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Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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The Rotary clubs in the Grande Prairie area are gearing up for what's thought to be the largest single-day food drive of its kind in Canada.
On Tuesday September 14th, teams will go door-to-door in our city looking for donations to help supply the local food bank.
Ken O'Shea chairs the Drive that's been a part of this city's landscape for several years:
He says if you think about it, you probably know someone who needs the help of the food bank.
O'Shea says they're looking for collection teams, too:
Parents and kids, company employees -- all are welcome to sign up a team.
Here's how you do it -- call 780-532-3366.
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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Wal-Mart stores across the country have raised over 2 million dollars for the Red Cross through their August fundraising initiative.
Leading the way is the Grande Prairie store, having raised over 24 thousand dollars.
Money raised here stays locally for disaster management services.
Today is the final day of the campaign.
The local Wal-Mart store have cake and other activities planned to both celebrate the campaign's success and encourage last minute donations.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
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Oilpatch hiring again
A sign on the fence outside Sanjel Corporation in Red Deer indicates ongoing hiring at the location.
by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Text  
By Harley Richards - Red Deer Advocate
Published: August 27, 2010 6:43 AM
Updated: August 27, 2010 2:05 PM
A year ago, the prospects were pretty bleak for oilpatch workers with a resume in their hand.
No more.
Drilling and service companies are beating the bushes for skilled and even unskilled people as their industry recovers from the economic downturn.
Bonnie Snair, human resources manager at Red Deer’s High Arctic Energy Services, said her company has hired 74 workers over the past two and a half months.
“I anticipate that we’ll be hiring another 50 before the end of the year,” she said.
One of the most popular places for oilpatch companies to seek staff has been the newspaper classifieds. And after a period of absence, corporate logos have returned to that section of the Advocate, said Richard Smalley, the newspaper’s retail advertising manager.
“You’ve just got to open up a paper and you’ll see all the oil and gas ads that are running in there.”
Year-over-year, said Smalley, the Advocate’s classified display linage — which consist primarily of employment ads, particularly for the oilpatch — is up 43 per cent.
“That’s a huge jump.”
Charles Strachey, a regional communications manager with Alberta Employment and Immigration, has also observed an increase in job postings at his department’s Labour Market Information Centre in Red Deer.
“There’s been a significant jump in the number of oilfield jobs,” he said, adding that construction has also seen renewed hiring.
“Basically, there was almost zero jobs for the oilpatch on the job board last summer.”
As might be expected, this increase in the male-dominated sectors has impacted the ratio of job-seekers visiting the local Labour Market Information Centre.
Six months ago, 75 to 80 per cent were men, said Strachey; now the male-female split is about 50-50.
He added that his department is also now getting more requests for the specialized training typically required for oilpatch jobs.
Shane Goacher, operations manager with Bravo Oilfield Safety Services Inc. (B.O.S.S.), said the Grande Prairie-based company’s ads have generated quantity but not quality.
“A lot of people are available but nobody has the experience.”
When the oil and gas sector plummeted, he said, many skilled workers disappeared.
“Some of them ended up going to school, some of them ended up getting (other) jobs.”
Nancy Malone, economic analysis manager with the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, said senior staff on drilling rigs tend to ride out the slow periods.
“They understand the industry, they understand the ups and downs and they work appropriately.”
Roger Soucy, president of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada, said the labour crunch is likely hitting some companies harder than others. Those active in horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracturing — increasingly popular methods for pursuing oil and gas — are probably busier than other firms.
He and Malone agreed that the situation is not as dire as it was during the boom period several years ago. But if rig activity is high this winter, manpower could become a concern.
“We lost so many people who generally don’t come back to the industry once they’ve left it,” said Soucy.
The companies vying for people are already turning to new strategies.
High Arctic has been promoting a snubbing boot camp to entice prospective employees to give the industry a try. Snair said it’s helped her company hire many of its new people.
B.O.S.S. offers employees a travel voucher that they can use for a vacation after working for a period of time. Goacher said such enticements have become commonplace in the industry.
Both businesses are tapping into new search methods — High Arctic has turned to Facebook and B.O.S.S. to Kijiji — in their efforts to connect with young prospects.
“I think people just have to get really creative and step out of the box,” said Snair.
hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com
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Friday, August 27, 2010
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Gearing up for Grande Prairie
Oilers join Grande Prairie Storm for kick-off weekend camps & celebrations
By Andrea Goss | edmontonoilers.com
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| The city of Grande Prairie will be bustling with hockey activity this weekend. |
The Oilers Events Team and Community Partnerships Staff will be hitting Grande Prairie this weekend, drumming up excitement across Oil Country as the Oilers gear up for the 2010-11 season.
In celebration of their 15th season in the AJHL, the Edmonton Oilers will be joining the Grande Prairie Storm for their kick-off weekend and Hockey Alberta for various camps throughout the Friday and Saturday.
"Fans across Oil Country are gearing up for the start of the 2010-11 season and what better way for the Oilers to join that momentum then take part in Grande Prairie’s festivities this weekend," said Oilers President and CEO Patrick LaForge. "Northern Alberta has a rich diversity of hockey programs that span all levels and ages, this weekend will be about celebrating the game of hockey from grassroots to the pros."
Starting Friday, Oilers Community Partnerships Staff will be present at Coke Centre, taking part in on- and off-ice sessions with Hockey Alberta Camp. Joining them onsite will be the Oilers Events Team with some fun prizes and giveaways for camp participants.
Saturday really kicks the upcoming season momentum into high gear with the Storm Season Icebreaker.
Grande Prairie residents and visiting Oil country fans alike can join the Storm and the Oilers Events Team from noon to 4:00pm in Crystal Centre’s Front Parking Lot and Lobby.
Fans can expect a fun-filled afternoon of family activities and a special visit from the Oilers 53-foot big-rig, packed to the brim with Oilers giveaways, merchandise and a complete road-hockey setup. And what would an Oilers event be without the infamous, decked-out Fanboni present for rides and photographs.
Saturday additionally plays host to the OneGoal Female Hockey Clinic run by Hockey Alberta. The program, promoting and encouraging the enrollment of females in hockey, will also feature Oilers Community Partnerships Staff onsite in the morning and involvement by Hockey Canada and the NHL.
In preparation for the 2010-11 season, the Oilers Store Kiosk will be also be present throughout the entire weekend for the special opportunity to get your hands on the latest Oilers merchandise.
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
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The Grande Prairie Inn will no longer become a seniors' retirement complex. Calgary-based Dolemo Development Corp., which owns the hotel, said Wednesday it is halting the structure's conversion into the Grande Retirement Complex. "People loved the concept, it was what was needed in Grande Prairie, but a lot of people had kind of a wait-and-see attitude," said Martin Dolemo, owner of Dolemo Development.
"We didn't achieve our pre-leasing and so in turn what we had to do was pull back on the project for now." Dolemo said the decision was made last week and that the company wasn't close to getting the number of future residents needed. "Over time we would have got to where we needed to be, but without the pre-leasing it just made it a bit hard to do," he said. He wouldn't comment on the specific number of pre-leases needed or how many they had.
As for whether the company will try converting the 204-room hotel into a seniors complex again, he said it's "off the books for now." Meanwhile, Dolemo is still deciding what to do with the show suites. "(There's) no decision as of yet whether we're going to start renting them or hold off," he said. "I say they'll probably be worked into the rental mix."
Dolemo Development announced its conversion plans in January and expected the associated amenity renovations to begin in June. But the company never started on them, Dolemo said. Now, it will refocus efforts on regaining the inn's clientele, which he said shouldn't be difficult. "In these tough economic times people are looking for value," he said. "With our pricing … I think that the clientele and the companies will take note and start returning to the Grande Prairie Inn. But he's disappointed the project never took off. "We were very excited about the opportunity to bring this project into Grande Prairie and it's unfortunate that not enough people had pre-leased to make it viable," he said.
Mayor Dwight Logan commends the company on its attempt, but inevitably it's up to consumers to decide whether such a project moves forward, he said. "In a market-based economy like we've got, people vote with their dollars," Logan said. "Obviously the concept of it had been developed to try and market the property and command the marketplace but people didn't vote to stay there by buying or taking out leases." As for existing city senior care facilities, he said Grande Prairie is doing better than most places, but the city will need more. "Part of the problem is that there's different stages of care for seniors," he said. "You've got to not only have enough facilities for any particular stage of care that's needed, but you've got to have it for all the stages of care. That's the challenge."
josephine@dailyheraldtribune.com
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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SEXSMITH – A $22 million Viterra grain terminal was officially unveiled Thursday, ushering in a new era for Peace Country producers.
The terminal, with more than 30,000 tonnes of storage and 104 railway car capacity, was up and running in June.
Viterra officials heralded the new facility as being modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Brent Lindsay, market service manager, noted that loaded trucks enter through a single driveway where a probe assesses grain quality.
"That makes this facility faster because we know time is money for (producers)," he said. "(They) don't want to sit in driveways, they want to be in the field, they want to be on the road."
The process is so fast it has the capacity to load about 22 rail cars an hour at maximum capacity, Lindsay said.
"To put that in perspective, in a perfect world on a perfect day… we could load this 104-car capacity in about five hours," Lindsay said. "The plant I used to work in Spirit River, it would take me about 18 hours to load about 10% of that."
The terminal's capacity is the equivalent of more than one million bushels.
Lindsay pointed out the facility was constructed to meet current environmental standards including a dust collection system that returns all dust back to the stream of the grain.
"There is no exhaust into the atmosphere at this plant in any area, except for the rail car spout that goes into the car – and even that has three spouts on it to draw the dust."
In the middle of a crowd of Viterra employees, customers, and producers who were on hand for Thursday's ceremony, Sexsmith Mayor Claude Lagace listened intently as each speaker described the impact the facility will have on the region.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
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Grande Prairie Public Library will be hosting the Prairie Art Gallery’s collection Building Stories for the entire month of September. This collection features Alberta artists’ works including local artists such as Euphemia McNaught and Peter von Tiesenhausen. The works will be displayed all over the Library as part of the Artwalk during Arts Days. Those who view the collection during the weekend of September 17-19 will be eligible to enter the Arts Days grand prize draw. Stop in and have a look!
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Friday, August 20, 2010
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Presented by the Grande Prairie Stompede Association. Last year’s event was fantastic and sold out early. Only 40 scarecrow kits are available for purchase and display. The scarecrows must be made, decorated, displayed in their businesses (or someone else’s) for the first two weeks in October, then they will be auctioned off at a Dinner / Barn Dance at 5 Mile Hall on October 16 with dancing to the
Lazy Boy Rockers. Purchase a Scarecrow Sponsorship Package for $100.00 which will include a “scarecrow kit” and a ticket to the Barn Dance and Dinner. Contact Sandra for more information 780.831.8863. A limited number of Tickets are also available for the Dinner/Dance for $75.00/each
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Monday, August 16, 2010
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It's been a successful season for dinosaur excavation, bringing total skull discoveries in the Pipestone Creek/Wapiti River fossil bonebeds to 29. "We got two very nice (Wapiti bed) skulls. One we took out, one we didn't because it was just too far into the cliff," world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Philip Currie of Edmonton said. Currie, along with his team which includes his wife, palaeobotanist Dr. Eva Koppelhus, and members of the Grande Prairie Regional College, airlifted the skull along with other larger fossils from the Wapiti bonebed Friday, ending the team's three-week summer work. Twelve pachyrhinosaurus skulls have been found at the Wapiti bed and 17 at the better-known Pipestone Creek site south of Wembley over the last several years. And Currie thinks they've discovered a different classification of the dinosaur. "I'm still highly suspicious that these are in fact pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, the first (of its kind) that was ever described, near Lethbridge (about 1950)," he said.
The eight-metre-long, four-tonne adult dinos unearthed at Pipestone have been classed as p. lakustai, for discoverer Al Lakusta of Grande Prairie who stumbled on the bonebed in 1972. "For us to find it (p. canadensis) up here it's pretty exciting because it increases the range. We felt for a long time that these dinosaurs were probably migratory … and given the fact that the corridor for them moving is north-south then it's likely that they were moving up into the Arctic." It's hard to prove this point, Currie said, because of the known northern species of the 70 million-year-old Cretaceous-era beast. "Now that we have a much bigger range ... then there's exciting possibilities to look at isotopes in the bone for example and see in fact if they were moving north and south," he said. But it'll take years to confirm this. "Unfortunately in paleontology nothing happens overly fast," he said. The Wapiti bed skull retrieved will take a year or so to prepare in a laboratory, but they'll also need more than just the one. "For us to determine what species it is we do need a couple of good skulls so we can look at the range of variability," he said. "(We look at) how different are the males to the females?
How different are the old animals from the young animals kind of thing?" He expects to find many more fossils in both bonebeds, but it typically takes longer at the Wapiti location, about 30 kilometres west of the Pipestone site. "This is not as easy as a bonebed to work with as Pipestone. (It's) more remote, more difficult to get to and the rock is very, very hard," he said. "Pipestone is a place where we can work much faster and see results faster, but really we need the information from both places. "It's a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to compare very closely-related species in the same geographic area." Gathering the specimens is important, but so is mapping the geographic area they're found in, Currie added. "That helps us interpret the environment they were living in up till the point of death," he said. "It helps us determine how they were buried. "It helps us determine things like climate through the analysis of the plant fossils and the other fossils that are in the same area as the Ceratopsian (horned herbivore) dinosaurs. It helps us determine which way the rivers were in fact running and how big the rivers were." After the bones were removed, there was still lots of work to be done.
The group laid down plastic to cover the layer to make it easier to rediscover where they'd dug and chipped at the cliff's side. "On the last day what we do is clear everything out and make sure that everything is covered up so there's nothing visual that anyone would be offended by," he said. "We've restored the bonebed as natural as we can and we'll leave it for next year now. Next year we'll be back to reopen it again and go to the next section." Currie is unsure when they'll be back, but he said it'll likely be around the same time. "It's over (for this season). It went awfully fast. I can't believe it, but we were very successful and I'm very happy with the results." josephine@dailyheraldtribune.com
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Friday, July 30, 2010
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The new Grande Prairie bypass will open to traffic on the afternoon of July 30, providing an alternate route for traffic and helping to reduce congestion in the city. “Investing in our provincial highway network supports thousands of jobs today, lays the foundation for future economic growth, and supports our communities,” said Luke Ouellette, Minister of Transportation. “The new bypass will improve traffic flow in Grande Prairie and provide an important transportation and economic link for the region.” The Alberta government invested $24 million for the construction of the bypass, providing four kilometres of twinned highway and nine kilometres of service road improvements. “The new Grande Prairie bypass will help to ease congestion in the city and improve the transport of goods across northwestern Alberta,” said Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development and MLA for Grande Prairie-Smoky.
The roadway has been designated Highway 43X and connects Highway 43 from west of Highway 2 to 116 Street. “The new bypass allows large industrial and commercial traffic to move smoothly around the outside of the city, helping to reduce congestion and improve traffic safety for motorists,” said Wayne Drysdale, MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti. Construction on the proposed second phase of the bypass will extend west from 116 Street and connect with Highway 43 west of the airport. Government is currently completing the detailed design on the project.
The Government of Alberta has a clear plan for a strong economic recovery. The Way Forward will bring Alberta back into a surplus position in three years by trimming government spending; using cash reserves to protect key programs; continuing to invest in public infrastructure; and ensuring that our province’s industries are competitive and continue to attract investment to provide jobs and prosperity. -30- Media inquiries may be directed to: Heather Kaszuba Alberta Transportation Communications 780-422-7070 Cell: 780-717-3913 To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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