Heather Colberg has won the seat to be the next Drumheller Mayor by a landslide.

She defeated former long-time councillor Sharel Shoff by 1636 votes.

“I can’t even put it into words,” began an emotional Colberg. “It’s such a surreal feeling. I wanted the best job in Drumheller and I got it.”

She now becomes the first female mayor of Drumheller.

“For me, it’s not about gender, I feel ready and I just happen to be a female,” said Colberg.

Overall, 2,432 people or 46.25 per cent of the population were able to hit the polls on Monday, October 16.

“I’m pretty impressed actually, I think people were really engaged and wanted to have a voice and I can assure everyone that this council will be a listening council and we will be listening to the people that voted us in,” said Colberg.

She has an ambitious agenda full of new ideas.

“I’m so grateful that the people gave me the confidence that I could do it,” Colberg continued. “We’re going to work closely with administration.”

The council she will be leading will have a mix of experience and fresh faces. Incumbents Lisa Hansen-Zackaruk claimed a seat with 1204 votes, Jay Garbutt with 1113 votes, and Tom Zariski with 1089 votes.

New to council are Fred Makowecki who captured 1847 votes. He is joined by Tony Lacher who also faired well with 1450 ballots. Kristyne De Mott trailed behind with 1297 votes.

“It looks like it’s going to be a great council so that’s exciting. I look forward to the ability to deal with all the issues that people brought up,” said Colberg.

Sharel Shoff put up a good fight for the mayoral spot with a carefully planned campaign over the last two weeks as well.

“I think I ran a good campaign and I put out the points that I felt was more important to Drumheller,” Shoff began. “I believe in change, I’m not painted with a brush of standing still. I believe in forward thinking. I wish all the new council and mayor lots of luck as they move forward.”

After 13 years on town council, Shoff plans to spend more time with her family.

“I’m not disappointed or anything. I’m really happy to get back to my regular life as being on council takes a lot of time. I look forward to spending time with my family and my grandkids. It’s a positive thing for me,” said Shoff.

The results will be made official on October 20, 2017.

(mailphoto by Terri Huxley) 

Drumheller’s own Rob Shapiro and band Hey Romeo will be returning to the valley as opening act for Randy Bachman on August 26.

Hey Romeo just appeared at Westerner Days in Red Deer and right before the Drumheller show, the band will be playing with High Valley in Paradise Hill, Sask., a small town outside of Lloydminster.

For Hey Romeo fans, more new music is on the way.

“Darren Gusnowsky and I from Hey Romeo have been writing music for a new project and have had a couple of trips to Nashville to write with our favourite writers there,” said Rob Shapiro, keyboardist for the country-pop band, in an email interview.

“Now we have narrowed the new music down to our favourites and are in the middle of bringing them to life in our home studios.”

Shapiro himself has been busy producing new hits as a freelancer.

“This summer I also spent some time freelancing, helping out a friend, Aaron Goodvin and played the Nashville North at the Calgary Stampede and at Cavendish Beach in Prince Edward Island,” recounted Shapiro. “I appeared in his new video called Lonely Drum which actually just went gold this week, so that was a blast.”

Hey Romeo is set to head to the CCMA’s in Saskatoon this year and are looking forward to it.

To grab your tickets, check out the Canadian Badlands Passion Play website here.

Harry Potter book worms came to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book release at the Drumheller Public Library on June 28, 2017.

The library was transformed into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with assorted props, costumes, signs and enthusiastic volunteers.
“We are so thankful to everyone that supported the event with donations, prizes, props, costumes, and everything else like time,” said April Harrison, head coordinator of the event. “We are so thankful to everyone that gave up their time and their energy to really support this event.”
The night unfolded with a sorting ceremony for each of the four houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.
“It was really great, we had a good turnout of adults and loads of kids,” said Harrison. Participants of all ages were whisked away after the sorting ceremony to discover their fellowhouse members and explore the transformed library.
“I think they were so thrilled to be sorted and all the kids in the house welcomed them and really kind of took them under their wing,” said Harrison.
BeginnersQuidditch was instructed by University of Calgary Quidditch head coach Sam Mills. After a quick training session on basic rules, the individual houses were teamed up to play, ultimately gaining more points.
At the end of thenight, Ravenclaw was able to claim the house cup for this year.
“We loved seeing the enthusiasm and creativity of the volunteers who helped bring this story to life,” said Emily Hollingshead, Director of Library Services. “The response from the attendees was wonderful, and we look forward to preparing new surprises for them next time.”

Nic Hewitt and Amy Hewitt dress up like Harry Potter for the fun filled evening. 

(l - r) University of Calgary Quidditch Head Coach Sam Mills; Volunteer Professor Dumbledore Lothar Malmberg; Volunteer Slytherin house leader Sarah Boe; and FCSS event coordinator and ProfessorMcGonagall Volunteer April Harrison.

Located approximately 15 minutes west of Drumheller, Horseshoe Canyon makes new headlines with Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Nature Destinations.

NCC has launched Nature Destinations, a program that showcases Alberta and the rest of Canada’s natural areas by encouraging people of all ages to explore them.

The breathtaking scenery of the Horseshoe canyon was a top choice when deciding which areas would make the cut.

“For me personally, it is very unique,” said Alia Snively, natural area manager for central Alberta. “It kind of sneaks up on you. You’re just driving across the prairie and then all the sudden you get to the canyon edge and you can just see all the different layers.”

So far only two conservation sites in Alberta have made the list of 20 places to see across the country. This includes the Hopkins property about an hour from Edmonton, and the Nodwell property, also known as Horseshoe Canyon.

By 2020, NCC hopes to have 50 new destinations across the country, with 10 new sites being celebrated each year. These are spaces for people to hike, explore and watch wildlife.

The non-for-profit organization hopes that people will enjoy the health benefits of being active in nature as well as learn to appreciate and respect mother nature in all its entirety.

“I believe that time spent outside in nature is critically important to fostering and inspiring an appreciation for conservation,” says Erica Thompson, NCC’s senior national director of conservation engagement.

“That’s why the Nature Conservancy of Canada team has been thinking carefully about how we can play a role in building bonds between people and nature while we continue conserving Canada’s areas of highest biodiversity.”

The Nature Destinations website, naturedestinations.ca, provides detailed information on the features of each location, including interactive maps and easy-to-follow directions.

(Photo Submission by Robert Berdan)

A viability review for the Village of Hussar has been suspended as the municipal election looms near.

The Village requested the Minister of Municipal Affairs to complete a viability review in the summer of 2015. As defined by the Ministry, a viability review is a process where a municipality's governance, finances, infrastructure, and services are reviewed to determine whether changes are required for the community to remain viable.

Mayor Tim Frank tells The Mail, the suspension of the review is the normal course of the process when an election falls in the same timetable of a review.

“It has been put off until the end of the election, by ministerial order,” said Frank. “It is the same with every one of the viability studies in the province. It just takes a little uncertainty out of the elections.”

While a viability review typically takes about a year, Hussar has been going on now for about two.

“Our infrastructure study took a long time. We are basically waiting on the results of a few final things to finish the infrastructure report,” he said.

A viability review is not a dissolution study, but a strategy to improve long-term viability. A team was assembled with representatives from the Ministry, the Village of Hussar, Wheatland County, and municipal associations. Throughout the process, there are the consultations with the community. The village initiated the infrastructure review in early 2016.

According to the ministry, if a municipality is trending towards viability, the review will be concluded. If it is trending towards non-viability, the process moves into its second phase.

This phase includes a viability plan and typically comes down to two options. These include remaining as a municipality, but making changes into the way the municipality is governed or administered, or to be dissolved into an adjacent municipality.

It states, “If council votes in favour of dissolution, a public vote is held by ministry staff to determine the community's preference on the options presented.”

Currently, there are 10 communities in the province undergoing a viability review.

Frank expects the process will wrap up around the end of the year or early in 2018.

An inmate at the Drumheller Institution had 90 more days tacked on to his sentence after pleading guilty to possession of drugs.

Steven Thorne appeared in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, July 21. Originally charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of cannabis resin.

On February 17 of this year, corrections officers observed movement outside his cell and Thorne conversing with other inmates. Officers ordered him out of his cell and found 12 globs of hash oil folded inside a playing card.

The federal prosecutor and defense agreed to a 90-day sentence consecutive to any sentence he is currently serving.

For many years the Delia Elks and Royal Purple have been donating funds to the bussing of the Delia Elementary students to go to Drumheller for their annual swimming lessons.

This year John Rogers presented Logan and Lexie Raugust and Sawyer Thompson with the donation at the weekly Bingo in Delia. Accompanying the students were their teacher; Mrs. Donna Johnson and Ms. Lindsay Gould.

This is a huge step for this service club to commit to investing in the students’ lifelong learning of a basic skill.

The teachers, students, and parents of the school wish to extend their appreciation and thanks for this donation.

submitted

Drumheller Institution Correctional Officer and K-9 Handler Jeffrey Hood and his pup Cotton found a combined total of $36,800 worth of illicit drugs on June 6, 2017.

In their routine K-9 search, Cotton alerted Hood to what turned out to be 29 grams of Fentanyl as well as 24 grams of MDMA. The fentanyl alone was worth $20,000 in institutional value and the MDMA was an additional value of $16,800.

This latest seizure is Hood and Cotton’s largest. A massive part of the Drumheller Institution’s strategy is to eliminate contraband.

On the left is the seized Fentanyl which weighs approximately 29.69 grams. The right photo depicts the MDMA which weighed approximately 24.74 grams. 

A Drumheller knitter is headed to the Fall Provincial Games.

Barb Barker entered two items in the Zone competition in Carstairs. This year the games there are 12 crafting events, ranging from crochet to knitting. There is a special competition to commemorate Canada 150.

Barker won gold in the knitted apparel and gold in soft dolls and toys. With this win, she qualified for the Provincial Games to be held in High Prairie from September 14-16.

Along with these entries, Barb will be competing in Floor Shuffleboard with her husband Mike.

A local woman has turned footage of a man etching words into the Hoodoos to the RCMP to investigate.

Paula Peake told the Mail she was at the Hoodoos at about 1 p.m. with her family Thursday, August 3, when she witnessed a man engraving letters on the site. She filmed the incident with her smartphone and followed the man and his party to their vehicles when they left.

“If nothing is done, it invites others to do the same,” Peake stated.

The man inscribed the word Metten into the site.

Peake said she reported the incident once she was home and had cell service.

She also posted the short video on social media where it was met with strong reactions.

This is not the first time an incident like this has happened. In 2011, the Mailreported that a Calgary man received a $1,000 fine from Judge Grieve for etching the word Columbia in the hoodoo. He too was observed by a civilian who passed the information on to the police.

The Hoodoos are protected under the Alberta Historical Resources Act and a violation of the act can result in up to $50,000 in fines. 

The video can be seen below. 

Poland, the United States, and Ottawa got a taste of what it’s like to be a youth from Drumheller. All impressed their hosts during a series of Rotary Club-sponsored trips and spoke of their experiences Thursday evening at a club event.

Veronica Felisilda spent the past year living with families in Poland.

Jessica Francis was selected to attend the week-long Adventures in Citizenship in Ottawa which included a visit to the House of Commons and Jordan Armstrong was impressed with the international youth he met at the one-week World Affairs Conference in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

A Drumheller man has been sentenced to a year and a half in jail after pleading guilty to a long list of offenses including misleading police, uttering counterfeit currency and being in possession of stolen vehicles.
    Jeffrey Morse appeared in provincial court in Drumheller to make his pleas on Friday, June 23, 2017.
    The court heard how on December 6, 2014, Morse, a disqualified driver, was operating a vehicle when he passed through a check stop. He provided the officer with another person’s name. Police determined the person whose name he had used had a warrant for his arrest. Morse then admitted it was a false name. He pleaded guilty to obstructing a peace officer investigation and driving while disqualified.
    He also pleaded guilty to a breach of his release on September 20, 2016, by being in a motor vehicle without the registered owner.  He was involved in a single vehicle rollover driving his mother’s vehicle.
    He was also charged on November 19, of passing counterfeit $50 American bills at the Drumheller McDonald’s and the Extra Food Gas bar.
    On January 9, he was in Hanna at a truck stop when a passerby reported he and others in a recently stolen truck with a stolen snowmobile. When police arrived, Morse was searched and police discovered a small amount of marijuana.
    While he was in custody police learned there might be more stolen vehicles at his father’s home. They obtained a search warrant and on January 24, 2016, in a garage police discovered a stolen Chev Avalanche and a stolen Honda motorcycle.
     Morse has an extensive criminal record and has spent 118 days in pretrial custody. The crown and defense agreed on an 18-month sentence, giving Morse credit 1:1.5 credit for his pretrial custody, leaving 12 months to be served.

At only 15, Matt Howard is on his way back to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Over the last few years, Howard has been making a splash in the Junior Steer Riding Alberta Circuit. This will be his third appearance at the Calgary Stampede. He will be riding this Wednesday, July 12.
He is excited to be back at the Stampede and explains that in the Junior Steer Riding division there is no need to qualify, but he has proved so far that he is up to the task.
In the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) Alberta Circuit, while he hasn’t won any event this season he is ranked in the top six.
“I was third up until this weekend, and he I was bumped down to fourth or fifth,” he said.
This is Howard’s last year of Steer Riding and then he will go up to junior bulls. Howard rides for Bridgemen Services ofDidsbury, and wears the Canadian Cancer Society patch on his vest inhonour of his mother Tanya Howard who passed away from cancer in 2008.

The valley will be rumbling to the sweet sound of shovelheads, knuckleheads, and v-rods as Motorcycle Madness rolls into Wayne again this weekend.
The annual motorcycle Poker Run and Show and Shine will be raising funds for the Greentree School and St. Anthony’s School breakfast programs.
It all kicks off Friday night, July 7 at 5 p.m. with a meet and steak ride.
On Saturday, July 8, the Last Chance Saloon will be hosting breakfast at 9 a.m. before the Show and Shine begins with registration starting at 10 a.m.
The Last Chance Saloon is in the historic community of Wayne. Just follow the 11 bridges down Highway 10X.
After the Show and Shine, stick around for biker games that could include everything from the ring joust to the slow ride.
The Poker Run starts at 12:30 p.m., where riders will travel to different stops around the valley to pick up a card to make a hand. Supper begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Last Chance, with entertainment to follow.

Two Drumheller musicians had the opportunity to bask in the bright lights at the Calgary Stampede.

Ashton Lal, Grade 12 student at DVSS and Abby Fooks, who just graduated, already have a reputation as premier musicians in the valley. The two teamed up and entered the Calgary Stampede Talent Search.

Ashton said it was a good experience.

“We auditioned last month and made it in,” said Ashton. “So we played in the preliminary round last Saturday.”

The pair performed “Somebody that I used to Know” by Gotye. Ashton played ukulele and percussion, and Fooks sang.

He said there was really strong competition and they weren’t able to make it past the preliminary round. However, it was a good experience to get up in front of a large enthusiastic crowd.

This wasn’ttheir only opportunity to perform on the grounds.

“We still got to perform gigs around the Stampede. We played on Friday and Sunday and that was a lot of fun,” said Ashton, explaining they had a prepared30-minute set list.

This was Ashton’s first time at the talent search, Fooks competed last year.