News | DrumhellerMail

Downed light standard blocks traffic

An unfortunate chain of events caused traffic to be delayed around 1 p.m. Monday afternoon. Apparently a Town of Drumheller worker backed his truck into a light post. The post broke off at the ground and fell onto the east lane of South Railway Avenue in front of the Drumheller Inn. A tractor-trailer unit travelling on the road ran over the pole. A crew from the Town of Drumheller and ATCO Electric pulled the light post from the busy thoroughfare as Drumheller RCMP members helped to control the traffic.

Wind project underway at Drumheller Institution

    The Drumheller Institution will soon be producing some of its own power as a pilot wind power project nears completion.
    On Saturday, December 12 crews were observed installing the tower and turbines that will help generate power for the Drumheller Institution. Warden Mike Hanly says the project has been on its way for a while.
    “The project has been in the works for about four years,” he says. “There are two sites in Canada that were chosen to pilot turbines, those being Drumheller and Spring Hill Nova Scotia.”
    Once the site was selected, he says air studies were completed to make sure there was enough wind flow to power the turbines.
    This season they selected a spot for the turbines, and completed a base. Parts began arriving more than half a year ago. The most visible part of the project happened last weekend, as the tower and turbine were installed.
    “We have it on site and erected. Hopefully we’ll have it in service in the next few weeks,” said Hanly.
    He says the goal of the project is to offset some of the institution power costs, and because it is a pilot, if it is successful the technology may be employed in other regions.
    “It’s a boost for us,” he says. “Anything that can help us save a little on our electrical power, and make it a greener footprint up here, we are all in favour of it,” said Hanly. “Anything that is generated here will be consumed on site.”
    While the turbines will help offset some of the costs, Hanly says the demands of the institution are too great for all of its electricity to be generated on site. There is also no risk of power running low and becoming a security issue.
    “Our grid up here is specialized. We have our generator back up system that is already configured to off load power based on our scheduled needs,” said Hanly. "This won’t affect us at all.”
    According to an article on the Natural Resources Canada web site, they are installing a 600kW turbine that will generate about 20 per cent of the power needed at the site, and save approximately $95,000 per year.

Lacher to carry torch in Camrose

    A Drumheller student will be hoisting the Olympic Torch high as it makes its way through the Province in January.
    Chris Lacher, son of Tony and Linda Lacher is in Grade 11 at St. Anthony’s School. He opened an e-mail last August that played Open Happiness, the theme song of a new Coca-Cola campaign. A moment later it told him he had been selected as an Olympic Torch bearer.
    “I’m proud to be a part of it. It is one of the longest relays in Olympic history,” said Lacher.
    Lacher had been gunning to be a torch bearer. He applied through the iCoke website and through the RBC websites, but it was through the Sogo Active Campaign that he was selected.
    Sogo Active is a program supported by ParticipACTION and Coca-Cola. It is an endeavour to inspire young people to be more active. For two months late last winter Lacher joined up and began recording his daily activity, and setting weekly goals. If he met his goals he was entered in a draw. They picked a busy time for Lacher as it was during minor hockey playoffs, and Lacher plays for the midget Raptors.
    Beyond hockey, Lacher is very busy with his community service. He often volunteers with the local Lions Club and plays piano at St. Anthony’s Church. He also spends time on Fridays at Sunshine Lodge volunteering with some of the senior member of the community.
Lacher received confirmation of his status as a relay participant in October. He has also received his uniform, including the iconic red mittens (one way to tell if the mitts are used by torch bearers is the maple leaf on the palm of the gloves has a grip). He also received some promotional material to help cheer on the flame.
    He will be running the torch on Friday, January 15 at noon near Camrose. He will be attending with his parent and some close friends to take in the moment. His older brother and sister, who now reside in Edmonton will also come down to watch Lacher run his part of the relay.
    Lacher’s leg of the relay comes just a day before the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration in Drumheller.
    The Mail is interested in the story of more torch bearers as the event continues to draw closer. Please contact 403-823-2580 or e-mail news@drumhellermail.com.

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