Okotoks - Blaze destroys home
By Pamela Roth
Staff Reporter
 Four
people are homeless just weeks before Christmas after a fire destroyed
their home at 57 Okotoks Drive Saturday morning.
The Okotoks Fire Department and RCMP were called to the residence around
11:30 a.m. only to find the home already engulfed in flames with smoke
billowing high into the cold winter sky.
When Bev Taggert and her husband looked out their front window and saw
the thick clouds of smoke coming from the home across the street, she
couldn’t believe what she was witnessing.
“All we could see was smoke,” said Taggert. “It was
pretty scary. I just thought, oh my gosh, that house is on fire.”
According to Okotoks RCMP Cst. Mario Maillet, the homeowner, whose name
has not yet been released, was home at the time the fire began, but didn’t
notice the fire until it was too late
Even though the homeowner attempted to extinguish the fire, the flames
soon forced him and the three other tenants living in the basement out
of the home and into the cold
It wasn’t until around 3:30 p.m. that the flames were completely
doused, leaving behind the charred structure of what used to be a home.
Fortunately, everyone was able to make it out of the home safely, with
the exception of a dog.
“Everybody was fine,” said Maillet. “The structure is
still there, but the inside is completely destroyed.”
After speaking with the homeowner and the fire department, Maillet said
it’s believed the fire began in the roof or attic portion of the
home, which was undergoing some renovations at the time.
Arson has been ruled out at this time, leaving investigators to believe
the blaze was caused by electrical problems, however, the incident is
still under investigation.
MP says Canada ripe for change
By Pamela Roth
Staff Reporter
The historic non-confidence vote last Monday that toppled the Liberal
minority government forcing a winter election came as no surprise to Macleod
MP Ted Menzies.
Menzies, a Conservative, said his fellow MPs knew the consequences of
what they were about to do and, as a result, the politicians behaved in
a civil manner, wishing each other the best of luck as they headed into
a 56-day winter campaign — the longest in 21 years.
But even though low voter turnout in recent elections suggests voters
are reluctant to head to the polls for the second time in 18 months, and
recent polls have shown the Liberals are likely to win another minority
government Menzies firmly believes Canadians are ready for a change —
a Conservative change.
“I am not very concerned about the polls,” said Menzies. “I
think the message that I have heard all across the country is people are
ready for a change.
“That means not voting for a Liberal government. We watched a winter
election in the Ukraine last year where people camped out for nights on
end to have the right to vote in a democratic election. All we are asking
is for somebody to get into their heated car, drive down the street and
cast a ballot.”
There is no question the findings of the Gomery report have damaged the
reputation of the Liberal government.
Support for the Liberals fell dramatically in polls taken after its release
Nov. 1, causing the Grits to fall into a virtual tie with the Tories.
But the fact that nobody has yet to be held accountable for the sponsorship
scandal, which saw millions of taxpayers’ dollars being funneled
into Liberal coffers, is most frustrating of all for Menzies, who still
questions the true outcome of the last two federal elections.
“It brings the whole electoral process in Canada in the last two
elections into question,” said Menzies. “If they hadn’t
had money to dump into these questionable swing ridings, would the Conservatives
(have won) a majority last time or was the last election bought? That
question is still on my mind.”
As politicians begin gearing up for the winter campaign, with some already
rolling out their party platform, Menzies won’t be knocking on doors
with his campaign spiel any time soon.
Though he believes it’s going to be a fierce battle among candidates
this time around, he won’t be putting on his boxing gloves at least
until the new year.
“People don’t want me knocking on their door before Christmas,
but I’ll be out and about,” said Menzies. “It’s
not going to be a hard-fought campaign until we get into the new year.”
Canadians head to the polls on Jan. 23.
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Candy Christmas
August Sasick enjoys his cotton candy
on Saturday afternoon at the Elks Christmas party at the Elks Hall
in Okotoks. photo by Rae Holtsbaum
Okotoks - Flood prevention proves costly
Infrastructure could cost town $4 million
By Laurel Nadon
Staff Reporter
To avoid the disastrous damage inflicted by last June’s
floods in the future, the Town of Okotoks would have to invest as
much as $4 million in preventative infrastructure.
Backflow prevention devices and pumping or storage of stormwater may
alleviate the severity of future flood damage, said representatives
of an engineering firm at a town meeting at the Foothills Centennial
Centre last Monday.
Brett Young, senior project manager at CH2M Hill, said that backflow
prevention reduces flooding from the river, but flooding from stormwater
runoff may still occur. Young said a cost-benefit analysis is needed
before town council moves ahead with a costly pumping or storage system.
Approximately 50 residents attended the meeting, which follows a flood
analysis meeting with Alberta Environment held on Oct. 24.
“I wouldn’t have minded stronger language on what we need
to do,” said Okotoks Mayor Bill McAlpine. “It did put
in writing what we all knew in our hearts.”
He added that what changes the town plans to undertake will depend
on what funding is available.
Estimated costs for storage and pumping requirements are $2 million
to $3 million for Elizabeth Street and Northridge Drive and $1 million
to $1.5 million for Poplar Avenue and Elm Avenue.
The estimated cost to repair damage at the outfalls is approximately
$98,000.
CH2M Hill also recommended that wastewater elevations be controlled
at the wastewater treatment plant by having an overflow or bypass
channel installed and a high water level alarm.
Councillor Laurie Hodson expressed concern that the town wasn’t
better prepared for the floods.
“If the flood had occurred 10 years ago, what reasonable measures
would you have expected to see 10 years later?” Hodson asked.
“It’s not the first flood this community has experienced.
What might we have learned from previous floods?”
Young responded that reasonable is a subjective term and that the
engineering firm’s job was to look forward and not backward.
Councillor Ralph Wilson said he’s heard that the ground is still
highly saturated from the floods.
“If we get a high amount of snow pack this winter, we could
possibly be faced with flooding early next year,” Wilson said,
adding that he’d like to know what recommendations council should
act on to prevent this. “My concern is the thickness of this
report and how fast we can move to protect ourselves from what can
happen next year.”
Young responded that, “It’s unlikely, but not impossible
we’ll get a magnitude event of this significance (this spring).”
He suggested that immediate plans could include inserts in the manholes
and backflow prevention at the outflows.
Frank Callaghan, the owner of the Okotoks Country Inn which had to
be evacuated last June, asked if the town’s recent growth compounded
the situation.
Young responded that this did play a role, as all the residents are
still using one sanitary system and increased roadways mean fewer
places for the water to penetrate.
The town commissioned the report in July 2005 following the three
June flood events. The study focused on sanitary sewer flooding in
the East Lineham and North Railway areas and storm water flooding
along Poplar and Elm Avenues and along Elizabeth Street at Northridge
Drive. The report stated that the sanitary sewer backup was caused
by high wastewater levels at the wastewater treatment plant. Most
of the sanitary flooding was reported in the first flood event.
The three areas that were hit the hardest are all older, low-lying
parts of town and weren’t designed according to the current
floodplain and stormwater management guidelines.
A copy of the report is at the Okotoks Public Library and is a public
document. Council will consider the recommendations at its Dec. 12
meeting.
Cutline 1: Brett Young, senior project manager at CH2M
Hill, discusses recommendations for the sanitary and storm systems
at a town meeting at the Foothills Centennial Centre on Monday, Nov.
28. photo by Laurel Nadon
Cutline 2: Sylvia Schunicht, who lives on Oak Avenue,
asks a question about the sanitary and storm systems at a town meeting
at the Foothills Centennial Centre on Monday, Nov. 28. photo by Laurel
Nadon
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In this issue...
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Hoops preview -
Foothills Basketball League tips off
• See Sports
Land Dilemma -
Okotoks losing industrial development to other towns
• See News
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