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Priests on the pitch

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Teachers, staff and students had some blessed competition Monday afternoon as they took on Roman Collar United in a friendly soccer match. The Roman Collar United is a team made up of parish priests from the Calgary Diocese. They were through Drumheller as a part of Mountain Do, an event where parish priests get together to participate in recreational activities. The game also helped to mark the centennial of St. Anthony’s Parish. The action was fierce on the field as the two teams played to a 2-2 tie late in the second half. Teacher Gavin Makse was able to score the winner for the school. The event was also a great way to break in the school’s new sports field and bleachers. Students showed great spirit cheering for both sides on the pitch.


Atlas Coal Mine welcomes 500,000th visitor right on schedule

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    On Sunday at approximately 1:00 p.m., the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site welcomed their 500,000th visitor with open arms.
    Phani Adapa was the lucky visitor who was accompanied by his family for a trip to the valley.
    Director Jay Russell was elated to see the sheer volume of visitors over the years.
    “Well it feels fantastic obviously, it feels great,” said Russell.
    Russell has worked at the historic site since 1994, taking on many different positions starting by taking on a summer job, consciously observing the rise of visitors as days went by.
    “The visitation was only maybe 3,000 people a year so in the many years since my first summer here, we’ve increased exponentially,” said Russell.
    “In my first year, I couldn’t imagine 500,000 visitors coming through here but now of course we are attracting people from all over the country to come and see our site.”
    The Atlas crew was very eager to meet the lucky visitor, hoping to have a complete family take part in the milestone.
    “It was right on the button where the very next family is going to come in and we’re hoping it would be a full family, single visitor. I mean which is fine of course, but it’s nice when the family can share that experience together,” said Russell.
     With a year chock full of historic landmarks including Canada’s 150th birthday, the famous coal mine has a few events already planned for the future.
    “It’s been a year of all kinds of celebration but we have had the Tipple’s 80th birthday, and the Atlas Coal Mine’s 100th birthday and this fall we’ll have on October 7th, an official unveiling of the tipple when it is restored.” said Russell. “It’s also the year that we turn 30 as a museum.”
    They plan to have the fourth and final phase of the large restoration project complete for the October 7 date.
    Russell says the Atlas is a great place for Canadians to learn about their heritage, or people new to Canada.
    “What are we about? We’re a place of knowledge, not only about industrial heritage but about the Canadian experience and a lot of people who came here are escaping other countries where things weren’t great.” said Russell. “What we are talking about are people who are actively becoming Canadians.”
    With the many celebrations afoot for the year, the coal mine wishes to have their unique twist and make every visitor’s experience is one to remember.
`“We have a story to tell and a story of Canada through the lens of our experience in Drumheller,” said Jay Russell.

Vote for your favourite dinosaur for new street signs

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Here's your chance to have some fun and give the coolest names to Drumheller’s streets signs.
The Town of Drumheller needs your input for the selection of the most popular dinosaurs from its past.
In addition to adding secondary naming of Dinosaur Streets medallions featuring the images of selected dinosaurs will be added to pedestrian wayfinding signs (images below). The project will reinforce Drumheller's commitment to be the noted "Dinosaur Capital of the World."
Some examples of dinosaur names that might be cool include: Tyrannosaurus Drive – Home of the World’s Largest Tyrannosaurus Rex, it might be fitting to have a street named after one of, if not the most famous of Canada’s dinosaurs. Triceratops Avenue – the most famous of the horned plant-eating dinosaurs Triceratops had 3 horns, perfect for defending itself from those darn meat-eating dinos. It may make sense to go for a walk on "Triceratops Avenue”
It’s up to YOU to decide your favourites from a list of 30 dinosaurs that that once lived in Drumheller. Voters are encouraged to choose their top 10 favorite dinosaurs. the results will be compiled and announced on July 6, 2017.
Printed voting sheets are also available at Town of Drumheller facilities (Badlands Community Facility, Aquaplex and Town Hall) and upon request by sending a request to info@dinosaurvalley.com with "Dinowalk" in the subject heading. Make your vote count by selecting 10 of your favorites.
Not sure which dinosaurs you like the most? Visit www.wikipedia.org and enter the dinosaur's name in the search field to find out more about the creatures that have shaped Drumheller's dinosaur obsession.


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