Red Deer Minute: Best Rye, Integrity Commissioner, and the Overdose Prevention Site

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the City Council Agenda Review Committee Meeting. No agenda is available yet. Also on Tuesday, the Red Deer & District Family & Community Support Services Board will meet. No agenda is available for this meeting yet either.
  
  
• The Committee of the Whole will meet on Thursday. You guessed it - there’s no agenda for this meeting yet either!
  
  
• Red Deer's overdose prevention site is set to close today, following a judge's decision not to extend an injunction that would have kept it open. The site, which has been operating since 2018, was originally slated for closure after the Alberta government reduced its funding. A man with opioid use disorder had requested to keep the site open, arguing that its closure would violate his Charter rights. However, the judge ruled that he had not demonstrated sufficient harm to justify continuing the site’s operations. The case is set for a full hearing in June.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• The City of Red Deer’s Integrity Commissioner, Steven Phipps, presented his annual report to City Council. Over the past year, the Commissioner received one formal complaint, which was dismissed at the preliminary stage, and offered advice on four separate occasions. Red Deer’s Council Code of Conduct Bylaw, introduced in 2023 and implemented in February 2024, established the independent role of Integrity Commissioner to maintain ethical standards for municipal officials. Phipps highlighted that Red Deer was an early adopter of this position, with other municipalities like Strathcona County and Medicine Hat following suit. The budget for the position was $85,000, but with no investigations required, expenses totalled only $8,580.
  
  
• The Red Deer Polytechnic Alumni Association has donated $100,000 to the RDP Student Industry Engagement Fund, which will support students in attending industry events, conferences, and forums. The announcement was made during a ceremony that also included the unveiling of the Alumni Legacy Way, a tribute to the Association's long-standing relationship with the school. This fund, available to all RDP students, provides financial assistance for students to create valuable industry networks and gain real-world experience. The Alumni Association's total donations to the Polytechnic now exceed $236,000, including scholarships and other student initiatives.
  
  
• GrainHenge Arrowwood Whisky, produced by Troubled Monk in Red Deer, has been named the World's Best Rye and Best Canadian Rye at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards in London. The whisky, crafted by head distiller Garret Haynes and the GrainHenge team, impressed judges with its bold flavours and exceptional craftsmanship. Troubled Monk is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer.

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