As settlers came west to make a new life, often they brought with them the very basic, some food, clothes and a dream. They also brought their faith.
 This year the St. Anthony’s Parish is celebrating 100 years in Drumheller. While it was not the first faith community in the valley, it has endured through the last 100 years.
    According to the Hills of Home History book, the first Catholic mass didn’t begin in a sanctuary, but in the Whitehouse Hotel. Reverend Father Russell, whose territory stretched from Rockyford to Alsask, held a mass in a room at the Whitehouse in the spring of 1913. Before a church was established, Father Russell would attempt to make it to Drumheller once a month, however, the road conditions’ and weather in the undeveloped area made travel difficult. At times, he would say mass at a cabin in the Orkney distinct owned by Ovide and Alphonse Auger. In 1914, the first church was built.
    This continued for a few years and the ministry grew under Father Bowlen. In 1917, Bishop McNally visited Drumheller and deemed it necessary to appoint a resident pastor, and Father J. McGillivray became the first parish priest. Soon a rectory was built and the church was furnished and added to for capacity. Father McGillivray served for the next 10 years also saying mass in Wayne and Munson. The church flourished and in that time, the Catholic Women’s League, the Altar Society, and Columbus Club were established.
    In 1927 Father P.J.N, Cosman was appointed by Bishop Kidd, and the church continued to grow. A robust Sunday school was formed. The church was able to purchase adjacent lots, which were beautified, and there were more improvements to the interior of the church. He also had the foresight to begin a building fund knowing a new church would one day need to be built.
    In the fall of 1935, Father Cosman was transferred and Rev. Neville Anderson became the parish priest. That fall the St. Angela’s Convent was established.
    Times were tough in the 1930’s in Drumheller and indeed, throughout the world, however, the parish was in need of a new church as it had become dilapidated. They were able to trade some of its existing property west of the wye for a site for a new church and work began in 1938. A parish priest in Banff designed the church and Stanley Campbell was the contractor.
    It was a community effort. Mother Bernice and the Sisters made the drapes and tapestries. Mr. Chiarieri constructed the pews, Joe LeFebre made the wall brackets for the statues, Joseph Guidolin made the cross and Mr. W. Hodgson of Dorothy carved the oak Corpus for the altar crucifix. The old church became a parish hall.
    In 1942, a home was purchased and became the new rectory. In 1949, the former church was sold to McPherson Motors, and the next year a new hall was built.
    On December 20, 1952, fire ripped through the church. The Mail reported that George Derbyshire turned in the alarm shortly after 1 a.m. and two firefighters were injured. It was estimated that nearly 60 per cent of the interior was destroyed.
    In 1957, a new addition was added to the church, which included the bell tower and baptistery.
    The church has been busy preparing to mark the centennial. Rose Porter has been heading up the project. They are planning a church directory. They have also posted a gallery of priests in the foyer of the church.
    As part of the celebration, the church is hosting “Mountain Do,” a day of fun and fellowship with the priest of the Calgary Diocese including a soccer game.
    The Church is also planning a luncheon to mark 100 years come August.

    Progress is being made on a new clinic in the valley, and residents can expect to see Riverside Medical Clinic open come June.
    www.drumhellermail.com reported on March 6 that Dr. Rithesh Ram, who has been practicing since July 2015, intends to open a new clinic. This comes after he commissioned a survey looking into healthcare needs in the valley.
     Since then, progress has been made on a new location at the Riverside Health Centre Building on Riverside Drive East.
    Mayor Terry Yemen sees the new clinic as positive for residents and the community.
    “We have a service area of 33,000 people and we want as many of those people outside the corporate limits to make the trip to Drumheller for their medical needs. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the addition of a new clinic in Drumheller. Having great access to health care is one of the ways we can attract retirees to Drumheller,” said Yemen.
    The clinic has received the necessary approvals from the town and Dr. Ram is working with contractor Joe Castonguay and interior designer Kristyne De Mott. There is a strong working relationship as both have worked on the Ram family private residence.
     ‘’We have been working with the Rams on their new residence for two years now and it was a natural transition for us since our team and the doctors work so fluidly already.” De Mott says, speaking highly of their friendship. “It is incredibly important to me to connect with my clients on a personal level and develop a trusting relationship where they can be open and honest with me. So the second Rithesh told me about what was coming down the pipe: I was drafting plans, looking into electrical and HVAC...all the important aspects of commercial renovation that needs to be looked at before we can even begin the project.”
     The vision for the clinic includes state of the art equipment and design to help address the needs of the community. There are plans to incorporate a pharmacy operated by Ray Ainscough of Riverside Value Drugs into the clinic, there will be a Walk-in Clinic on site with hours outside of the normal 9-5, as well as a modern records and communication system.
     “We have a state of the art phone system that will allow the practitioners to pick up their handset or answer the call on their mobile phone,” said Kathy Stark.  “We have all our electronic medical records (EMR) platform underway and furniture on order.  The process has been exciting.”
     The clinic will make way for more physicians in the near future, including Dr. Kailey Buller who will be in the valley come July.
  “I am incredibly excited to be starting a new chapter in Drumheller,” said Buller. “After spending 4 months living and working here as part of my training, I can’t imagine starting my career anywhere else. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences within the community, and was overwhelmed by the number of staff - both in the hospital and out - going out of their way to provide guidance, teaching, and support.”
     Dr. Buller is a family physician with a special interest in Sport and Exercise Medicine, Obstetrical and Women’s Health, and Medical Education. Hailing from beautiful British Columbia, Buller completed her undergraduate degree in biological sciences at UBC-Okanagan, while playing varsity, provincial and international volleyball. She began her medical education at the University of Alberta and is currently completing her specialty training at the University of Calgary. She plans to work in multiple settings in Drumheller, including Riverside Medical, acute care, long-term care, emergency care, low-risk obstetrics, and (hopefully) as team physician for the many talented athletes in the community. Outside of her work as a physician, she hopes to teach medical students and immerse herself in community events.
    The construction is continuing at a vigorous clip.
    “We have a lot coming down the pipe,” says Castonguay, “but we jump in both feet, run a tight ship, and devote our time and energy to our projects. Right now the clinic is red on the priority list and we aim to complete the clinic on a very tight timeline for our friends.”
    He says demolition is complete and the renovation of the top floor of the building is 60 per cent complete with all trades in order.  They were able to use numerous local trades to fulfill this project.
    Surplus cabinets, doors, and door handles are being donated to the local Drumheller Housing Administration (DHA), which will save the Housing Authority approx $3,000 this year. The remainder of items will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and some local businesses.
     “Dr. Ram has a great vision for the community of Drumheller and is planning to live here long-term and serve the community,” said Castonguay.