Drumheller’s private post-secondary college will begin classes this week in its new location at the Elim Pentecostal Building on 3 Street West. 

The decision to move Hope College was made during a board meeting last month as a way to help the college, which is struggling financially. 

Hope College board chair, Paul Andrew told the Mail that many people he has spoken to in and around Drumheller have been positive about the idea of having a post-secondary opportunity in Drumheller. However, he also said he didn’t feel as though members of council have been supportive of the opportunity. 

Drumheller Mayor Terry Yemen said this isn’t true. 

“This council and previous council that I have been on, that is one of council’s priorities – secondary education in the Valley. It has been and it will continue to be. What it will look like I don’t know,” he said. 

“Was there support? Yeah initially when Hope College said they were going to do rural medicine in the curriculum, everybody supported it, they failed to deliver. They didn’t deliver what they said they were going to do. If they want someone to blame they don’t have to look very far. Look in the mirror,” Yemen explained. 

Yemen told the Mail that council hasn’t made a decision yet as far as what support would or wouldn’t look like. 

“We have asked on numerous occasions for some sort of business plan, a sustainable business plan, a go-forward business plan and a financial statement so we can see just where they are at. Anything less than that, doing that type of due diligence would be irresponsible of council. You have to have all the facts before you can make a decision, and for whatever reason they have chosen not to provide it with us and just came out saying that we are not supportive and it’s not true,” he said. 

“They haven’t provided us the information so we can make an informed decision, that is what the problem is,” Yemen noted. 

“We hear there is a significant amount of debt that is involved with Hope College. How much debt? How do they plan on dealing with that debt? We have to know those kinds of things before we can make a decision. And to say that there was no help, that is not true either,” Yemen said explaining that the Town of Drumheller has given the college $10,000. 

“Maybe in the big picture that isn’t a lot of money, but to me that is a lot of money,” he said. 

It has been a record setting year for the Tyrrell Museum, posting its best numbers ever.

Even in a struggling economy, the Tyrrell has posted numbers surpassing its best ever this year, projecting in the area of 455,000 visitors this fiscal year.This is the highest since 1991, when the museum began charging admission.

“We have been averaging a 20 per cent increase or more very month,” said Carrie-Ann Lunde, head of marketing and public relations for the Tyrrell.

Previous to this year, 1993 was the best year for attendance, and every other year has been compared to that, as they hosted 445,000 people coming through the door. So far this year to date the Tyrrell is up 13.5 per cent over last season, and over 20 per cent higher than the 5-year average. 

This summer, May to August, has been the busiest in 20 years, and in August the museum hosted its 12th millionth visitor. 

Lunde says there are a number of reasons that the Tyrrell is seeing such strong numbers. One of these include the release of Jurassic World. This mirrors the 1993 season, the same year that the original Jurassic Park was on the big screen.  In theaters across the country, viewers of the movie were exposed to commercials about Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. 

“We had a new exhibit and had incredible international exposure around the discovery and release of Hell Boy, I think that this played a significant factor,” said Lunde.

This is on top of the Tyrrell’s own marketing campaign.

“The marketing campaign we have been running for the last couple years, ‘Welcome to Dinosaur Country,’ has been incredibly popular and effective. The imagery is connecting with people and aligning with all those other initiatives that are happening in the tourism industry, and we’re seeing the success of that.”

Another factor Lunde cites is partnerships the museum has built.

“We have been increasing our partnerships with other museums and tourism organizations to raise the profile of the Drumheller area as a whole, and working with  tourist operators on new itineraries. All of these things we have done over the past number of years are really gaining momentum, and that is where you are starting to see that influx of travellers, especially from out of province,” said Lunde.

American visitorship alone is up 19 per cent. She doesn’t discount the strength of the American dollar in Canada as a factor, but sees the value in collaboration.

“We have been participating on more collaborative relationships in cross promotions which has been integral,” she said.

Looking down the road the Tyrrell is looking into the second phase of its three year gallery reconstruction project. 

“Fossils in Focus was the beginning of that. In a couple weeks, we’ll be starting the demolition plans for Alberta Unearthed. It is all part of updating the introductory part of the museum. The museum will be under construction in this part of the gallery through the winter and will be opening in the spring,” she said.

“It will be a space to introduce people to the concepts of palaeontology. Instead of just being objects on the shelf, we want to explain more about what palaeontology is.”