” explained Henneigh. “It had a crack in its tail.”

The Town of Drumheller will be providing a bench to accompany it as well for the new dinosaur to ‘perch’ on.

The fall and winter months allow the association to gather their thoughts and discuss new ideas and new locations for the upcoming tourist season. Popular..

“The dinosaur by the Napier Theatre is our 2017 project. We’ll try to get some ideas for the new project in 2018,” said Henneigh.

As another project to liven the presentation of the community, local artist and art teacher Vicky Myers has volunteered to repaint the downtown footprints found on the sidewalks.

Overall the year has been full of activities for the Dino Arts Association.

“It’s been really good weather for summer and for painting as well,” said Henneigh. “Last year we had a lot of rain and we had volunteers who were unable to paint because of the weather. This year has been much better for that.”