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Wee, little Scotsman
This young lad joins in with these marching members of Clan Maxwell during the Little Britches Rodeo parade which was held in High River on May 21.
photo by Gillian Beckett
Okotoks residents asked to restrict outdoor water use
Notice
Outdoor Watering Restriction
Bylaw 22-90
The following is an actual notice created and distributed from the Town of Okotoks as of Wednesday, May 23, 2001. Please watch next week’s Western Wheel for a full story and details regarding water use in Okotoks.
The Town of Okotoks is issuing an outdoor watering restriction to households. This restriction is imposed under the Water Utility Bylaw.
Lower winter runoffs have reduced the amount of water available in the Sheep River. The Town is licenced to withdraw water from shallow wells in the watershed. When flows are low, the Town must reduce our draw from licenced wells. Alberta Environment advised the Town on May 23, 2001 that water levels in the Sheep River have fallen below the flow required to meet the instream objectives of the Sheep River. Instream objectives are set by the required amount of water that is needed to ensure a healthy aquatic environment, agricultural uses and the essential needs of other water users. This water restriction does not affect the safety of the Town’s potable water system or the Town’s Fire Protection Services.
- Residents are required to reduce and modify their outdoor watering of lawns.
- Odd and Even Watering Days — Using the last number of your address (odd or even) determines which days you may water your lawn.
- If you live at an even-numbered address, you may water your lawn on Wednesday and Saturday.
- If you live at an odd-numbered address, you may water your lawn on Thursday and Sunday.
- You may only water during the following hours:
Watering Hours:
6 am — 9 am
8 pm — midnight
- Remember you only need to water 2-3 cm (1 inch) every 7 - 10 days. In most areas, 2-3 cm (1 inch) of water is equivalent to about 1 hour of watering.
- Flowerbeds and vegetable gardens can be watered by hand using watering cans or a hose with a nozzle that has a trigger shut off to restrict water flow.
- Other WaterSmart Ways You Can Help? Reduce activities like car washing and exterior home cleaning. Modifying your home water use by checking for leaks, using your dishwasher every other day and only doing full loads of laundry. These are just some of the ways you can help! We will publish more ideas in the Western Wheel in coming weeks.
Outdoor watering restrictions will remain in effect until flows in the Sheep River reach sufficient levels.
The Town will notify residents when the restriction is over through weekly updates in the Okotoks Western Wheel, Radio AM 1140, Public Signs, the Town Website and the Town of Okotoks WaterSmart Hotline.
- WaterSmart Hotline : 938-8905 (Provides recorded information only).
- Will Pearce, Municipal Manager: 938-8900
- Richard Quail, Infrastructure Services Manager: 938-8908
- Dave Robertson, Operations Manager: 938-8922
Current Weather in Okotoks
HHA review identifies MS prevalence higher in local region than in the province
The Headwaters Health Authority says more action needs to be taken by the provincial government in order to determine why Alberta has one of the highest prevalence rates of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the world.
According to Dr. David Swann, Headwaters medical officer, the health authority has conducted a review in order to determine the prevalence rate of MS, particularly in the Black Diamond and Turner Valley region.
He explained that the review, which was conducted in March and April, was initiated by individuals and a physician concerned with the high rate of MS in the Black Diamond/Turner Valley community.
'We looked at the number of bonafide cases of MS in the Oilfields (Hospital service area) and whether (the patients) legitimately had MS,' said Swann, who noted that some people may have the symptoms of MS but do not have the disease.
Some MS symptoms may include double or blurred vision, extreme fatigue, loss of balance, coordination problems, muscle stiffness, speech problems, bowel/bladder problems, short-term memory trouble and partial or complete paralysis.
After the review was conducted, it was determined that there are 20 confirmed cases of MS in the Oilfields area.
According to a press release, the prevalence rate of MS within the entire Headwaters region (Canmore to Claresholm) was 354 cases out of 100,000 in 1999. This is compared to the provincial rate of 313 cases per 100,000.
'The (rate of MS) is relatively high within the whole Headwaters region,' said Swann. 'Alberta has had the highest rates of MS in Canada for many years and has among the highest rates of MS in the world.'
He noted that other countries with a high MS rate include northern European nations, particularly northern Scotland, and countries south of the equator such as Australia and New Zealand.
However, Swann said there is not enough adequate resources to pinpoint the factors that lead to MS.
'There needs to be more research to determine what factors (in Alberta) are unique to Canada and why we have the highest rate (of MS in the country),' said Swann. 'Dietary, chemical, genetic and environmental factors need to be explored within Alberta. . . this is a devastating disease that (accounts for) huge costs to the health care system.'
In order to get a hold on determining the hows and whys of MS in Alberta, Swann said that the provincial government needs to become involved.
'We have already spoken to the province (government) and they are willing to become more deeply involved,' said Swann. 'I think we need to have a registry for MS patients. . . MS is problematic beyond our (Headwaters) region.'
MS is a progressive, degenerative and fatal disease of the central nervous system which attacks the protective myelin sheath around the brain and spinal cord.
The severity of MS, progression and specific symptoms cannot be predicted during diagnosis and is ultimately fatal. There are also several types of MS depending on how it progresses.
Although there is no known cure for the disease, there have been advances in treating MS.
Since 1995, four medications have been approved for use in Canada to treat remitting and secondary-progressive MS.
The medications have been shown in clinical trials to decrease the frequency and severity of MS attacks, reduce brain lesions and slow its progression.
An estimated 50,000 Canadians have MS with approximately 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
MS is usually diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 to 40 and is predominantly found in women.
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