Council approved continuing the Hoodoo paid parking program next year after this summer’s program collected more than $27,000 from visitors. 

    The program, which began in late June this year, saw town employees collect $2 from each car visiting the Hoodoos, amounting to a total of more than $40,000 just over three months. After expenses including wages, the program has earned the town $27,559. In total, 20,670 cars paid to park while visiting the Hoodoo recreation area since the program started.

    “It has proven a great return on investment, with the revenue generated destined to improve this very popular area in our valley, without having to take funds from tax payers,” said Deputy Mayor Kristyne DeMott in a release. 

    Paid parking was launched at the attraction to offset maintenance and infrastructure costs related to the area. While the Hoodoos are a provincially designated recreation site, the town is responsible for maintaining the parking area, which it expects will need resurfacing in the foreseeable future. 

    At their October 28 meeting, council approved a request to bring back the program for the tourist season next year, but also approved a rate of $10 for busses or coach tours. Recommendations to improve the program include improving signage and staff uniforms, providing customer service training, and installing a portable structure for staff. 

    There was initial concern over how visitors would react to the parking fee, and while protective services Greg Peters reported to council on Monday that there were several calls received by a small number of visitors who refused to pay, but said the program was generally well received.

    Council had previously discussed implementing paid parking at other tourist sites if the Hoodoo pilot was successful, particularly at the Rosedale suspension bridge which has a town owned rest area, but no motion was heard at Monday’s meeting.

    Drumheller’s only craft brewery was recently voted the best out of nearly 40 India Pale Ales at a Calgary brewery’s beer awards last week.
    Valley Brewing’s Namesake IPA was deemed the best by a panel of beer judges at the Last Best Brewery’s IPA Tap Takeover on October 24. It’s the first accolade from the Alberta craft beer industry for the Drumheller brewers.
    Brewmaster Nick Patterson says the Namesake beer is a hazy style IPA which has tropical, citrusy flavours that aren’t as bitter as other IPAs. The beer is thick looking due to the type of yeast used and “dry hopping,” where they add hops to the beer at different points during the fermentation process that increases its turbidity.
    “There is a tonne of aromas and flavours, mostly tropical flavours like pineapple and mango,” Patterson says. “That version of the beer was the first batch of beer we brewed here, so ideally for us the recipe should only get better as we continue to tweak it.”
    The recognition is a first for the brewery, which only opened this year, and it was a chance for them to get other brewers in the Alberta craft beer industry to see what Drumheller has on tap.
    “That’s the first time we’ve ever taken a beer to an invite, which is cool… it’s kind of nice to get something for Drumheller,” says Patterson. “A lot of people at that event had either never heard of us, or had heard of us and hadn’t had a chance to try any of our products. We got a good response.”
    Although it’s a first for Valley Brewing, it isn’t the first industry award for Patterson, who taught himself the art of brewing and took his first step into the craft beer market with Strathmore brewery Origin.
    Valley Brewing has enjoyed a successful inaugural season, but as the tourist season winds down and they get less foot traffic in their doors, Valley Brewing hopes to start selling more beer across the province. They’ll be sending a few pallets of beer to an Edmonton distributor this week.
    “We’re busy enough during the tourist season that we don’t have to sell beer outside of this area, but now that we’re coming into the wintertime we’re going to be trying to pick up a few places outside of town.”
    Valley Brewing is located on the corner of Highway 56 and 3rd Avenue W downtown.