The Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for another year and a new board at their annual general meeting on March 20 at the Badlands Community Facility.
    The agenda for the meeting includes reports from Drumheller Chamber president Ed Mah and general manager Heather Bitz, audited financials statements for 2011-2012, and elections.
    This year, five positions are available on the Board of Directors, four of which are for three year terms and one single year term.
    “All Chamber of Commerce members in good standing are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors,” said Roxanne Clark, office and membership coordinator of the Drumheller Chamber.
    There will also be an open forum section to the meeting.
    “We would like to hear from our members about matters that are affecting their businesses, whether it is at a local, provincial, or national level,” said Clark.
    The Chamber will be bringing in a special keynote speaker at the meeting. Todd Hirsch, ATB Financial’s Senior Economist will present his talk titled “Economy 2013: What could possibly go wrong?”
    To learn more about the meeting or board elections, call 403-823-8100. To register for the meeting, click here.

    The process to build a consolidated school in east Wheatland County is taking another step forward.
    Parents in Wheatland County were invited to attend a meeting to learn about the proposed school.
    “We wanted to confirm the support we think we have is still there, because this is an emotional issue with a lot of different opinions. Parents are telling us, so far, we need to get moving on this,” said Golden Hills superintendent Bevan Daverne.
    In March last year, Golden Hills School Division moved to approve construction of a K-12 consolidated school to serve students in the area. The site was proposed to be a six kilometre stretch near the intersection of Highways 561 and 840.
    The school would replace schools in Gleichen, Hussar, Rockyford, and Standard.
    “This started over a year ago. We were looking at solutions to one of the biggest problems in the area. We explored a number of possibilities. A working group of parents from four communities considered what solutions could work. Eventually they settled on looking at specific sites for a consolidated school,” said Daverne.
    The idea for the school was inspired by declining rural attendance and a demand from parents and students for diverse program options.
    “It's a unique solution. The four communities can pool their populations together and have a shared, rural community school. At the high school level, there is a lot more focus on careers, apprenticeship programs, and options for students,” said Daverne. “Our small high schools feel the pressure. Parents are looking for rich programming that provides a lot of options for their kids.”
    Should all go well, the goal is to have a new school ready by September 2015. However, there are several hurdles to overcome.
    “We need to go to the county for rezoning and funding for the purchase of the land. We’re also hoping for a reasonably quick announcement from the province they would support a capital investment in the area,” said Daverne.
    Residents can leave their feedback on the proposed project by calling 403-934-5121.