Red Deer Minute: Airport Way, Parking Review, and a Social Studies Coordinator

Red Deer Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Red Deer politics

This Week In Red Deer:

• This morning, at 10:30 am, there will be a City Council Meeting. Council will receive an update on the new parking system, which officially launched in September 2023. According to the update, while the transition brought initial challenges like technical glitches and public confusion, improvements and community outreach efforts have helped ease concerns. The system, funded by a provincial grant, offers multiple payment methods including the HotSpot app, QR codes, and physical pay stations. Administration has made adjustments such as adding more pay stations, updating signage, and engaging with businesses and seniors for feedback. A one-year grace period for data entry mistakes led to thousands of ticket cancellations. Looking ahead, the City plans to enhance wayfinding, explore reduced paid parking hours, and continue refining the system based on user input.
  
  
• The Public Art Commission will meet on Wednesday. No time or agenda is available yet.
  
  
• A new corridor connecting the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre to the Central Alberta Cancer Centre will provide uninterrupted access for patients during ongoing construction. The corridor replaces the current ambulatory annex area, which will be closed due to the new patient tower project. As of 5:00 pm on April 4th, the cancer centre’s main entrance and patient drop-off area are closed, and all access will shift to the new corridor. Patients can be dropped off at the hospital’s main entrance, with parking available in the underground or south parkades. Alberta Health Services is deploying additional volunteers and updated signage to assist with the transition. Wheelchairs will be available at multiple hospital and cancer centre locations to support those with mobility challenges.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Red Deer Public Schools has appointed Janene Baile as its full-time social studies coordinator to support the rollout of Alberta’s new K-6 curriculum. Baile, a longtime educator with the division, will assist teachers with implementing the changes by offering professional development and creating teaching resources. Baile emphasized the importance of social studies in helping students think critically and understand diverse viewpoints. The new curriculum is set to launch this fall across the province.
  
  
• Red Deer’s unemployment rate dropped from 9.6% in February to 8.5% in March, but it remains one of the highest in Canada. Only a few regions, including parts of Newfoundland and Ontario, posted worse figures. Province-wide, Alberta's unemployment rate climbed to 7.1%, while its employment rate declined. Nationally, 33,000 jobs were lost in March - mostly full-time - contributing to a rise in unemployment to 6.7%.
  
  
• Red Deer Regional Airport has officially named its new access road "Airport Way," connecting Airport Drive with Township Road 374 and C&E Trail. The project will add a second paved access to the airport and upgrade nearby intersections. Once finished by mid-September, the road will open access to 200 acres of land aimed at transforming the airport into a transportation and economic hub. The new route will also ease traffic pressure and improve emergency access for nearby communities like Springbrook.

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