It is the celebration that Drumheller waits for every year and with some hard work by the new organizing committee, the Canada Day parade will go on.
    A committee has been busy to make sure the tradition of Drumheller’s premier parade will continue in a safe and fun manner.
    This year Drumheller is celebrating the centennial of the Drumheller Fire Department and parade goers are asked to show their support by wearing red to honour the men and women who keep the community safe.
    The parade forms up in the Riverside community with judging at 9 a.m. and then the parade heads out at 10 a.m. following the established route. Safety is paramount for the committee while at the same time, they are maintaining the flavour of what makes the Canada Day parade special.
    Of course, candy and promotional items are an important part of the parade. One rule that will be strictly enforced is that candy is to be handed out to parade participants walking beside the float to patrons sitting or standing on the curb, not thrown. To keep participants the parade safe, those handing out candy are asked to be prepared and have candy bagged and packaged to minimize time spent refilling at the floats.
    To keep revellers and participants safe, the committee is recruiting volunteers who will line the parade route with a safety vest and stop signs. These ‘deputies’ will have the authority to stop the parade at any time they see an unsafe situation. There will also be the RCMP bike patrols on the route ensuring everyone has a safe, fun time.
    There are still many opportunities to volunteer for the parade. Go to www.drumhellerparade.org for more information further clarification on safety requirements, to enter a float, or to volunteer.

   Drumheller RCMP will focus on habitual offenders and reducing property crime and theft, Staff Sergeant Edmond Bourque told people at a town hall on Thursday.

    About a dozen people attended the meeting at the Badlands Community Facility June 20 to hear from SSgt Borque, the newly acting leader of the Drumheller RCMP detachment. It was the first time he has spoken publicly in Drumheller but said he hopes to have regular meetings with the public, suggesting something like “Mocha with Mounties.”

    “We want to keep it personal so people feel that relationship with us,” he said.

    He areas of policing focus for 2019: nabbing habitual offenders who account for the majority of property crime and theft, reducing property crime through general investigation and by using crime reduction units, and addressing the root causes of crime in the community. He said increasing police visibility, combating drugs, property crime, and break and enters, and being proactive to reduce crime will be

    “99 per cent of crime is related to drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl,” he said, while also highlighting strong communication from the public when they see suspicious activity or potential crimes happen.

    He said bait cars have been used infrequently in Drumheller as the cars, high-end, attractive vehicles outfitted with cameras and alarms which trigger whenever there is forced entry. There are plainclothes members in the detachment who work surveillance and other undercover operations.