A committee is working on ways to beautify Drumheller to appeal to tourists and their recommendations may impact residents and businesses when it comes to community standards.
    A tourism corridor committee has been working on developing recommendations for new bylaws which would improve the appearances of Drumheller from a tourist’s perspective. The group has looked at how highways in and out of Drumheller, from Highway 9 north and south and Highway 10 from East Coulee and North Dinosaur Trail could be improved.
    “Almost everyone along the corridor already looks after their places so we’re really lucky, but it’s being done because for our residents and visitors we just want to raise the bar on the community so it all looks healthier,” says Mayor Heather Colberg who has been participating in the committee.
    The committee is seeing whether properties should be placed into primary and secondary areas which would have elevated bylaw requirements for maintaining the appearance of properties, such as weeds and where garbage bins are located.
    “I look around and see businesses trying to do their best. But we’re doing a lot of work in the community – trying to clean things up, planting flowers – we just want things to look good,” says Colberg.
    The committee will bring their recommendations to council later this summer to see if their work can be developed into a new set of bylaws.

Salvation Army captains Ben and Isobel Lipper have been in the valley for just over two weesk and are already finding it a welcoming place to live and work.
    The pair arrived in Drumheller in time for the Canada Day Parade to begin their new ministry. The pair have been officers for about 12 years and have served in Saskatchewan and Northern British Columbia. Most recently they served  in Lethbridge.
    One of their first orders of business is the church’s move. They are nearing completion of their new facility on South Dinosaur Trail at the former ATCO Electric building. There, they will be combining its church, community services and thrift store all under one roof. This year the are also celebrating the Salvation Army’s centennial in the valley.
    Ben says another priority will be assessing the needs and the capacity of the community, but have already learned that Drumheller is a friendly, generous giving community.