The Atlas Coal Mine had their best weekend ever and with 1,950 individual visits, up 37 per cent.

    Records were falling all over the valley during the long weekend indicating that the lull in tourism, following the flooding events in June, may have come to an end.
    The August long weekend saw records shattered from one end of the valley to the other.
    Marketing coordinator for the Royal Tyrrell Museum Leanna Mohan has seen numbers return to normal following the events this spring, and over the August Long Weekend visitorship was up 17 per cent over last year.
    She said typical numbers for this time are in the 5,200 range. Saturday they were up to 6,000, Sunday 6,500 and holiday Monday they saw 5,300 come through the door.
    The Atlas Coal Mine had their best weekend ever and with 1,950 individual visits, up 37 per cent.
    Linda Digby, executive director for the Atlas Coal Mine, said they were anticipating a busy weekend and were prepared. However they were pushing capacity for parking and for tour spaces.
    “That’s a new chapter for us. It is something we have been anticipating as we’ve been growing,” said Digby. “It is a good problem.”
    The valley as a whole was busy with Chuckwagon races and Motocross. One other factor of course was Drumheller’s appearance on The Amazing Race Canada.
    “Maybe there was pent up demand with the wet spring we had,” said Jay Russell of the Atlas Coal Mine. “But having a national television show showcasing the valley was definitely beneficial to everybody.”
    Debbie Schinnour of the Tourist Information Centre at the World’s Largest Dinosaur says the television coverage was a benefit judging by the requests from visitors to see Horse Thief Canyon as well as the Atlas as Coal Mine.
    “We had a great weekend,” said Schinnour. “I think everybody wanted to get out again.”

AHS seeks quitting stories for Tarbox legacy book.

    Alberta Health Services (AHS) is asking for Albertans to share their stories of quitting tobacco to help inspire others to do the same through the Barb Tarbox Legacy Story Campaign.
    The campaign, which began earlier this summer, marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Tarbox, Canada’s renowned anti-tobacco activist.
    Albertans are encouraged to submit the story of their quest to live a tobacco-free life. Many of the stories will be chosen to be published in a new edition of Tarbox’s book Barb’s Miracle: How Barb Tarbox Transformed Her Deadly Cancer into a Lifesaving Crusade.
    “We want people to share their stories to inspire youth not to use tobacco and continue the legacy. One hundred will be selected to use in a new edition of her book and during the Barb Tarbox Awards in the fall. AHS may use them in some prevention activities,” said Martin McSween, an addictions counsellor with AHS.
    McSween hopes residents of the Drumheller, Three Hills, and Hanna areas will take the opportunity to share their stories. He feels rural Albertans have a unique perspective on tobacco use, especially concerning the use of chewing tobacco and cigarillos.
    “There are a lot of good stories from here. There are going to be stories from the urban areas, but it would be fun and interesting to have stories from our area,” said McSween. “Chew is significant out here. It would be wonderful to have that in there. Cigarillos have also been popular, too.”
    Tarbox, a resident of Edmonton, was a lifelong smoker who died in May 2003 from lung and brain cancer. She spent her final months travelling the country, speaking to youth about the dangers of tobacco, and contributing to Alberta’s tobacco reduction movement.
    McSween has offered to help any interested residents prepare their submissions.
    “We can offer that help. This awareness and keeping this campaign alive is a big thing for us,” said McSween.
    To learn more or submit, visit www.albertahealthservices.ca or www.albertaquits.ca.