News | DrumhellerMail

Junior high program at Hussar discontinued

    This coming school year Hussar School will no longer be offering a junior high program.
    In 2007, due to declining enrolment, Hussar School lost its high school, and last year, Grade 9 students from Hussar were consolidated into the Standard School program. This year because of the low numbers, the Grade 7 and 8 programs have now been discontinued.
    Board chair Ron Kenworthy says there were only a handful of students coming up the ranks to Grade 7 and 8.
    “There wasn’t that large of group… So the only option would have been a Grade 5-6 and 8 split,” said Kenworthy. “We directed the students to Standard School and parents chose to send their children elsewhere.”
    Many students from Hussar School are now enrolled in Bassano, Drumheller and Strathmore.
    Kenworthy explains the consolidation of programs to Standard is an interim fix as the school division planned on constructing a stand-alone Wheatland East School to serve the area students.
    “People are starting to feel the new school is more distant in time than we thought,” said Kenworthy.
    Earlier this spring, Wheatland County Council voted down redesignating a parcel of land Golden Hills selected for a centralized school.
    “We don’t have the land, the county has chosen not to grant that redesignation, and we haven’t heard from the minister in so far as if we had anything for a new school, so we are in limbo,” said Kenworthy.
    He said the Golden Hills School Board has sent a letter to the Minister of Education Dave Hancock asking for his advice, adding that parents from Hussar School have also written letters about the decision.

Durnie focuses on G-20 Summit

    Drumheller’s Darwin Durnie has been charged with the monumental task of helping to bring 20 of the world’s Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors together in Toronto this weekend.
    Durnie, who worked for the City of Drumheller and the Town of Drumheller for 18 years is the associate director of facilities and preparation for the G-20 Conference in Toronto on June 26 and 27. The G-20 represents 85 per cent of the world’s gross national product and 80 per cent of world trade.
                                 “My main role is to set up the G-20 in Toronto; however, I am involved in the construction contracts at G-8 in Deerhurst,” Durnie told The Mail.
    The G-8 Summit is an annual meeting of world leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also represented. The 36th meeting of the group is at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario.
    Mr. Durnie was also involved in the last Canadian-hosted G-8 Summit, held in Kananaskis in 2002. He was manager of remote sites and responsible for set-up.
    Durnie is employed by the Summit Management Office, which is a secretariat established by the Prime Minister.
    Durnie was director of Engineering in Drumheller previous to his appointment for the Kananaskis Summit. Currently he is working as a registered engineering technologist at Stantec in Red Deer.

Mayor Nimmo says “No” to third term

    Mayor Bryce Nimmo, who has led the Town of Drumheller for the past four years, will not seek a third term in the October 18 civic election.
    In an exclusive interview, Mayor Nimmo informed inSide Drumheller he felt he has enjoyed the opportunity to serve the citizens of Drumheller since coming to office in February of 2007.
    He followed former Mayor Paul Ainscough who resigned in the fall of 2006, and defeated former councilor Larry Davidson in a January by-election.
    In the October 2007 civic election, he was re-elected, defeating Robert Jackson for the mayor’s seat.
    “I am pleased with the progress the town has made over the past while, and Drumheller continues to be a wonderful place to live and work”, he said.
    Mayor Nimmo cited several moves made by the Town over the past while that he is pleased to have been part of, including the planning and development of the Badlands Community Facility, the new Wastewater Treatment Plant, and significant changes out at the Regional Landfill.
    The two new schools (St. Anthony’s and DCHS) currently under construction are certainly positive for the town as these are important for a healthy, vibrant community, he added.
    “Drumheller is in a great position for the future, and we are moving in the right direction”, he continued. “Council has also dealt with a lot of planning and land-use issues that are key to our future.”
    Mayor Nimmo was also pleased that the town has significantly increased the number of volunteers involved in work on behalf of the Town.
    “Our committees involved with the new facility, the new Police Commission, and all of the other boards assisting the town, require a lot of time commitment and I am grateful to citizens for their dedication,” he said.
    Though not seeking another term, Mr. Nimmo says he will still help out where needed.
    “Rosalie and I will continue to make Drumheller our home, and I will still volunteer where I can. I want to offer “Good Luck” to the new Council when they take over after the fall election.”

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