While Christmas is a joyous time, it can also be a time of stress, especially for people and families who are struggling to make ends meet.
In Drumheller, The Salvation Army works hard to help fill some of these needs, and with the support of the community, they make it a reality.
The first step to this is the Red Bag, Food Drive. This has become a tradition in Drumheller and area. This is a one-night blitz where the community comes out in great support. Residents are asked to make a donation of non-perishable food items, pack them up in the Red Bag and leave them in a visible place. A team of volunteers will blitz neighbourhoods, door-to-door, to pick up the food and sort it to make hampers.
The annual Food Drive helps the Salvation Army stock the food bank up to Christmas and into the new year. The need is very real. The Salvation Army recently released new data showing while inflation and food affordability have eased slightly, research shows among Albertans managing limited resources, 57 per cent identified food-related challenges in the past year.
This year’s food drive is on Thursday, November 28. The Red Bags will be distributed in this week’s edition of The Drumheller Mail. They are also available for pick up at Freson Bros., The Salvation Army Thrift Store and McDonald’s.
Volunteers are needed for the annual food drive, which typically only takes about two hours. Volunteers can meet at a number of muster points throughout the community at 5:45 p.m. on the night of the Food Drive.
From there, they canvas their community and drop the bags at The Salvation Army to sort.
Muster points include:
Newcastle - Newcastle Community Hall
Nacmine - Nacmine Community Hall
Bankview/Hunts - Bottle Depot
Midland - Midland Community Hall
North Drum - Car Wash
Riverside/Willow Estates - DVSS Parking Lot
McKonkey Park - Court House
Downtown - Brick Parking Lot
Greentree - Greentree School Parking Lot
Morrin - Main Street
Munson - Community Hall
Rosedale - Community Hall
Carbon - Community Hall
Delia/Craigmyle - Delia School Library Parking Lot

For more information on volunteering contact Summer Manca at 403-821-3163.

While progress is being made on the Gordon Taylor Bridge, crews are working through some delays.
While many in the valley impacted by the construction work on the only connector in Drumheller over the Red Deer River were hoping the first phase of the project to be completed, saw the signs that indicated a fall wrap-up, changed from October to November and November to December.
Wayne Wood, communications advisor for Alberta Transportation and Economic corridors tells the Mail the construction is taking longer than anticipated due to some delays in the supply of key materials needed for the project.
He also notes as the project extends later into the construction season, there could be further issues.
“The exact extent of the delays is also weather dependent as periods of colder weather will result in needing more time to complete the work,” said Wood in an email. “The project team is looking at ways to minimize delays and wrap up construction of this first season of construction as quickly as possible while still ensuring a high quality of work.”
Wood notes the budget was set at $10.1 million and the project is on budget.
When work is completed for this season he explains there will be a temporary concrete barricade down the middle of the bridge, as only half of the bridge will be rehabilitated.
Work on the west half of the bridge will start in the spring of 2025 and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2025.