News | DrumhellerMail

World’s Largest Dinosaur warms up his claws

    The gloves fit, as the World’s Largest Dinosaur took the national stage to kick off the Red Mitten Campaign.
    The Drumheller Olympic Torch Committee, dignitaries and the curious were out on a brisk Wednesday morning to witness the World’s Largest Dinosaur being fitted with a red pair of mittens. This was the national kick off to the Red Mitten Campaign. Mayor Bryce Nimmo and Tara Semchuk, who stitched together the mittens, were raised up using the Drumheller Fire Department’s aerial trick and slid the mitts into place.
    “It was amazing to be up so high and see everyone down below cheering as I helped our T. Rex get her giant mittens on,” said Semchuk, owner of Bits and Pieces, who came up with the idea to create the mitts. “This is Drumheller’s way of showing our excitement about Canada’s Games. Today, we’re issuing a challenge to other communities across the country to find unique ways to use these Red Mittens to welcome the Olympic Flame and support our athletes as they go for gold!”
    Each mitten is three metres long and 1.8 metres wide, and covered the World’s Largest Dinosaur claws. While their initial appearance will be short lived, they will be put back in place shortly.
    The red mittens are a part of the uniform that 12,000 torchbearers will wear during the torch marathon. The palm has a maple leaf while the observe has the Olympic rings. They and already are expected to be a popular souvenir of the games.
    According to a release, the net proceeds from every pair sold will help complete the funding of the five-year Own the Podium 2010 initiative, which provides Canadian athletes with top equipment and training for the 2010 Games. Any additional funds raised through the Red Mittens Campaign will support a variety of athlete- and sport-based initiatives.
    At the same time the World’s Largest Dinosaur was being fitted with the new gloves, across the county in Windsor, Nova Scotia, the Mayor dropped the puck at a street hockey game a wearing the new mittens. At Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga, Ontario, the 18 student torchbearers selected were presented with their mittens.
The mittens retail for $10, and are available art Hudson Bay Company Retailers, as well as www.vancouver2010.com/redmittens. In Drumheller, they will be available at the World’s Largest Dinosaur.

Agreement reached on ski hill land

    A new deal reached between the Town of Drumheller and the Drumheller Ski Club Board will allow the hill to operate a recreational facility this season and for the next 10 years.
    This followed a heated, yet productive discussion at the Town of Drumheller’s regular council meeting on Monday night.
    “It was a very positive meeting in which the ski hill was able to present our case for continued operations,” said Zrinko Amerl, who has made his intentions known that he is interested in purchasing the ski hill. “Council has given unanimous support for the ski hill and their commitment to work towards finding common ground.”
    “I am pleased to report that we came to an agreement this morning (Tuesday), and you will be seeing snow on our hills again this winter and for years to come.”
    According to councillor Karen Bertamini, under the new arrangement the town has gone back to the existing Drumheller Valley Ski Club, and offered that body the same agreement to purchase they had in place since 1997, which was cancelled by the town in June of this year.
    Under the new terms, the land currently owned by the Town of Drumheller, which includes most of the ski slope, is bound by a caveat stipulating the ski hill has to remain a public use facility for a minimum of 10 years.
    She says this arrangement allows the Drumheller Valley Ski Club to transfer ownership, however all debt must be paid in full and the condition the land remains for public use is retained.
    “Unless you can caveat the property, and they are willing to accept the caveat on the property, then we have lost control. Even if intentions are good, it was still up to council to protect that asset so it remained for public use,” said Bertamini.
    This agreement follows a presentation made my Amerl and Zeke Wolf, president of the Drumheller Valley Ski Club at Monday night’s council meeting. According Amerl, the future of the ski hill was in question. Wolf made a impassioned plea for a deal to be reached.
    “Council…you provide the environment that controls the quality of life for the citizens you work for. Taxes are our cost for that quality,” said Wolf. “Businesses rely on having those dollars spent wisely to provide the attractions for our customers, clients and guests. Summers in Drumheller are fabulous, winters are not. A viable ski hill is a benefit to Drumheller. Zrinko has a vision and a plan to attract 50,000 skier visits a year. I believe he can accomplish this. Having said that, we are not guaranteed success. We are guaranteed failure if we don’t try.”
    Bertamini said at this meeting, it was the first time they saw a glimmer of hope to reach a compromise.
    “Up until last night he (Amerl) was not willing to take that property with any restrictions, and council wasn’t going to give that property away without a guarantee it would remain public,” said Bertamini.
    Another condition on the property is if the hill changes hands to a private operator, the town would no longer supply town water at a reduced rate to the ski hill.
    “If it stays a public facility, the municipality will go back and support that facility in any way we can,” said Bertamini. “We will not support a private individual.”
    Bertamini says in the end the agreement protects an asset of the Town of Drumheller and also facilitates another season of skiing.
    “Council did what was necessary to protect the community’s assets. That was the intention all along, not to stall or inhibit a ski hill from functioning," she said.

Agreement reached on ski hill land

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