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Recreational drone use now prohibited in Drumheller

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    Drone use in Drumheller is now restricted to those who are approved to do so commercially, after council passed a new drone use policy at council Monday. 

Recreational drone use within the municipality is now prohibited and only people who have successfully completed a drone use application will be allowed to use a drone.

“It’s basically a safety or public protection policy,” said economic development manager Sean Wallace, adding applicants must show insurance in case any property is damaged by the drone. 

Drones have become increasingly affordable in the past years. Wallace said municipalities across the country are now readying drone use policies and bylaws.

“I know we’re not Toronto or Calgary or some of these bigger cities but its coming our way and its best to get ahead of the curve when it happens.”

Wallace told council that not much has changed for recreational drone use as Drumheller was already in a no fly zone due to the airport and the Drumheller Institution. He also said the town have been receiving a lot of requests for drone use, including by CBC when they filmed part of a TV series here last month. 

    According to the policy, drones must have valid registration with Transport Canada and approvals must be provided to fly in restricted airspace, operators must have an advanced operators license, not fly within 100 feet of people, vehicles, or buildings, operators must maintain visual sight at all times, provide a site map and flight map, and not fly above the lip of the valley, among other restrictions.

The policy is in effect now but at the moment there are no fines or consequences in the policy for someone caught flying a drone in Drumheller. Wallace said if the town receives increased complaints from residents that there would be a recommendation to council that this become a bylaw or added to an existing bylaw that already has a fine schedule.

Rosebud gallery exhibit explores Alberta’s beautiful, ‘empty’ spaces

 

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When artist Colin Starkevich heads out to his favourite spots looking for material, he often gets comments from people about how southern Alberta is ‘empty’ or boring, some place you just drive through.

But he’s trying to change that with The Grassland Series, now on exhibit at the Akokiniskway Gallery in Rosebud until August 31.  Over 30 of Starkevich’s paintings from the last 10 years are intended to raise awareness about the importance and diversity in nature in the Canadian grasslands region, emphasizing southern Alberta.

“People see it as a bunch of open space filled with nothing, but what I want to try and do with my work is say that when you’re out there and spending time in the natural landscape, you realize it’s full of life and all this biodiversity,” he says. “Once a person starts paying attention to their natural surroundings, whether it’s here or elsewhere in the world, there’s beauty out there.”

He says there is often “doom and gloom” when it comes to talking about the environment in Alberta, but he says his paintings show that it’s not all lost, at least not yet.

“The grasslands are an easy target because the majority of the landscape has been lost due to agriculture and urban development, but there is still a lot of prairie that still looks the same way it did hundreds, or even thousands, of years ago, and I think that’s definitely worth celebrating.”

Starkevich’s work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including a massive 2,500 square foot solo exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton in 2015. His work includes fine art pieces created in studio, along with ‘plein air’ work or open-air painting done in person.

The Grassland Series exhibit will be hosted at the Akokiniskway Gallery in Rosebud until August 31.

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Three Hills RCMP investigate fatal collision

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On July 21, 2019 at 11:04 a.m. Three Hills RCMP were dispatched to the report of a two vehicle motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Hwy 582 and Hwy 21. 
A vehicle was travelling eastbound on Hwy 582, came to a full stop, and then proceeded into the intersection.  The second vehicle travelling southbound collided with the eastbound vehicle.
 The 72 year old female driver of the eastbound vehicle was pronounced deceased on the scene.  The other vehicle occupants were transported to hospital, but no injuries were reported.
 The collision is still under investigation. 

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