News | DrumhellerMail

Badlands sports complex aims at green certification

    Construction on the Badlands Community Facility officially began last week with a facility ground-breaking, and it has now been announced the building will strive to reach green certification from an international company.
    The sports complex design will be aimed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.
    “It’s fabulous for us to have a building at this level in the (LEED) program,” says Mayor Bryce Nimmo.
    Nimmo explains that LEED is a world recognized system and was the best choice for environmental requirements.
    LEED is a third-party green, non-partisan, non-profit certification system to label buildings which aim to be green.
    Traits include improved performance, energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity of their impacts.
    It also means the building may be far more economical, as well as environmentally friendly, than another building.
    An aspect the Badlands Community Facility will focus on is energy efficiency. with aims like becoming 50 per cent more energy efficient than a standard building through heavy insulation.
    Bike racks will be installed to support good health and emission free transit.
    The water system will use efficient-technology to reduce typical water use by a third.
    Physical materials for construction will have as much recycle content as possible. Wood will be used from sustainable sources. Waste from construction will also be recycled where possible.
    LEED is based on a number of credits or measures where they identify and set targets for the main environmental issues.
    "We absolutely will follow this trend of building green in the future," said Mayor Nimmo.
    "You'll find that every new building built will try to get some sort of level in LEED."
    This specific criteria is part of the requirements for the LEED SILVER certification. The process of obtaining the SILVER certification involves the collection of information (evidence of compliance) for submission to the Green Council to achieve as many credits as possible.
    There will be a third party verification and commissioning agenda that will ensure the mechanical systems work together as it should.
    If requirements are met, the Town will receive a plaque with the LEED Silver designation for the facility.
    The highest LEED certifications are platinum, then gold.

No home for skateboarders in Drumheller

    Being a skateboarder in Drumheller today is a grim prospect.
    Rough roads, a rougher “skatepark”, and no plans for a new park in the Badlands Community Facility have left some youth with no other choice then to find a new hobby.
    “People quit,” says skater Aaron Danchek, 16.
    “They move onto biking because skateboarding in Drumheller is pointless really.”
    While construction is underway on the community facility, the Kinsmen skate park was moved to a tennis court behind the Memorial Arena.
    Its cracked pavement and small size make riding impossible; hazardous even.
    The gaping cracks are in front of the biggest ramp there, but not exclusively.
    Hitting one with the skateboard’s little tire would inevitably cause the rider to eat pavement.
    “And skateboarding isn't the safest sport to begin with,” says Aaron’s mother Darlene Danchek.
    “Aaron’s resorted to building his own park at home and leaving town to skate.”
    Die-hard boarder Sonny Spooner, 20, burns a tank of gas a week to support his skating need.
    In a week he’ll drive to Strathmore, Three Hills, and Langdon; the latter two having a population roughly half of Drumheller’s.
    Three Hill’s park is more than enough to quench Spooner’s thirst, and during the day it’s even run by senior volunteers.
    “The town needs to listen,” Spooner says. “It doesn’t even seem like they looked at the pavement when they moved the park to the courts.”
    Yet it’s open, which implies the town believes it’s fit for use.
    Allan Kendrick, Infrastructure Services director, said Friday the town will have their playground inspector take a look at the skate park.
    By Sunday a “temporarily closed” sign was hanging on the fence, with the gate locked.
    Paul Salvatore, Community Services director for the town said they do recognize an interest in improving the skate park, but a concrete group of lobbyers will need to make themselves heard by the town.
    “The focus has been moving forward with progress on the community facility,” Salvatore says.
    “We need skateboarders to tell us what makes sense to them.”
    Salvatore says the possibility of having skateboarding incorporated into the Badlands Community Facility is there.
    “We have just scratched the surface of the plans for the facility.”
    With a lack of free, simple summertime activities like usable tennis courts or basketball courts, it causes kids to find different ways of spending their long summer hours says Darlene Danchek.
    “We need things like an outdoor basketball court, all they need is a ball to play. Many families can’t afford to enroll their kids in hockey or other sports.”
    Skateboarding thrives as a sub-culture. It's a lifestyle, if you skate, you're brethren. Inspiring new moves, techniques, and camaraderie is an aspect missing from Drumheller.
    “We just need somewhere to skate," says Aaron.

Drumheller’s Jaydee Bixby nominated for country Rising Star award

    Talking from a tour break in Vancouver, Jaydee Bixby was unaware that he had been nominated for the Canadian Country Music Association Rising Star award.
    Bixyby’s sophomore album Easy To Love was released May 25 of this year, gaining him eligibility for the award.
    “It’s great,” says Bixby, 19, “this is my third time attending so I’m hoping the third time’s the charm!”
    Finishing off a western Canada tour early this August, Bixby has had a heavy schedule since he rocked onto Canadian country airwaves after finishing runner-up in 2007’s Canadian Idol competition. The show is currently on hiatus.
    “The more connections you start making the more doors you open,” he said about the success of his touring over the last couple years.
    Bixby says he may be opening for country star Allan Jackson in Montreal.
    He says the biggest support of his success is the country fans.
    “When I went on the show, I sang what I knew- the songs I grew up to. No matter who you are everyone has a little bit of country in them. For me, country fans are the best kind of fans.”
    “You can’t ask for more than that- no pun intended,” the Drumheller native laughs in reference to the song of the same name on his new album.
    When asked about the competition for this award, Bixby says he has yet to check out the competition but believes whoever was nominated deserves the Rising Star award as much as him.
    “While touring everyone asks me when I’m going to Nashville, when will I record there. But Canada alone, the talent is so abundant- anyone up for the award must deserve it. I’ll just hang on tight and hope for a positive outcome.”
    “Either way, a Canadian will win it and that’s all that matters.”
    The winners will be announced at Rexall Place in Edmonton, on Sunday, September 12.
    Bixby says he’s looking forward to stopping in Drumheller soon. The last show he played here was in January of this year at the Stampede Grounds.
    “To everyone in Drumheller, I say, ‘stay classy’.”

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