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Hussar 4-H Sale fetches top dollar

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    The annual Gleichen, Cluny, Standard and Hussar 4-H Show and Sale Achievement Day was held on Sunday, May 30, 2010 at the Hussar Arena. There were 33 members who showed their steers this year. As always, the local businesses showed their tremendous support in purchasing these steers. An excellent job was done by our confirmation judge Rod McLean with help from our junior judge Erica Sage as well as our showmanship judge Karen Schmid and grooming judge Patty Klys. Chelsea Heryford did an awesome job as our MC for the show and again Darren Rebalkin was a super auctioneer for the sale. The sale average was $2.02 on the 33 steers. The Hussar 4-H Beef Club auctioned off their fundraiser calf for $2.40 per pound to Clark Farms – Roy and Karen Clark of Hussar.
    Grand Champion of the show was member Kayla Sandum’s 1311 pound Charolais steer which was purchased by Western Chev Olds of Drumheller for $2.30 per pound. The Grand Champion banner Kayla received was donated by Hussar Savings. Reserve Grand Champion was member Trent Fandry with his 1431 pound Angus steer which was purchased by Drumheller Chrysler for $2.30 per pound. The banner Trent received was donated by Bill and Kay Slemko of Hussar.  Grand Showman Champion and Grand Grooming Champion were both won by Mackayla Kaiser. Reserve Grand Showman was Shane Fraser and Reserve Grand Grooming was Jessica Sage. The best rate of gain was Trent Fandry’s steer having an average gain of 3.57 pounds per day.
    Junior Champion was Kayla Sandum and Reserve Junior was Lane Adamcewicz. Intermediate Champion was Ciara Sandum and Intermediate Reserve was Russell Treacy. Senior Champion was Trent Fandry and Senior Reserve was Hailey Morrison.
    Junior Showmanship Champion was Payden Kaiser and Junior Reserve Showmanship was Wacy Sandum. Intermediate Showmanship Champion was Shane Fraser and Intermediate Reserve Showmanship was Ciara Sandum. Senior Showmanship Champion was Mackayla Kaiser and Reserve Senior Showmanship was Justin Fraser.
    Junior Grooming Champion was Kayla Sandum and Reserve Junior Grooming was Jourdyn Sammons. Intermediate Grooming Champion was Cassie Muller and Intermediate Reserve Grooming was Shane Fraser. Senior Grooming Champion was Mackayla Kaiser and Senior Reserve Grooming was Jessica Sage.
    The awards night for all winners will be on Sunday, June 6, at the Hussar Hall.

Natural gas royalty rate positive change says industry


    Recent changes to the royalty structure for natural gas may help the industry.
    On Thursday, May 27, the government unveiled the Emerging Resources and Technologies Initiative. This includes new royalty rates to encourage exploration development and production from deeper, higher cost natural gas wells, coal bed methane projects, shale gas and horizontal oil and gas wells.
    “This initiative to unlock Alberta’s unconventional resources offers the potential for decades of employment and community benefits” said Energy Minister Ron Liepert. “The final adjustments to royalty formulas will help industry make important investment decisions for the fall and winter drilling season and maintain Alberta as a competitive jurisdiction for investment.”
    Carol Howes, media relations advisor for Encana said overall it appears to be a positive step.
    “This initiatives will go a long way in helping offset a number of factors that impact Alberta and a lot of the plays in Canada that are a little more expensive to operate here in Canada,” she said. “Obviously we are competing against a number of plays in North America. We don’t have as much infrastructure and we have further to go transportation wise, and all kinds of things. This will make plays in Alberta and Canada generally, more competitive.”
    A substantial amount of Encana’s developments in and around Drumheller are extracting coal bed methane. However, because much of the development in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation is on fee lands, wholly owned by Encana, the changes in royalty rates do not apply. Encana pays mineral tax on those lands.
    “In terms of specifics around Drumheller it is a little early to determine specifically on how it is going to impact various areas,” said Howes. “That will come through over the next months and the coming year or two in terms of its affects specifically.”
    She says these changes may stimulate a company to begin exploration in the Shale gas industry.
    “Alberta doesn’t really have a shale gas development yet,” she said. “This may spawn development in this area.  It is pretty new area for a lot of companies… but I think the opportunity to create a shale as an industry is something companies may start to look at.”
    The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP )are also positive about the changes.
    “The new fiscal details are particularly positive for the competitiveness of Alberta’s natural gas and will enhance the industry’s ability to strengthen the economy and create jobs for Albertans,” said CAPP president David Collyer. “On the oil side, changes are not as significant. We are encouraged by the broader application of the lower up-front royalty rate, which will stimulate new oil drilling activity.”

Drumheller gets long awaited boat launch

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    Boating enthusiasts will rejoice to hear Drumheller now has a boat launch at the Newcastle Beach area.
    During the opening ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, June 1, Cindy Clark, Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce president, explained the need for a boat launch was brought to the Chamber’s attention last year by Councillor Terry Yemen. 
    The Chamber felt it was necessary for the town, not only for the Fire Department to enable them to quickly deploy their rescue boat, but also for residents and visitors to fully enjoy one of Drumheller’s top assets, the Red Deer River.    
    They partnered with the Town of Drumheller, Encana and the Fire Department to complete the project and the boat launch is now open for public use.
    Terry Yemen, a boating enthusiast himself, told inSide Drumheller he was aware there was a long standing issue for the Fire Department to have a point for rapid deployment of the first responders and that some boaters pass by the town of Drumheller due to the lack of a boat launch facility.
    “So I thought from a recreational and commercial tourism point of view, it would be an asset, too, to have a boat launch,” said Yemen, adding the river was very underutilized, although it was a top tourist attraction and needed promotion to be used to its full potential.
    The boat launch is located west of Newcastle Beach, close to recreational parking. Yemen explained this section of the river is an area where there is constantly three feet of water, making it a good place for boat deployment and it is town land so there won’t be any access issues. It is also far west of the beach so as not to interfere with beach users.
    First to use the new boat launch was the Fire Department who deployed their search and rescue Zodiak during the opening ceremony.

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