Col. Doyle takes over command of 4 Wing

For the Lakeland Regional.

Former 4 Wing commander, Brig.-Gen. Eric Kenny waves to the crowd as he’s driven away following a change of command ceremony at the base last week.

Eric Bowling

 

 The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds‬ make an airborne salute to see off Brig.-Gen Eric Kenny at CFB 4 Wing on July 21.
Eric Bowling

 The new man in charge of 4 Wing was all smiles as he took over command of the base.

CFB Cold Lake held its official change of command ceremony on July 21. The new wing commander, Col. Paul “Puffy” Doyle, will be in charge of all activities involving 4 Wing for the next three years.

“A big thing for us on the wing side of the house is making sure that we continue with the excellent legacy that we have for operational capabilities at 4 Wing. We have a requirement to make sure whenever the government needs air power from Cold Lake we’re there to deliver,” said Doyle. “At the same time, I need to make sure that the incredible relationship we have with the communities throughout the Lakeland region is continued.”

 Col. Paul “Puffy” Doyle.
Eric Bowling

This isn’t Doyle’s first posting to Cold Lake. He previously had been posted at 4 Wing as a student and instructor fighter pilot, as well as commanding officer of 410 squadron.

“This is my sixth time living in Cold Lake. I was here in Grade 6 when the very first CF-18s showed up in October 1982,” recalled Doyle. “We’ve been back for about a week and a half or so now. When we came over the hill into town we saw the sailboats and my daughter’s in the back seat and she’s going ‘yay’ because we know so many people around here and it’s so great to be back home. This is home for us.”

 Maj.-Gen. Christian Drouin receives the 4 Wing Sword from Brig.-Gen. Eric Kenny to pass command of the base to Col. Paul Doyle.

Eric Bowling

 Doyle takes the yoke over from longtime friend and fellow flier Brig.-Gen. Eric Kenny, who himself hails from Cold Lake. Kenny is now off to become deputy commander for Force Generation at 1 Canadian Air Division headquarters in Winnipeg, MB. The change comes after a busy two years in command of 4 Wing, which included a deployment to Kuwait from October 2014 to April 2015 in the fight against ISIS.

“Brig.-Gen. Kenny’s father and my father flew together. They worked together in Germany, so Brig.-Gen. Kenny and I went to school together, we played hockey together, we went on trips together,” said Doyle of his friendship with Kenny. “I’ve known him since the mid to late 80s.”

The reviewing officer of the ceremony was Maj.-Gen. Christian Drouin, who is commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, the Canadian NORAD Region and the Joint Forces Air Component.

Doyle added that he is excited to be in his new role and is looking forward to getting back in the air.
“I’ve been in a ground job for the last couple of years, I haven’t had a chance to fly. I’m a trained Hornet pilot. I started flying Hornets before I met my wife and we had our little ones.”

 Four F18s fly over the change of command ceremonies on July 21.

Eric Bowling

While he may have just taken up his new post, Doyle already has a full schedule ahead of him.

“Next week I’ll be presiding over the change of command ceremony for 410 squadron. I was at the last one as the outgoing CO, but now I’m going to there as the reviewing officer.”

Doyle concluded that he is eager to get started on the job and happy to carry on the mantle of wing commander.

“We do great things in Cold Lake, we do great things for Canada. I’m really looking forward to representing what 4 Wing does for all of us.”

Council approves rezoning for Crisis Centre

For the Lakeland Regional.

A local women’s shelter has passed a major hurdle in its efforts to construct a new building.
Cold Lake City Council approved a rezoning application by the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre at a special meeting on July 19.

The rezoning needed to be discussed by city council because it was listed as a direct control zone, which means that council has the final say in the zoning application process. The crisis centre society had requested permission to build a new outreach building on the property they own.

In accordance with the development bylaws, a public hearing was held. No one showed up to air grievances, although one citizen submitted a letter of protest citing concerns about parking affecting traffic in the area and the effects of social housing on homeowners. Council read the letter in the meeting and concluded that the new development largely solved the problems mentioned in the letter.
The new building will be used for administration and outreach, which are currently operating out of the same building as the shelter.

Originally, the rezoning proposal suggested placing 10 parking spots on the front side of the property. However, a few council members expressed concern about the parking spots disrupting the “single housing” nature of the neighborhood.

However, crisis centre executive director Susan White said that wouldn’t be a problem.
“I would prefer to break (the parking spots) up,” noted White.

In the end, council approved the rezoning application, but amended it to limit the development to six parking stalls.

The next step for the crisis centre is to submit an application for a building permit, which will not be held at the scrutiny of council. White estimated that she could have that done in a couple of weeks.

“We’ve already got the plans drawn. We’ve got the builders set up,” added White, who was overjoyed with the decision.

“This is going to take some of the administrative staff out of the shelter, which will give us more room for women and children,” explained White. “It will also allow our community support program to meet with clients not in the shelter, because often women and men who need our support but don’t actually need a bed. So this way we’ll be able to support more families without interrupting those staying in the shelter.”

According to White, the shelter housed about 329 women and children last year. The number of people assisted by the centre is considerably higher between outreach, the help line, and staff engaging with children in schools.

Mayor Craig Copeland was pleased council approved the rezoning and added that the city was behind the crisis centre 100 per cent. “They’re very crowded in their building and they have a lot of staff,” he said. “I’m very excited for them to be expanding.”

Copeland added, “When the centre comes and asks us for money, I don’t think they’ve been turned down. We support them as much as we can. They provide a great service for the City of Cold Lake and the surrounding area.”

The Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre opened in September of 1982, although it was not officially given its name until the society registered with the provincial government in 1993. Named after the 2006 Physician of the Century, the centre was established to provide women with a safe place to escape and recover from abusive homes.

The shelter is designed to house both women and their children, and features an on-site playground and in-house schooling. It is open to women throughout the Lakeland region. The outreach program has offices in both Cold Lake and Bonnyville.

Council approves application for lucrative public transportation grant

For the Lakeland Regional.

City council is hoping to get two new buses for a major discount, thanks to a pair of grants.

File photo

 

 Cold Lake is expecting to get two new buses thanks to a series of government grants that the city is able to combine together.

City council approved a plan put forward at its regular meeting on July 12 to apply for a grant and then, in a feat of bureaucratic gymnastics, utilize the first grant to apply for the other.

Chief Administration Officer Kevin Nagoya explained that the Alberta Government was so impressed with Cold Lake's public transportation program that they decided to open up a grant for the city in spite of the transit system not even being in operation for a year, which is usually a requirement.

The Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) is a federal-provincial partnership where the federal government provides $347 million between 2016-2019. Of that chunk, the city is eligible to apply for up to $174,000.

“The City of Cold Lake gets an automatic allocation. We get that funding and we get to choose what to put it towards,” noted Nagoya. “We're not even a full year into the transit program, but the government knows how many users we have, so the government preempted and looked at our numbers and decided we should be a part of the pot.”

This is the first time that the city has been eligible for PTIF funding. The province doesn't place a lot of restrictions on the usage of the money, so Nagoya has suggested that the city use the $174,000 to top up the city's contributions to its application for the GreenTRIP fund.

The GreenTRIP fund is a provincial initiative for funding municipal projects intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The province covers two-thirds of the costs of a project and the municipality covers the other third.

By using the funding from the PTIF to cover the city's third of the costs of two new buses, Nagoya estimated that Cold Lake would be able to purchase two new lowfloor, wheelchair accessible buses worth $1 million for a mere $160,000. Council also could opt to purchase two smaller buses worth $700,000, in which the city would end up contributing $64,000.

“We're talking between six per cent to 16 per cent contribution. Six to 16 cents on the dollar is pretty good payback,” laughed Nagoya. “How can you say no to a program like that?”

In addition to the two new buses, the city is also planning to build additional bus shelters, establish a GPS-based real-time online bus schedule and construct a new transit maintenance and storage facility.

The city is expecting to have the PTIF application in by July 29, and the application for GreenTRIP funding will be submitted by July 31.

Cold Lake celebrates fire hall's grand opening

For the Lakeland Regional.

"Tutoribus" - a painting by Cold Lake firefighter Jason Spears, which was unveiled at the Cold Lake downtown fire hall grand opening on July 9.

Eric Bowling

 The local superheroes have got a new command centre.

Cold Lake Fire Department held a grand opening for its new, state of the art fire hall with a full house on July 9.

The celebration comes after 16 months of construction and years of planning for the mostly volunteer-driven fire department. Construction of the $8.5 million fire hall was completed in May and has been operational since June 1.

The hall is not just a fire hall. While the fire department has the front bay, the rear bay is devoted to Cold Lake Ambulance Services, which houses several vehicles.

“It's great to finally have this thing going. The effect it's had on the men has been tremendous,” said Cold Lake Fire Chief Jeff Fallow. “Since we've been here, the guys have been here day and night. The trucks have never been this clean.”

Fallow added that the station would allow for future growth of the fire department, which is growing as fast as the city itself. While there is no immediate plan to move to a full-time paid fire department, Mayor Craig Copeland said in a speech that the city is expecting to need one eventually.

Currently Cold Lake Fire Department has three fulltime employees and about 60 paid on-call firefighters.

The department serves the City of Cold Lake, Cold Lake First Nations and the MD of Bonnyville, as well as having the occasional call into Saskatchewan.

The hall includes dormitory spaces for both firefighters and EMS personnel, as well as a full kitchen. It also features one of the tallest towers in the city, which will be used for training. Finally, the hall features a special Emergency Operations Centre in case the City of Cold Lake ever needs one, in the event of a major catastrophe the centre will act as the headquarters.

Another prominent feature of the new hall is a large painting designed and painted by firefighter and artist Jason Spears.

Operating completely under Fallow's nose, Spears spent 14 months painstakingly drafting, sketching and painting the piece, called “Tutoribus”, oftentimes having to wait until after midnight to sneak in and work on the surprise piece without his chief noticing.

“Let me tell you, Chief Fallow walked by the station every night, just to make sure everything was going to plan,” commented Spears. “The man is dedicated.”

Spears' work paid off – the painting was revealed to a wide-eyed Fallow, who was so moved by the gesture he was holding back tears of joy.

“I had no idea this was going to happen,” expressed Fallow with a deep breath.

The idea to create a painting was a no-brainer for Spears. He noted that his primary drive to finish was to do something for his fellow firefighters.

Increase to recreation grant funding approved by council

For the Lakeland Regional.

Recreational groups and non-profits can apply for more money through the City of Cold Lake's Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee. Council opted to boost the amount of funds available to $15,000.

File photo

 

Non-profits and athletes in need may be getting a slight boost thanks to a modest increase in funding made available by council.

Cold Lake City Council approved new funding levels for its recreation and culture advisory committee at its general meeting on July 12, allowing the committee a greater amount of freedom to offer financial aid to athletes, teams and artistic organizations.

The extra cash is hoped to lessen the amount of delegations appearing before council for funding, although council was quick to point out that anyone who feels the need to speak to council is free to do so.

“Anything above these (funding) thresholds has to come to council,” noted Chief Administration Officer Kevin Nagoya. “When this committee was created, the spirit of it was that there's always something unique about a cultural project.”

The committee provides five distinct grants to groups in need – a travel grant, a leadership grant, a development grant, a special event grant and an equipment grant.

The new policy increases the amount of funding available for travel from $250 to $500 for individuals and from $500 to $1,000 for groups. The leadership grant has been changed to a 50/50 cost sharing program, with the city matching up to $750 for an individual or up to $2,000 for a group.
The development grant has been boosted to $2,000 from $500. The special event grant was doubled from $500 to $1,000 and the equipment grant was expanded to be available every year, as opposed to the previous allowance of every second year.

The overall pool of money available for these five grants was subsequently increased from $10,000 to $15,000.

Coun. Bob Buckle expressed concern about groups applying for both a grant and then appearing before city council for funding.

“I think it would make sense to have one or the other,” commented Buckle. “The rec committee shouldn't be wasting their time if the applicant is going to appear before council anyway.”

However, Coun. Duane Lay noted that there was a proper procedure for groups seeking funding, and that they should go through the committee first before appearing before council.

“In the spirit of (clarity), the easiest way to do it is to send them to the rec board, then they can come to council if they need more,” suggested Lay.

Coun. Chris Vining added that the new funding should draw more applications away from council and towards the committee.

“By increasing the amount available in the grant, it gives council the ability to say ‘no, you have enough from the grant,'” pointed out Vining. “It will be interesting to see how the new amounts play out and to see if the rec grant gets more traction.”

The new funding has been made available immediately.
 

Treaty Days all about friends and family

For the Lakeland Regional.

The Northlands Dene drummers heat their drums between songs. The practice has both a spiritual side - the fire connects them with nature and the creator, and practical side - the drums sound better when the skins are warm.

Eric Bowling

 

 A local nation commemorated a treaty signed with the crown that's almost as old as confederation itself.

Cold Lake First Nations (CLFN) celebrated its annual Treaty Days at English Bay on July 7 and 10.
The nation has been coming together at English Bay since 1975 to mark the signing of the treaty, which took place in 1867.

“Treaty Days is a celebration to keep peace and harmony with Canada, about the land, our rights and the fish and the animals,” said CLFN Coun. Kelsey Jacko. “It's about bringing unity to both my people and other people around, so we get along and share this Mother Earth in peace and unity.”

Throughout the activity-packed weekend, traditions and modern practices easily meshed together. The celebrations began with a pipe ceremony and a fire ceremony, a traditional feast, drum dance, and hand games – a classic game where a team of four hides an object in one of their hands, and the opposite team attempts to guess which player is holding the object and which hand the object is in. Canoe races, strongman competitions and hip-hop demonstrations, were just some of the many events held during the festival.

“It's about pulling the people together, going into friendly competitions and meals,” said CLFN community services director Doug Longmore. “It's about relatives from distant areas coming together after a long time, usually after a year or more.”

Longmore explained that Cold Lake First Nations is actually composed of four distinct aboriginal groups – Dene, Cree, Saulteaux and Sioux.

The weekend-long gathering commemorates the signing of Treaty 6, a binding contract between the Monarchy and several groups of aboriginal peoples in central Canada – though the finer details of the treaty continue to be up for debate.

One sticking point is a clause in the treaty that entitles every member of the nation to $5 a year – there was nothing in the treaty to adjust the money for inflation when it was signed 140 years ago.
Jacko said that he and many people in the nation would like to get away from that particular clause.

“I wish we could get along and work together on certain issues to resolve them,” noted Jacko. “We've come a long way, there's more to the issue than $5. I would like to see us get away from the Indian Act, to not have to rely on Canada and make it on our own.”

Politics aside, everyone on hand agreed that the main reason for treaty days was to get together with family.

Geocachers take over the Lakeland

For the Lakeland Regional.

Chris Gilson, also known as Gillie434, shows an example of a travel bug.

Eric Bowling

 

 

They walk among us, scouring trails and public buildings, looking for clues to lead them to their next discovery.

They are geocachers.

Over 615 people from as far away as Switzerland descended upon the region for Sails, Rails and Tails - the Lakeland’s first ever “mega event.” A mega event is a gathering of at least 500 like-minded enthusiasts who belong to the totally open society. Prizes were given out for high scores of found caches, as well as an extensive list of other assorted merits ranging from holding foreign currency at the time to being the oldest person in the room.

Special events were held throughout the MD of Bonnyville to welcome the geocachers – a ranch-oriented treasure hunt was held throughout the Town of Bonnyville, cumulating in an opportunity to get a photo taken with a cowboy or girl. The Village of Glendon also hosted a geocaching celebration, where geocachers were set off on a scavenger hunt to assemble the ingredients to create and bake their own pyrogies. Special events were also held in Elk Point and St. Paul.

Geocaching is a growing hobby among travellers, hikers and explorers that make use of GPS tracking systems to find hidden caches.

“People hide caches all over,” explained Vicky Lefebvre, who chaired the organization committee for the mega event and has been geocaching with her husband Gilles for over a decade. “It’s phenomenal, and totally free. Say you’re at a convention; if you’re in a hotel download the app, find the closest geocache, and it will take you to a unique place.”

Lefebvre added that since geocaching was started in 2000 with the advent of GPS, there are now over 2.8 million geocaches worldwide, with over 1,400 along the Iron Horse Trail alone. While originally GPS trackers were used, now there are apps available to access the GPS network with a smartphone.
A geocache can be just about anything – they range in size and scope from small matchboxes to repurposed washing machines and newspaper boxes. Typically most geocaches are only discovered once the GPS sensor goes off.

“It can be a twig, it can be doorknob, it can be a thermometer, it can be a book, it can look like a piece of gum, and it can be a stick with something inside it. There’s no limit to your imagination,” pointed out Lefebvre. “There was one I went to in Red Deer was a welded part on the fence. We didn’t realize it would come out, like a drawer.”

Once a geocache has been found, the geocacher checks it off in their logbook. While the treasure found in a geocache - called a travel bug - can be claimed, the code of geocaching requires its followers to leave something else in the cache for the next adventurer. Moving travel bugs is encouraged – the owner of the travel bug is able to track it as it journeys around the world.
Chris Gilson, a local geocacher who maintains over 700 caches in the Lakeland area, had the interesting experience of finding his own travel bug – a rubber ducky he had left in a geocache in Canada turned up in a geocache he had found in Denmark several years later.

Geocachers are also dedicated to keeping the places they explore clean. Part of the code requires geocachers to pick up any litter they might find in their search for hidden treasure. On Sunday, the geocachers showed their appreciation for the Lakeland’s generosity and set about cleaning up Imperial Park.

“The motto is cache in, trash out,” explained Lefebvre. “If I go in to find a cache, and there is trash lying around, I’m supposed to bring it out.”

While most geocachers agree that it’s the thrill of the hunt that keeps them going, many also pointed out that it was a fun, family friendly activity for road trips and vacations.

“They’re something fun for the kids to find,” noted Gilson.

This was the Lakeland’s first mega event and the sixth ever held in western Canada. Lefebvre explained that the idea to host one had originally come about in 2012, but it wasn’t until 2014 when the ball got rolling. While geocachers are heavily involved in creating new geocaches and expanding the hobby for each other, the majority of the work setting up the mega event was done by volunteers eager to showcase the Lakeland region. Guests dined on white fish caught from Cold Lake, which had to be ordered from the fisherman an entire year in advance.

“We had 618 people through our doors today, and what that means for our community is money,” said Lefebvre. “They have to eat something, they have to sleep somewhere, they have to fill up with gas, and they’re experiencing our area. Hopefully they’re going back and telling their friends and their relatives how wonderful the Lakeland is. We have all kinds of things for people to do, fishing, sailing, hiking…and geocaching.”

Seniors Minister turns sod on Cold Lake Lodge

For the Lakeland Regional.

Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland, Councillor Chris Vining, Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson Cold Lake Lodge resident Laura Petryshyn, Cold Lake Lodge Manager Leanne Jorgensen, Lakeland Lodge Chair Ray Prevost and Lakeland Lodge CAO Connie Surgeson turn the soil at the new Cold Lake Senior's Lodge, which has just begun construction after a cash injection from the provincial government.

Eric Bowling

 

 A long awaited seniors' housing development is finally getting constructed after years of red tape.

Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson was in the city to commemorate the groundbreaking of the new Cold Lake Seniors' Lodge on June 30.

The new lodge will feature 61 units, replacing the current 58 unit building. The province had kicked in $8.7 million for the project via the Alberta Social Housing Corporation.

An additional $5.7 million was contributed by both the provincial and the federal government through the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.

“It's been a long time since there's been a big investment in senior's housing and affordable housing,” said Sigurdson.

“Seniors want to age in their communities. We want to make sure that happens.”

Dignitaries from Cold Lake, Bonnyville and the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Foundation were on hand for the ceremony.

“It's great to see the minister here,” said Bonnyville – Col Lake MLA Scott Cyr. “We're getting a lot of focus on our riding, it's projects like this that are going to keep people working.”

It has been a long time coming. According to foundation board chair Ray Prevost, the plan for the new lodge was bounced around several ministries for almost a decade.

“It's a huge boost,” said Prevost. “After so many ministers and being bounced around from municipal affairs to health to seniors, finally we get the funding we need.”

Several members of city council were in attendance for the groundbreaking. They expressed their relief that the project was finally underway.

“This is just a great day in Cold Lake,” said Coun. Vicky Lefebvre. “Our seniors have been living in some residences that are less than 110-square feet. We've had prisoners living in better conditions than our seniors.”

The new lodge will have suites of 360-square feet, as well as handicap accessible washrooms.

While people were grateful for the province for finally funding the development, everyone involved agreed that the credit for getting the ball rolling belonged to Prevost.

“Ray's been relentless for trying to get this for Cold Lake,” praised Lefebvre.

For his part, Prevost was simply happy that his work had finally born fruit.

“It's so great that the government finally kicked in the money for us,” expressed Prevost. “Now I can retire in peace.”

The lodge is expected to be open by fall of 2018.

Fish and game club updating outdoor range

For the Lakeland Regional.

Residents of Cold Lake will soon have a new range to shoot their long-range firearms.

File Photo

 

 Firearm enthusiasts will soon have a place to take their restricted rifles and handguns, at least if the local shooting club is able to get its targets lined up quickly.

The Cold Lake Fish and Game Club edged closer to renewing its restricted firearm certification for two of its ranges after Cold Lake City Council approved the repurposing of a $100,000 grant originally intended for an indoor shooting range at the June 28 council meeting.

The grant will now be used to construct berms according to the new government standards, allowing the club to present the ranges to the Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) in Edmonton and enable the club's members to use restricted firearms on its 600-metre rifle range and its 100-metre handgun range. The club's certification currently is scheduled to expire on December 31.

“It's excellent that we are able to reallocate some of the money intended for our indoor projects to our outdoor projects,” said club president Rick Jackson. “This will enable us to complete the berms in a short order.”

Jackson added that he expects to finish work on the berms right away and the club should have its paperwork in place by the end of July, though he conceded it is anyone's guess when the CFO will be able to follow up and grant the full certification.

Council expressed some concerns that an engineering report had not been conducted for the berms, but a few councillors argued that getting started on the work was more important than waiting for one.

“If you don't help now, when are you going to get it done?” asked Coun. Darrell MacDonald. “If this is going to make the range safer, I'm all for it.”

Mayor Craig Copeland said the range is a necessary feature in the community, to give residents a safe and secure place for target shooting.

“We desperately need people to be in a controlled environment with these guns,” said Copeland. “If we don't support it, the question comes to where do people shoot their guns in Cold Lake?”

Jackson noted that with the two ranges complete, members would be able to use any legal firearm available in Canada at the club, though the club is still trying to decide if any restrictions on the caliber of ammunition will be placed on users. The 600-metre range is the only one of its kind in Alberta.

“With a permanent restricted certification, the year round capabilities are going to be fantastic,” noted Jackson. He also added that he was hoping to bring in more shooting competitions to the range, which would help boost the local economy. He estimated a tournament could bring in up to $10,000 in revenue.

MacDonald added that he was excited to see the new possibilities the range would bring for shooters in the area.

“I like this idea because I'm one of those guys that shoots in the pits when I get my rifles,” noted MacDonald.

The shooting club has about 200 members, though Jackson added he gets two the three calls each day inquiring about the club's ability to host restricted firearms.

Exercise Maple Flag 49 wraps up

For the Lakeland Regional.

 

The Royal Canadian Air Force wrapped up its international training mission Exercise Maple Flag 49 - a month-long gathering of air forces from Canada and several of its allies in #ColdLake, Alberta. The exercise is designed to prepare pilots and air crews for the realities of modern warfare and to ensure that forces for all nations involved are prepared in case they are needed.

Eric Bowling

A major military exercise conducted at CFB Cold Lake has wrapped up after 24 days of operations.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) concluded Exercise Maple Flag 49 at 4 Wing on June 24. The multi-national military training mission, which began on May 30, is a part of the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) efforts to prepare both Canadian and international forces for future potential conflicts.

“The Royal Canadian Air Force is responsible to be prepared to deploy at any time,” said Air Force Tactical Training Centre Commanding Officer Maj. Chris “Chester” Horch. “No matter what the current state of world events it's our job to be prepared for and train for difficult scenarios like this.”

 

 A CF-18 passes over Cold Lake Air Weapons Range during a training mission June 23.

Eric Bowling

Over 1,300 CAF personnel and more than 400 allied personnel participated in the exercise. The training mission was held over two periods, from May 30 to June 10 and then from June 13 to 24. Two waves of training were held each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Horch explained, “The advantage of having this exercise in Cold Lake in June is that the days are very long here, so it gives our participants a chance to train after the last wave of the day.”

To be prepared for modern aerial combat, the airmen and women practiced a number of techniques, including air-to-air combat, air-to-surface combat, air-to-air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.

 

A french pilot looks directly at the camera after a refuelling mission in the skies above Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.

Eric Bowling

The scenario presented to the soldiers was a conflict between two fictitious nations. The nation of Lemgo had declared independence from the larger nation of Stromia. Stromia considered Lemgo a renegade province and had begun to mass troops and aircraft near the fledging Lemgoese nation earlier in the year. After Stromian forces entered Lemgoese territory, a coalition of nations lead by Canada deployed into Lemgo to protect their independence.

The part of the Stromian Air Force was played by pilots from Discovery Air Defence Services, aka “Top Aces.”

The scenario was developed in consultation between participating nations.

 

A CF-18 stops by a C-130 Hercules to get a refuelling in the skies over Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.

Eric Bowling

“It's basically the same scenario we've been running since the generation of Maple Flag. It's a state versus state scenario against an ever-evolving threat with very capable platforms and tactics. It provides the aircrew an opportunity to train in a non-permissive environment where they need to fight to gain air superiority so they can support troops on the ground,” noted Horch.

Training was conducted chiefly inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR). At 1.17 million hectares in size, CLAWR hosts over 640 potential targets for combat training, including military airfields, surface-to-air threats and military structures. As no live ammunition was used during the scenario, kills were tracked via precision lasers and GPS guided systems. However, pilots were able to train with live munitions at air-to-air and air-to-ground ranges that operated concurrently with the scenario.

Soldiers from a number of NATO nations participated in the fictitious conflict, including the Royal Air Force of Britain, the French Air Force, the German Army, the Belgian Army, and four separate wings of the United States military.

 

A French fighter pulls into the landing pad.

Eric Bowling

“They are what make the exercise, to be honest. Without our foreign participants, it doesn't really give the exercise the benefit we want it to have,” explained Horch. “The key here is not just for Canada to train its own tactics, but for Canada to train alongside coalition members so that when we see them in potential future conflicts we have an idea how to integrate together and can do so effectively from day one of conflict.”

In addition, 10 nations sent personnel as part of the International Observer Program during the second period of the exercise, including Australia, Chile, India, Israel, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

 

A french fighter fires off his afterburners in an early morning flight.

Eric Bowling

Maple Flag is the Canadian equivalent of the United States Air Force's Exercise Red Flag, which was started after the Vietnam War.

The need for regular tactical war simulations was determined after military planners noticed that aircrews with 10 or less combat missions were far more likely to go down in battle, and aircrews that survived more than 10 battles had a far greater chance of making their way back home to their families.

City prepares for sidewalk expansion and repair

For the Lakeland Regional.

Construction on sidewalks is about to begin.

File Photo

 

The city’s assessment of its sidewalks and trails is complete and the concrete is ready to flow.

Cold Lake City Council is going ahead with a plan to construct, repair and expand a number of sidewalks in the community.

According to Infrastructure Services general manager Azam Khan, currently there are large portions of the city’s roads that are lacking a proper sidewalk or trail for pedestrians. He cited a number of places along 1 Ave. that need work done as an example.

The city will be adding a sidewalk along 1 Ave. from 23 St. to 25 St. In addition, a second sidewalk will be constructed between 9 Ave. and 12 Ave. along 16 St. and a third sidewalk will be laid out along 53 Ave. connecting 55 St. to 56 St.

Also included in the project’s funding are plans to build a few new walking trails, specifically connecting Beach Ave. to Willow Crescent, and Meadow Way to the Millennium Trail. A third trail being planned, the Palm Creek Trail, which will run from 55 to 52 Ave., is budgeted under the Meadows Storm Water Project.

Council also heard that a trail being planned along 16 Ave. would cost considerably more than what was allocated, and that the city would need to purchase a piece of land along the proposed route to be able to proceed.

Consequentially, that expansion was taken back to administration for further research.

City council originally budgeted $200,000 for trail and sidewalk construction. Khan estimated that the needed work would cost $208,230.

Mayor Craig Copeland cautioned that the estimated costs were overshooting expenses to prevent any nasty surprises down the road.

“We’re going to go to tender and hopefully the costs come in at under $200,000,” noted Copeland. “It’ll be a great opportunity for local contractors. There are some great locations that are going to open up some areas of Cold Lake where people can walk their dog.”

Khan added that future projects will include making sure is a sidewalk or trail on at east one side of all roads, as well as connecting the city’s trail networks with its many parks. Ensuring connections between trails, sidewalks and bus stops is also a priority going forward.

“There isn’t enough money in the budget this year, but we’ll look at this for 2017,” commented Khan.

Construction is expected to begin as soon as the tenders are completed and should be finished in the fall.

 

Cold Lake Landfill expansion about to begin

For the Lakeland Regional.

The Cold Lake Regional Transfer Station is slated to get a major expansion this fall, as use of
the landfill continues to grow.

Eric Bowling

 

The city’s trash will soon have a new can as construction on a new section of the local landfill is set to begin this fall.

Cold Lake City Council is moving forward with its plan to expand the Cold Lake Landfill’s capacity for incoming waste. The plan will now be sent to Alberta Environment for final approval before the construction can commence.

The new landfill cell is expected to create an additional 429,780 square metres of room for “dry waste”, which covers wood chips, shingles, drywall, paper, discarded metal and other solid objects.
The funding for the landfill expansion was approved in the 2016 budget.

Infrastructure Services general manager Azam Khan explained that the new cell was needed for the city’s projected growth over the next 25 years. Last year the landfill received 7,840 tonnes of waste. In increase of over 15 per cent from 2014 when the landfill collected 6,650 tonnes of waste.

“We are expecting 2016 to be similar to the last year’s volume because of the economic slump and all of the construction happening,” added Khan.

The new expansion is a requirement under Alberta Environment’s code of practice.

“That is kind of a relief,” noted Khan. “We won’t have out fill out as much paperwork this way.”

A perimeter berm will be constructed around the new cell to collect surface runoff and more gas detectors will be added to track the migration of gases and odours.

The expansion will require the city to relocate the current access road and scale house. The access road will be constructed on the west side of the current landfill cell.

The new scale house will also include a second scale to minimize traffic congestion and reduce turnaround time at the scales.

The height of the current cell, which is nearing full capacity, will also be raised by an additional five metres. Eventually, the two cells will be merged as the new cell begins to fill up.

Mayor Craig Copeland commented that the project was pretty much shovel ready and the city was just waiting on Alberta Environment for the go-ahead.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Copeland. “Construction should begin in the fall and hopefully the new structure will be up and running for next spring.”

Khan mentioned that the city was hoping to avoid any serious impact on nearby neighbourhoods by adding tree lines to ensure the new expansion does not impose on citizens.

Currently, the landfill serves approximately 38,000 customers per year.

 

Major roadwork on Highway 28 to begin right away

For the Lakeland Regional.

Roadwork on Highway 28 is expected to begin right away and will continue for the rest of the year

File Photo

 

The busiest intersection in town is going to be somewhat difficult to get around for the next few months as the city undertakes some necessary construction on the main road through Cold Lake.

Cold Lake City Council approved a major overhaul of Hwy. 28 at its general meeting on June 14. The major project involves twinning Hwy. 28 from 54 Ave. to the southern city limits as well as rebuilding three major intersections and upgrading the utilities buried beneath the road.

“We were thinking we would probably have to scale back the scope, just to bring it into something we could actually get done,” explained Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Nagoya, adding that the total cost of the project included geotechnical engineering and utility relocation. “But the results of the tender were positive, so it looks like, based on the scope of the project, that we're going to be able to rope it all in at around $10.2 million.”

To cover the cost of the construction, council passed a bylaw increasing its 2016 capital budget from around $58.5 million to approximately $59.2 million , increasing its spending for the year by $650,000.

The project was originally pegged at $4.4 million, but as council began to plan the construction work, a number of issues came up that ballooned the estimated cost to $12.5 million.

However, after cost estimates were worked out it was determined that the project was $2 million under the estimated cost, much to the delight of city council.

“This intersection is at the end of its life cycle so we're very happy to get favourable prices for the work,” noted Mayor Craig Copeland.

Nagoya explained that it made more sense to take care of all the issues with the road and its services at once.

“There's synergies to doing underground utilities and such at the same time, so we expanded the project,” noted Nagoya.

Nagoya added that the city wants to get the most difficult part of the construction out of the way first. Consequentially, the overhaul of the intersection at Hwy. 28 and Veteran's Drive is expected to begin immediately.

“We're going to be up to 20,000 vehicles a day on that thing. It's seen its age and is past its lifespan, so it's time to give it an overhaul,” explained Nagoya. “The challenge is that it's one of the busiest intersections in the community. With no pain there's no gain, so we're going to have to close portions of the roadway to get this thing done.”

Nagoya added that the city would do its best to minimize the growing pains, but citizens should expect traffic delays and detours.

Contractors are already preparing to move the shallow utilities of the intersections such as gas, power and phone lines.

“They're sitting in the way right now, we've got to get them out of the way,” noted Nagoya.

The main intersection is expected to be complete by mid-October. The full highway should be done by July 2017, subject to weather conditions over that period. The full construction will stretch along Hwy. 28 from 54 Ave. to 51 St.

Three new signal lights will be added along the way, including a new signal system at the Veteran's Drive intersection.
 

Hate Crime Conversation the first step to rebuilding trust between cultures

For the Lakeland Regional.

The former Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre.

(they have since moved to a new location by the Fire Hall)

Provided

 

 

A collection of Cold Lake citizens gathered together to discuss how to best combat hate.

Organized by the Hate Crimes Committee, the Conversation on Hate Crimes was held at the Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre on May 31. The group is a collaboration of police, community, and justice organizations that want to raise awareness about the problem of hate and racism in society.

The gathering of 16 people included representatives from the Cold Lake Peace Officers, Cold Lake Victims Services Unit and the Cold Lake RCMP. It was just one of a series of talks that are happening throughout the province.

The aim of the sessions is to allow victims of hate crimes to meet with officials and create a better understanding of the problem and what can be done to solve it. Cold Lake was the only talk scheduled where the RCMP accepted the invitation.

During the talks, a number of attendees aired personal grievances from incidents they had recently experienced. During the discussion, Cold Lake Mosque Manager Mahmoud El Kadri recalled a recent incident he believes could be racial profiling.

His 19-year-old son and his wife were driving back to Cold Lake from Edmonton when they had to stop for gas in St. Paul. After filling up, they continued on their way until reaching a stop sign before turning onto Hwy. 28.

El Kadri explained that an RCMP officer three cars behind them then pulled them over. “He drove all the way past the first three cars to this first car turning onto Hwy. 28, and he looks inside and sees my wife wearing the scarf (hijab),” said El Kadri.

“They accuse (my son) of running the stop sign. The situation got worse when he saw her in the scarf. He asked her ‘what were you doing in Edmonton, and what are you doing in Cold Lake?’ She told him that Cold Lake was her hometown. ‘Your hometown?’ said the officer, and it went on like that.” El Kadri added that the officer treated his son and wife like outsiders, then gave his son a $300 ticket and no charges were laid.

S/Sgt. Jeremie Landry of the Cold Lake RCMP pointed out that El Kadri would be able to access the footage taken by the camera now present in the dashboard of all RCMP vehicles.

“What I would recommend in that particular case is to speak with the detachment commander in St. Paul, where the incident occurred,” explained Landry.

“Through speaking to that commander that process could be facilitated.”

However, El Kadri was not the only person in the room with a grievance.

Agnes Gendron, Executive Director of the Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre, explained was that despite the fact many First Nations experience racism on a regular basis, they don’t report it as often as other groups – adding to the problem.

“I think one of the reasons aboriginal people don’t report incidents is that they aren’t taken seriously by the people taking the reports,” said Gendron. “The way the government treats aboriginal people works its way down to the people themselves.”

Others in the discussion were a bit blunter on why they didn’t bother to report incidents.

“It’s such a pain to report a hate crime, it becomes a situation where you say, you know, ‘suck it up princess, it’s just another day, right?’” commented Zane Thain, who works at the Native Friendship Centre. “It’s just an everyday normal thing.”

Landry expressed that people need to have realistic expectations of what the legal system can do, as well as the limits of police authority.

“I think it’s important that people to understand exactly what has to happen for a hate crime to be proven,” pointed out Landry.

“For example, if a First Nations person is assaulted, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a hate crime. It may just mean they were assaulted.

There has to be a substantive criminal offence that has to be in place first before it can be proven that there is a hate crime.”

Landry added that in order to properly police hate crimes, RCMP need to get accurate feedback from the community, which involves building better relationships.

“I think the more we educate everyone on what exactly constitutes a hate crime the more likely we are going to get reporting,” noted Landry. “In the RCMP we have a special way to categorize hate crimes so that we can actually gather statistics and be able to show how many crimes were against an identifiable group or religion. Without that reporting we’re not going to have accurate stats on what’s going on.”

A hate crime is defined as a crime that is targeted at a specific group of people instead of a specific individual. The vandalism of the Cold Lake Mosque was given as an example of a hate crime. It was also the only reported hate crime in recent memory, according to Landry.

Landry explained that in the case where a crime is not committed, there isn’t anything the RCMP can do. Cases like that should be taken up with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, which has its nearest office in Edmonton.

“We look after hate crimes that fall under the criminal code. Other bodies look after situations such as unlawful dismissal that can be remedied.”

While there is no simple solution to overcoming hatred, a starting point on pathway to combating the problem became evident.

One of the key messages conveyed is the need to start building trust between minorities, the rest of the community, and government institutions.

“The structures that we have in place to deal with rights violations are extremely problematic,” said Tabrina Stenz, adult services coordinator for the Centre of FASD, who was also in attendance. “They’re not accessible, they’re not welcoming. If there’s no trust built, or it’s been broke, it’s very hard.”

El Kadri agreed.

“The government has to teach their staff how to treat people equally,” said El Kadri. “If we see the RCMP taking all of our matters seriously, people will report to them.”

All parties agreed that they were quite happy to have had the discussion, and everyone left the conversation with a feeling that they were moving in the right direction.

“We have come a long ways over the years with regards to treating everyone the same, but we have a long way to go,” said Landry. “I want to be part of the discussion and the solution. The stronger relationships are, the more you are going to get out of those relationships.”

If you think you or a member of your community may have been a victim of a hate crime, you have up until one year to make a complaint to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Complaints can be made in person in one of the two major cities or by the phone over a confidential line at 780-427-7661.

Former Cold Lake Royal signs with Edmonton Wildcats

For the Lakeland Regional.

Justin Barney is the latest tight end to join the Edmonton Wildcats

Provided

 

A former Cold Lake Royal has taken the next step in his football journey, signing a contract with a major club in Edmonton.

Justin Barney of Cold Lake has just signed a contract with the Edmonton Wildcats Football Club, marking his entry into the Prairie Football Conference of the Canadian Junior Football League and putting him into the big leagues. The Wildcats held their camp on May 5-7.

“I’m really excited. This is going to be fun,” said Barney. “I’m really looking to get out there and play hard.”

The offensive lineman, who moonlights as a business student at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology when he isn’t protecting his quarterback, said that he was kicking himself after taking a year off to focus on school.

“I missed the game,” noted Barney. “I wanted to come back and play.”

To prepare for the intense three-day training camp, Barney hit the gym five days a week, combining weight training and cardio.

“Just trying to get back in shape from missing a season,” commented Barney. “High school really kept me there, but when I went to university I kind of got distracted.”

Barney added that he owed a great deal to the Royals coaching staff for their support of his efforts over the years.

“I’m on a workout program from one of the coaches here in Cold Lake,” praised Barney. “They know what they’re talking about here. At Edmonton I never learned anything different from what I was taught out here. I was always right in step with the other guys.”

While he was quite happy to have made the team, Barney noted that by halfway through the Wildcats’ training camp he had a pretty good idea he had made the cut.

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but I had a feeling I would make the team,” expressed Barney. “There was a lot of newer guys coming from high school. I was sort of the same way because I hadn’t played football last year, but it’s good to know I made the team rather than just guessing.”

The Edmonton Wildcats have a long and proud history, dating back to the formation of the Alberta Junior Football League in 1948, though they were called the Edmonton Maple Leafs at the time. By 1952 the team had decided that a name change was in order, and renamed themselves to the Wildcats, which was actually slang for an oil field worker at the time.

The team has won three national finals in its history.

“It’s a really good team. They’ll be fun to play with this year,” said Barney. “Everybody there is so nice, all the coaches and all the other players. I think we got a good group of boys.”

Barney added that now that he’s made the team, the real work begins.

“I’m going to be playing against 20-something-year-olds,” noted Barney. “You can tell the strength difference from high school. In high school being the biggest guy out there wasn’t too bad, but now I’ve got to keep trying my hardest always, because I got to keep up with these guys who have playing the game a lot longer than I have. If you think you can take a break during the off-season, people are going to get stronger and you’re going to get weaker.”

 

Rob Nichols remains the champion

For the Lakeland Regional and Bonnyville Nouvelle.

Rob Nichols connects with Frank White's jaw during a 10-round rematch at the Cold Lake Energy Centre on June 4.

Eric Bowling

The Fort Kent boxing champion did not disappoint a packed arena of supporters.

Rob “Raging Bull” Nichols went 10 rounds deep with rival Frank “The Hammer” White to remain Canadian Cruiserweight Champion at the Cold Lake Energy Centre on June 4.

Marching into the arena to the tune of Scotland the Brave, Nichols was the clear home-crowd favourite in the bloody late-night battle. White worked hard to trap Nichols in a corner to feed him body shots and wear him down, but Nichols was able to figure out his strategy and put the gloves where they needed to be to win by a very close decision, sending White to the hospital for several stitches and possibly a broken nose.

“He’s a tough guy. He changed up his fight a little bit from last time, which left some marks on my face. He was working the jab a little bit, and when I was trying to go in for my own, he was firing off a left hook just behind my guard. So the right side of my face had a pretty good sawing after the first few rounds,” commented Nichols. “I started to get a groove on and I left a lasting impression with him as well.”

As if retaining the title in front of friends and family wasn’t enough for the night, as Nichols was giving his victory speech the lights dropped down repeatedly. At first, it seemed like a technical glitch, but then the jumbo-tron blared out a challenge from former World Light Heavyweight Champion Roy Jones Jr. for the currently vacant World Boxing Cruiserweight Championship title.

“This is the second time they pulled this thing on me,” noted Nichols, adding that was how he ended up fighting White for the championship in the first place. “To have a chance to fight an icon like Roy Jones Jr., you don’t want to turn that down. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”

The battle of nations is expected to go down this fall in a yet-to-be-determined location in Western Canada.

Nichols, who works 12-hour days as a personal trainer and masseuse, drove into Edmonton every weekend for the last three months to prepare for the June 4 brawl. Much of his free time was spent running up hills and he spent much of the winter on long hour-long runs with his dogs.

“I’m not built to be a runner, but I have to run in order to do this,” explained Nichols. “Doing that conditioning is the most important part of boxing, because if you can’t fight the other guy you’re basically fighting yourself.”

To prepare for the international bout, Nichols said he might have to look into corporate sponsorship to free up the time needed to train for such a level of competition.
 
“I’ve been doing this all on my own, with friends and family helping me out,” explained Nichols, who has no corporate sponsorship at this time. “This might help bring attention to what we’ve done here Cold Lake, maybe help me take on full time camp where I can take time from work to do this more seriously. For a fight like this, you have to. If you don’t, you’re not really being serious.
“To play in that league, you better up your game.”

Personal accomplishments aside, Nichols added that he was very hopeful that bringing such a high-profile fight to the Lakeland area would increase interest in the sport enough to help him get a boxing club going so he can pass on his experience to the next generation.

“I have the paperwork and I’ve registered to get the boxing club set up,” mentioned Nichols. “I have the experience and the knowledge, but I can’t do it alone. I’m hoping that this event has brought attention to what my intentions are. I want to work with kids and youth. I want to help boys and girls stay fit and out of trouble. If I can give back, I want to make that available.”

With the exact date of his next appearance in the ring still yet to be determined, Nichols said he was looking forward to healing up his wounds and spending some time with his kids. He spent his day after the fight at the Ardmore Duck races with his family.

“Today I might do a favour for helping out people trying to knock a champ off the duck tank or something,” joked Nichols. “We’re just going to take our time and see where it goes.”

4 Wing unveils special jet to commemorate 75 years of 419 squadron

For the Lakeland Regional.

The newly painted CT-155 Hawk on display in front of the 419 "Mooseman" hangar at CFB 4 Wing on June 2.

Eric Bowling

 

 

A fighter squadron at CFB 4 Wing was given a very unique birthday gift last week.

Members of the Canadian Forces 419 Squadron gathered at their hanger on June 2 for the unveiling of a specially painted CT-155 Hawk Fighter Jet – painted in the camouflage style that Canadian and Allied bombers used in the Second World War – to commemorate the squadron’s 75th anniversary.

The camouflage on the top makes the plane difficult to see from above, and the black underbelly makes the plane blend in with the night sky, which was when most bombing missions were conducted at the time.

There is deep symbolism in the design of the plane. The “VR-W” on the side of the aircraft commemorates the Victor-Romeo call sign that Canadian bombers used during the allied campaign against the Nazis, and the “W” portion is a nod to the original Wellington Bomber that was flown by 419’s first Wing Commander John “Moose” Fulton, who commanded the unit in from 1941 to 1942 when the original VR-W was shot down in action with no survivors.

Fulton’s name is also written on both sides of the plane.

While the spiffy paint job is intended to look authentic, designer Jim Belliveau explained that it is based more on an ideal of what the original Wellington Bombers looked like than the actual camouflage that was common by the end of the war.

“I wanted to take the disruptive camouflage scheme and stay as true to the original as possible,” explained Belliveau. “In the Second World War, what they used to do was they had these large rubber mats that were cut with these particular designs.

When the aircraft rolled through the assembly line they would throw these mats down on the wings or drape them over the side and someone would come along with a paint gun and simply paint between the rubber mats. It was the easiest, fastest way to pump out these things.”

He continued, “The end result was you ended up with a camouflage theme that was more or less hard-lined. As the aircraft went out into the field the painting process got more rudimentary and quick and you ended up with more blurred lines.”

The idea came about rather quickly.

Belliveau explained that originally the plan was to simply paint the tail of the warbird, but he suggested that the entire jet could be painted too and, much to his surprise, the military brass decided to go for it.

The project was funded by CAE, who holds the main contract for maintenance of the 419 aircraft. The warbird itself was painted at a hanger in Peterborough, ON. Flying Colours Corp. was awarded the honour of applying the paint job.

The vintage-coloured fighter jet will be put to work as part of 419’s mission to train up and coming fighter pilots. Fighters in 419 learn air-to-air combat tactics, more commonly known as dogfighting, as well as air-to-surface combat tactics. Once a pilot has been evaluated, they move on to the 410 squadron for further training.

“The scheduled program is about four to six months for a brand new fighter pilot to come through here,” said Lt.-Col. Mike “Moose” Grover, who estimates that the 419 trains between 30-35 new pilots a year. “It’s a selection course. We test their situational awareness and their decision making capacity. ”

It is a tradition that the commanding officer of 419 automatically gets the nickname “Moose.” The squadron was dubbed the “Moosemen” back in 1941 and the name has stuck with the unit ever since.
Grover flew the plane in from Peterborough earlier in the week, and members of the 419 have already developed a lengthy waiting list to get a crack at flying the beast.

“There’s a bit of a list, that’s for sure,” joked Grover, adding that the 4 Wing portion of 419 has a total of six CT-155s at its disposal.

In spite of the intended heavy use of the plane, the paint job is expected to last through its service. Belliveau said that the paint is designed to withstand some of the harshest environmental conditions possible.

“It’s made to be able put up with a lot of the things that it will encounter. Things like 600 mph winds, fuel, hydraulic fuel and UV rays,” boasted Belliveau. “The paint itself is almost bulletproof. It’s wonderful stuff.”

The 419 not only trains Canadian fighter pilots, but also pilots from air forces around the world as part of Canada’s international commitments. Airmen from Germany, Britain, France, Hungary and even Singapore were present for the historic showing.

“It’s a multi-national squadron, which is both unique and relevant,” explained Grover. “That’s what we go to combat with in fighter jets; a coalition of many countries. So to train the students at this age and teach them the different air force fighter cultures is exactly what they’re going to be doing in the future.”

The one-of-a-kind CT-155 began flying new pilots as of June 3.

Royal Canadian Circus dazzles Cold Lake

For the Lakeland Regional.

Aiperi "Aika" Kozugulova hangs off a rope in a full pose at the Royal Canadian Circus on May 31

Eric Bowling

 

Residents of Cold Lake were served a powerful reminder that there is no business like show business, and there is no show quite like the circus.

The Royal Canadian Circus rolled into town on May 31. In less than seven hours, the Cold Lake Energy Centre was transformed from a coliseum into a carnival with face painting, cotton candy and fun for the whole family.

Two shows were held in the afternoon, one at 4 p.m. and a second at 7:30 p.m. “We’ve been running around all day trying to figure out ways to make this building work for us,” said Ringmaster Joseph Dominick Bauer, who estimates that he has over 100,000 shows under his belt. “We’ve done it – we rented some concrete blocks to tie things to. Every arena is different, we have to strategically figure out where to anchor to.”

Bauer added that the circus is in his blood.

He has been performing since he was three-years-old, though he claims he was involved earlier than that.

“I performed before I was born in my mom’s stomach,” joked Bauer. “She was still performing in the air, and I was up there with her.”

The 253-year-old Zerbini Family circus is a world-renowned collection of classically trained performers. Children and their parents were treated to acrobatic clowns, high flying trapeze acts, and death defying horse riders, to name a few.

Performers had very specific reasons for being in show business.

“It’s about keeping the family tradition going,” explained Cristhian Videla from Argentina, who learned his trade from his father and grandfather. “We’ve been clowning around for 130 years.”
Other performers enjoy the opportunity to see the world that being with the circus gives them.

“You get to see everywhere,” said Kambarov rider Aiperi Kozugulova of Kyrgyzstan, who has been with the circus for seven years. “I get to travel through Mexico, America, Canada, so yeah, that’s the best part I would say. Everywhere I go everything is new.”

Kozugulova added she really would like to see the circus go to Hawaii.

Several of the performers said that while the lifestyle is addictive, safety had to remain a chief concern as injuries and accidents are quite common in the circus.

“If we fall, the ground will always catch us,” joked Videla.

A few acts were unfortunately not shown in the first showing of the night – the Russian Swing was stopped right before it started when one of the performers noticed a safety issue with the rigging of the net.

Bauer, who moonlights as a daredevil when he isn’t working as a ringmaster, had to cancel his Wheel of Destiny act because the wheel itself would not fit inside the arena.

Also, the Zerbini Elephants were not in attendance due to a last minute restriction placed on the show by the Alberta Fish and Game Association.

“The elephants were cleared by the Canadian government, they were cleared by Washington D.C.,” commented Bauer. “Fish and Game decided right before they crossed the border that they wanted another paper. So now it’s getting lawyered.”

Despite the setbacks, the remaining performers put on a great show and left the crowd begging for more.

“Everything is crazy in the circus,” joked Kozugulova.

This was the first time the Zerbini circus had come to Cold Lake as part of an Alberta-wide tour. An earlier show had been scheduled for Fort McMurray, but the show had to be moved to Olds because of the forest fire. The circus opted to run a fundraiser in Olds, where it raised over $40,000 for the Red Cross.

“We try as well. We know what it’s like to have family in need,” noted Bauer. “Everyone needs help sometimes.”

Bauer mentioned earlier on in the day that while the circus tends to be something families get into and stick with, there is always new talent appearing under the big top.

“There’s schools all over North America,” explained Bauer. “People go there, they start training, next thing you know they’re performing. One of the girls in our flying trapeze act, Emily, her first show was with us and she’s doing great.”

So the next time someone suggests you should just run away and join the circus, you might want to take his or her advice.

 

Cold Lake Youth Council requests no smoking signs for public spaces

For the Lakeland Regional.

More no smoking signs may be coming to public spaces in Cold Lake

Provided

The City of Cold Lake could be cracking down on smokers ignoring the public spaces bylaws – at least if the youth have anything to say about it.

Two members of the Cold Lake Youth Council appeared before city council on May 24 to request no smoking signs be put up in a number of public spaces. They’re hoping to remind citizens of Cold Lake’s smoking bylaws.

Kamryn Smith and Patricia Feng explained to council that a survey they took of fellow students and parents showed widespread irritation with smokers in public spaces. The youth council would like to see something done about it.

“We went out into the skate park and everyone we asked said they really hated how everybody was smoking at it,” said Smith. “The fact is that we have our big airshow coming up and we have a lot of people coming to Cold Lake. I feel that it would be a good tourist attraction if we were working with the law.”

Feng added that she would like to see more signs around not just the skate park, but also along Kinosoo Beach and the splash park.

“The problem is that some of the youth don’t actually realize that this is actually not allowed,” pointed out Feng. “Ignorance is no excuse.”

Currently, smoking within five metres of a public space in Cold Lake is punishable with a minimum $250 fine.

Feng said that the smoking was one thing, but the fact that smokers tend to leave their cigarette butts where they finish them wasn’t helping either.

“When you smell it, you just don’t want to be there,” added Feng. “There have been cigarette butts found at the beach.”

Smith echoed concern about discarded cigarettes around town.

“If you have little kids or babies playing at the beach, they like to put new things in their mouths,” commented Smith, adding that dogs and cats are also at risk of discarded litter.

Mayor Craig Copeland expressed his admiration for the youth council’s presentation and said that their request would be taken for further consideration.

“The youth delegation had a great idea. They’re making council aware that we have a problem in that we don’t have enough signage,” commented Copeland. “We’ll bring it in front of council at the next meeting and make some decisions on whether we fund it right away or push it to budget deliberations in the fall.”

He also mentioned that the city currently has five bylaw officers who are able to issue out fines should the need arise.

“We can make it a priority,” mentioned Copeland. “I don’t think it’s a very big ask.”