In a couple weeks Badlands Ambulance may not be operating in the Valley.
    At Monday night’s Drumheller Town Council Meeting, Councillor Doug Stanford, who sits on the Badlands Ambulance Society, sought direction from council on whether or not to step out of Badlands Ambulance.
    On October 4, the Society will vote on whether to remain. He explains while other municipalities on the society have direction from their council to vote, he wanted Drumheller Town Council’s direction on how to vote.
    “Now I can go back to Badlands Ambulance Society and say I have my vote, and I am voting to get out,” said Stanford.
    He made a motion for Town Council to exercise its 180 day exit clause to turn Badlands Ambulance Society back to Alberta Health Services.
    He explains that Badlands Ambulance is finding it difficult to make a deal with the province. Some of the stipulations the province is calling for make it more expensive, such as having a full time administrator. Badlands Ambulance has highly trained staff, however the province stipulates that only one paramedic could be on shift at a time.
    “We are still negotiating but we cannot make a deal, they are nickel and diming us,” said Stanford.
    “I feel the province has not given us adequate funding to operate as an ambulance Society."
    He adds that Badlands Ambulance technicians have unionized.
    “That is a big concern to us , the budget changes and we don’t have the money,” said Stanford.

    He says the expense of hammering out a contract with the union is way beyond the funds the Society has.
    It could cause other disruptions in service. Stanford says for instance, if the service is short staffed, they are not able to have other services chip in to provide coverage.
    He says that if the other membership votes to dissolve the service the local ambulance medical technicians will continue to work in the area.
    “They would automatically stay on,” said Stanford.

    Schools across Canada are warming up for one of the most distinctly Canadian causes in our country.
    Tomorrow, starting at 10:45 a.m., students from Drumheller Valley Secondary School will be running in the annual Terry Fox National School Run Day 2012.    The goal of the event is to raise both awareness and money for cancer research.
    Organizers for the run at DVSS have set a high goal.
    “We’re trying to push the $25 per student, which would make the total $8,750,” said DVSS teacher Laura Hegberg.
    To encourage students to raise money, organizers are offering some incentives. A few of the male teachers at the school have offered to set a rather dramatic example.
    “We have some incentives for students or the class who raise the most. Some of the male teachers are willing to wax some body parts as incentives,” said Hegberg.
    Should students raise the targeted amount, Jason Rasmussen, Dan Hird, and maybe even associate principal Brad Teske have pledged to undergo a wax. Ryan Hatch has promised to be waxed should students raise $5,000.
    Last year a similar wager was made with students, though the teachers legs went unscathed as students did not quite reach their goal.
    The day will start in the gym for an assembly where students will listen to the story of a Drumheller mother and her son. Melanie Skalk will share the story of her son, Grant’s, battle with a cancer. A battle that ultimately claimed his life.
    The students will also learn how cancer works. Though cancer is a term students know, it may not be something students understand.
    “Our biology teacher is also to explain the biology of cancer to everyone. A lot of people have heard the terms, but might not really know what it is,” said Hegberg.
    After the assembly, students will run 8 kilometers around the school, or for about an hour. Then, students will be treated to a barbecue, cooked by the school’s international students.
    “We have a lot of international students here. They have already been given a little bit of a lesson about who Terry Fox was and they’re going to help out with the barbecue afterwards,” said Hegberg.
    Students will be working  hard to raise money for cancer research and the chance to see a few teachers undergo a rather painful wax.
    “It’s good the students realize 80 per cent of the schools across Canada are running at the same time to raise money for cancer research,” said Hegberg. “Any money we raise helps and gives the students awareness of a great cause.”