Red Deer Minute: Census Data, Appeal Dropped, and the Mayor Meets Ministers

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• There are no scheduled meetings at City Hall this week. The next City Council meeting will take place on November 7th.
  
  
• Starting today, the City of Red Deer is accepting applications for the Central Alberta Regional Assessment Review Board. The citizen-led board is responsible for dealing with complaints related to property assessments across more than 30 central Alberta municipalities. Interested residents can apply online before the November 18th deadline.
  
  
• Mayor Ken Johnston will meet with multiple Provincial cabinet ministers to discuss issues of importance to Red Deer. Today, Johnston will meet with Jeremy Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, to discuss the permanent shelter, before heading to Edmonton on Wednesday to meet with Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Nicholas Milliken regarding the Recovery Community, Minister of Municipal Affairs Rebecca Schulz regarding government funding, and Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Premier Nathan Neudorf regarding the Red Deer General Hospital expansion.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• The appeal regarding a development permit to move the Jackpot Casino to Red Deer’s Cambridge hotel has been dropped. Construction on the project should begin early next year. Longriders Saloon and Bellinis Sonic Lounge will be torn down to provide more parking, after feedback from area businesses who had originally been concerned with inadequate parking, along with the potential for an increase in crime and nuisance.
  
  
• Data was released regarding food bank usage in Alberta. It showed that Albertans are experiencing the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada. More than 155,000 Albertans visited a food bank in March, a 34% increase in usage since 2021. The Red Deer Food Bank has seen a 68% increase in emergency food hamper demand over the past year and serves over 4,000 residents each month.
  
  
• Newly released Statistics Canada data showed that fewer new immigrants are making their homes in Red Deer. The 2021 census counted 3,925 new immigrants compared to 5,235 in 2016 when the population data was assessed. The census also showed that 43.9% of Red Deerians have no religious affiliation - a number nearly 10% higher than a decade ago.

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