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Pom-pom twins
Little Nicole Larson steers her cuddly
friend, a nine-month old llama named Phantom, at the 92nd annual Priddis and Millarville
Fair held on Aug. 21.
photo by Gillian Beckett
Okotoks teens rescued from mountain ledge
By Andrew Stuckey
Special to the wheel
Two Okotoks teens spent a long night on Crandell Mountain last week after
an adventurous hike in Waterton Lakes National Park left them stranded on a table-sized
ledge.
But steps Amanda and Sheila Paton, 17 and 14 respectively, had taken before heading
out on the day hike Aug. 17 turned what could have been a family tragedy into just
a cold night on the mountain.
The two sisters had hiked the popular Bear's Hump trail that afternoon before deciding
to continue their climb along a southeast ridge to the mountain's summit.
'It was kind of the classic situation,' said Janice Smith, a communications officer
with the park's warden service. 'People go up the Bear's Hump trail and decide to
climb higher. It's actually an easy climb to a point and then it gets more difficult.'
The sisters, after negotiating some rather difficult sections and realizing the hike
was taking longer than expected, started down.
Smith said the two girls took what they thought would be an easier route to the valley
floor, only to find themselves on a series of ledges above a cliff.
'It was getting dark and they were really losing the light,' she said. 'That's when
they realized they wouldn't get off the mountain that night.'
The pair instead settled in for a long, uncomfortable wait on the ledge overlooking
the Alkamina Pass.
'We were just really glad we had done it enough to know to have extra food and clothing
and stuff,' said Sheila. 'We did some not-so-bright stuff, but there were a few things
that helped us out.'
The girls were reported missing later that evening and their car was discovered in
the Bear's Hump parking lot.
'People figured they were up on the mountain, but it's just too dangerous to try
a night rescue,' Smith explained. 'So they stayed there overnight.'
The teens' father and uncle arrived in Waterton around 6:30 am the following morning.
The two girls were staying at a cabin owned by the uncle, Larry Henderson, and had
informed their parents of their hiking plans prior to climbing Bear's Hump.
'We knew they were gone because they check in before they go on a hike,' said Jim
Paton, the girl's father. 'And we knew something was up because they didn't call
that night.'
Around 7:30 am the teens were spotted on the ledge, but the rescue team decided a
climb would take too long and prove too dangerous. Instead, a helicopter was summoned
from Canmore so that a long-line rescue could be attempted.
With such a rescue, a warden climbs into a harness and attaches himself to a line
hung beneath the helicopter. He is then carried to the stranded hikers.
After the helicopter arrived at 9 am, Brent Kozachenko, a public safety specialist
at the park, was given the job of bringing the girls to safety.
'It took awhile for the helicopter to get here from Canmore, but the rescue went
surprisingly fast once it arrived.' Smith said. 'By 9:30 am we had the second girl
on the ground.'
Paton was impressed with the rescue effort, noting searchers were already hard at
work when he and Henderson arrived early that morning.
'(We're) not only grateful, but really impressed,' he said. 'They pretty much knew
where to look for people. They were competent and experienced.'
Paton said his daughters, who he described as experienced hikers, won't soon forget
the ordeal.
'It's really been an experience,' he said. 'When they went to bed the following night,
they had dreams of falling off a mountain. But that's understandable -- the ledge
they were on was about the size of a table-top. You can imagine how hard it is for
two people to get to sleep on something like that.'
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Public forum planned for community centre plebiscite
By Cindy Ballance
Editor
In order for local residents to make an informed decision on the upcoming plebiscite,
the Foothills Community Centre Foundation will be hosting a public forum.
The forum will be held on Sept. 9 at 7 pm in the gymnasium of the Foothills Composite
High School.
Forum organizer Ted Shacklady said the forum will provide pertinent and accurate
information on the plans of the community centre.
The plebiscite, which will be held on Sept. 20 from 10 am to 8 pm at the Okotoks
Fire Hall, will ask Okotoks residents whether or not the Town of Okotoks should proceed
with a borrowing bylaw of up to $1.4 million to complete the Foothills Community
Centre.
The question on the ballot will read: 'Do you wish the Town of Okotoks to proceed
with the borrowing of up to $1.4 million dollar under Bylaw 30-99 to complete the
construction of the community centre.'
In addition, a petition has been received by the town bearing about 1,400 names.
The petition must be verified to determined its validity and then presented to council.
If the petition is valid then council will be bound by the vote made on Sept. 20
regardless of the outcome.
An advanced poll for voters will be held on Sept. 14 from 10 am to 8 pm at council
chambers next to the town hall.
During the forum, the Foothills Community Centre Foundation (FCCF) is planning to
provide the public with various information such as the fund-raising to date, plans
for the centre, what the borrowing bylaw means to residents and much more.
'It is most important that (people know) the first phase was started based on funds
raised and the plebiscite is to complete Phase 2,' said Shacklady.
The $1.4 million, added Shacklady, is the maximum that is going to be borrowed and
if that amount isn't necessary the amount borrowed will be less.
The effect on the average homeowner with a home assessed at $150,000 is $52.50 per
year for 10 years. In percentage terms, this means that the overall increase to taxes
for a typical homeowner (as exampled above) would be 2.75 per cent on the overall
tax bill strictly in regards to the community centre.
However, Shacklady added, that resident contribution could be decreased through various
fund-raising, grants or increased population.
'Fund-raising and grant applications are still ongoing to achieve that goal,' said
Shacklady.
Any income received by the FCCF will go directly towards paying down the debt, he
added.
'The borrowing bylaw, in effect, is to have the taxpayers co-sign or guarantee a
loan to finish the Foothills Community Centre,' he said.
The role of the forum, Shacklady said, is 'to get the information to the electorate
to make an informed decision.'
All town residents are encouraged to attend the public forum on Sept. 9. For more
information call Ted Shacklady at 938-6993.
'We hope that people take the time to find out what is going on,' added Shacklady.
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