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Whoa, Nelly
Case Peters battles with his horse that refuses to navigate the obstacle at the Calgary Carriage Showcase and Pleasure Driving Show which was held in the North American Ring at Spruce Meadows last weekend.
- photo by John Barlow
Vandalism dismays church congregation
By Cindy BallanceEditor
Members of the Grace Lutheran Church in Okotoks are disheartened and frustrated at the recent vandalism at their newly renovated church.
On July 24, church member Patti Doberstein entered the church to find glass shattered along the parish floors. To her dismay she noticed that bricks had been thrown through two of the church’s new glass windows.
'There was glass everywhere,' said Doberstein. '(The vandalism) is disheartening for members of the church. . . a lot of work has gone into this (the renovations). It is God’s house and people think of it as their own, it would be no different if we went home and found a brick in our living room.'
Although the police were contacted regarding the wanton destruction, Doberstein said there was little they could do.
Camille Morgan, also a member of the church, explained that during renovations there have been a number of bricks piled outside for the workers and they are tempting for someone to cause destruction, however, the damage is still not necessary, she said.
'I was shocked to see the (damage to the) beautiful windows,' said Morgan. 'They have only been up in the last couple of months and now they are smashed.'
'I realize the bricks out there are a temptation,' added Doberstein. 'But I don’t understand their (the culprits) reasoning.'
While the damage is frustrating to the congregation, which has spent countless hours fund-raising to upgrade their church, they were also concerned with the safety of the children who attend the Vacation Bible School.
Alissa Jopp, a member of the summer servant team who is visiting the Okotoks church from New Jersey, explained that when the vandalism was discovered the church was about to house children for the Vacation Bible School.
'It (the glass) was just shattered all the way across (the room) and the kids were coming in,' she explained, adding that about 11 church members quickly gathered to lend a hand cleaning up the glass and stacking chairs around the bulk of destruction just minutes before the children arrived.
Although the church members are disheartened by the vandalism they are hoping they will be able to replace the windows and complete renovations in the near future.
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Forest Management Agreement for Kananaskis Country is signed by province
By Gillian BeckettStaff Reporter
An announcement made recently by the provincial government has evoked a mixed reaction amongst conservationists.
On July 24, Community Development Minister Gene Zwozdesky announced the protection of the Bluerock Wildland, Don Getty Wildland and Sheep River Provincial Parks located west of Turner Valley.
'Kananaskis Country is the jewel in Alberta’s crown and the three new designations demonstrate the Alberta government’s commitment to protecting our natural landscapes while providing outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and tourism under the Special Places program,' said Zwozdesky in a press release.
However, an announcement was also made that the provincial government has signed a Forest Management Agreement (FMA) with Spray Lake Sawmills Ltd. which will give the Cochrane-based company a 20-year-lease over 2,900 square kilometres of designated lands within Kananaskis Country.
'Converting the timber quotas to a (FMA) benefits the province and our environment,' said Mike Cardinal, Minister of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development in a press release. 'No new harvest areas are being added to the region. Within Kananaskis Country this FMA falls only within the multiple use areas where resource development activity such as timber harvesting is allowed — public input is a significant component of the detailed forest management planning for the FMA.'
According to the department of Sustainable Resources, the FMA will give Spray Lake Sawmills more certainty about its operating environment and will require the company to consult Albertans during the drafting of its detailed forest management plan.
'Spray Lake Sawmills has been operating for over 40 years in this region,' noted Cardinal. 'We are confident the company will continue its history of environmental stewardship and continue to work with Albertans on the responsible management of our forest resource.'
However, the FMA does not sit well with conservation groups. 'The FMA is bad news for Albertans who want clean water, wildlife and wilderness in Kananaskis,' said Stephan Legault, executive director of Wildcanada.net in a press release. 'We had hoped that the Klein government would complete the protection of the Elbow-Sheep Wildland.'
'While the three new protected areas are another positive step forward, many of the valley bottoms and the watersheds in them are still vulnerable to oil and gas development and logging,' he added.
The recent announcement has also resulted in a reaction of disappointment for local residents. 'I am disappointed that the government would not delay signing the FMA until a real arena could be set up for public input,' said Turner Valley resident Joy Hinman. 'I believe there are enough people and organizations out there who are knowledgeable enough to have a say on what is being done.'
She added that a main concern is what this will mean for the future of Alberta’s forests and wildlands and that a sustainable plan should be adopted. 'There have been sustainable logging permits issued elsewhere in the world that if they were followed wouldn’t be devastating to forest lands,' said Hinman.
Dieter Gade, director of the Bragg Creek Environmental Coalition (BCEC), explained that although the designation of three new protected areas within Kananaskis is a positive step forward, the FMA is a step backward.
'We (BCEC) strongly believe it was a mistake for the government to sign the FMA for various reasons,' said Gade. 'The Alberta government does not have a plan for Kananaskis Country. . . we need a plan before we can allocate any more resources.'
'In the long run it will be costly for Albertans. . . to restore the watershed will be very expensive,' he added. 'We encourage Albertans to write to the Premier (Ralph Klein) and ask him to withdraw the FMA.'
In response to the signed FMA, conservation groups such as the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) are calling for the agreement to be scrapped and a Regional Sustainable Development Strategy (RSDS) completed by the provincial government.
'The premier made a commitment in 1999 to complete a scientifically-based strategy for Kananaskis. More than 90 per cent of Albertans want Kananaskis Country protected,' said Legault. '(This) announcement appears to break the premier’s promise for an (RSDS) for Kananaskis and fails to protect enough wildlands and wildlife to satisfy the concerns of most Albertans.'
AWA representative Joleen Timko explained in a press release that an RSDS for K-Country 'would integrate community values, economic factors as well as the ecological context in which developments would occur.'
'This framework would incorporate local community values and provide a forum where local people could be involved in planning for the sustainable use of their natural resources,' said Timko.
For further information on the Spray Lake Sawmill FMA visit the website at www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/forests/fmd/spray/
