It’s hammer time
Gordon Walshe of Calgary winds up to toss the hammer during the heavy games competition at the eighth annual High River Highland Games at Highwood High School on Saturday. More than 2,000 people visited the event which included Highland dancing, piping and drumming competitions, sheep dog trials and a ceilidh. photo by John Barlow |
Case
is not closed
By Blair Braitenbach
Staff Reporter
 
Jane (above) and Cathryn (right)Johnson were murdered
11 years ago and although the case remains unsolved investigators are optimistic a break in the case is forthcoming. Wheel file photos |
RCMP officials are again asking the public for any information in the unsolved double homicide that shocked Turner Valley more than a decade ago.
On Monday, Sgt. Patrick Webb, Southern Alberta District RCMP media relations officer, held a press conference at the Turner Valley RCMP detachment to let people know the RCMP has not closed the file on the case that shook the small town 11 years ago.
On Sept. 3, 1996 what appeared to be an accidental house fire, became a murder case. The two inhabitants of the house, Jane Johnson, 36, and her daughter Cathryn, 8, were found deceased.
Upon further investigation it was discovered Jane had been stabbed to death prior to the fire.
No one wants the case solved more than Cathryn’s father.
Sam Johnson, father of Cathryn and Jane’s former husband, has been grief-stricken over his loss. Attending the press conference, Johnson said he firmly believes someone knows what happened and they know who is responsible for the murders.
“It’s been going on for a long time and I’d really like to see it over with and somebody having to pay for what they did,” Johnson said.
At this time every year Johnson said life is hard. But regardless of what time of year it is, Johnson said what the killer took away from him can never be replaced.
“There’s lots of times during the year that are hard, birthdays, Christmas. When most people are having fun I’m not. But this is a bad time,” Johnson said.
Webb acknowledged that after 11 years it is more difficult to find information that will lead to charges being laid, but he is confident that based on the information the RCMP already has collected, the case is very solvable.
“What we want to do is have everyone realize that out there right now we believe there are people (who) have information that we could put together with the pieces we have already,” Webb said during the conference.
Webb said the RCMP has never released the cause of Cathryn’s death so they can distinguish who is telling the truth and who is lying when people call with information in the case. Webb added there is still personnel examining the file and a new investigator is taking on the case in hopes of giving it a “fresh look.”
“We’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a couple people of interest, that is what we call them – that’s a step down from being a suspect,” Webb said, adding that the RCMP just needs a few more pieces of evidence that will allow them to name a suspect which may lead to charges.
“There are people out there that know people that know information. (They) have talked to people in conversation (and) can bring us those little bits and we can put it together and actually get a charge…We’re going to keep pressing on this as much as we possibly can to try to get this ultimately solved.”
In hopes of luring more information from the public the reward for information has increased substantially. A reward from donors who wish to remain anonymous, has been offered and recently increased to $125,000 for information that may break the case. Those with any information on this investigation are urged to call Turner Valley RCMP at (403) 933-7227 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8487). Crime Stoppers is anonymous and offers rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to a conviction. |
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Panel reviewing gas plant development plan
By John Barlow
Editor
Results of a public survey in regards to the future of the Turner Valley gas plant were favourable, said the gas plant committee chairman.
Last Wednesday the Turner Valley Gas Plant Resolution Advisory Panel met in Turner Valley to review the survey results and discuss the next step in the process of deciding the future of the condemned facility.
Jim Dilay, chairman of the panel, said the results of the survey have not yet been made public, but he did say the committee was pleased with the information gained from the process.
The survey was circulated to the public at the panel’s meeting in June.
“In general, the results were very favourable,” he said.
“There were some concerns, but we feel we can address those concerns along the way.”
The gas plant committee was struck in early 2006 with a two-year mandate to report back to the to the Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture on the future of the historic site.
With representation from local communities and stakeholders, the panel’s mandate includes reviewing the reclamation work, examining tests and reports, and undertaking stakeholder consultation.
Dilay said the process is imperative as the Turner Valley gas plant is historically significant as the earliest and best surviving example of an operating gas plant in Canada. In 1988, the Alberta government acquired the site and it was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1989. The plant became a National Historic Site in 1995.
However, the site was closed four years ago due to contamination concerns on site and pollution seeping into the nearby Sheep River.
Over the past several years the provincial government has undertaken a massive reclamation project which included an on-site clean-up, diverting the Sheep River and building a containment area to keep any potential pollutants from seeping into the river.
The remediation work has since been completed and at its meeting last Wednesday the panel reviewed the risk assessment report.
Foothills MD Coun. Ron Laycraft, a member of the panel, said the group must now review the development plan and the public survey and make a recommendation to the province on the future of the facility.
“We have to recommend to the province and the federal government if this can be a heritage site,” said Laycraft. “The remediation is complete, now the board has to decide what the government will do with it, what can go on the site.”
Laycraft said the panel will decide whether or not they support the development plan or not or recommend changes.
The 50-page development plan (available on the panel’s website www.tprc.gov.ab.ca/tvgp) outlines strategies on preservation, remediation, site development, tourism and site operations.
To re-open the facility as an interpretive centre the development plan shows a two-phase process.
The first phase includes the development of an interim visitor’s centre and upgrading of utilities such as water, sewer and the implementation of an effective security system.
It also includes long-term cleaning and stabilization of all structures and equipment on site to prevent further deteriorization of the buildings and equipment.
The cost for Phase 1 is estimated at $2.5 million.
Phase 2 of the process includes the development of the plant’s interpretive infrastructure through “expansion of the site entry and interpretive facilities.”
Implementation of Phase 2 will be done on a priority basis starting with the compressor and scrubbing plants as funds become available.
On completion of Phase 2 only the compressor building, the scrubbing plant and lunch room will be open to visitor access. However, in the future additional work could be done if demand and funding warrants further development.
Phase 2 would cost $4.5 million meaning to re-open the facility as an historic interpretive centre could cost $6.9 million.
The plan states the site will cost $350,000 per year to operate with two full-time and three part-time seasonal staff members.
All of this is contingent on the remediation on site and the recommendations of the panel.
Dilay said the panel is pleased with the progress to date and he is hopeful the gas plant will become a significant tourist attraction for Turner Valley.
“I think the panel believes having the gas plant as an historical interpretive centre is very much an option given the plant’s status as being one of the earliest oil and gas processing facilities,” said Dilay.
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In this issue...
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Okotoks Elks Hall refects
on storied history.
• See Entertainment
Out of the Chutes
Local wild horse race team
having string season
• See Sports |
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