Red Deer Minute: Labour Shortages, Fire Investigation, and School Division Deficit

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week on account of the holidays. The next Council meeting is on January 9th. It’s looking like a quiet week in Red Deer politics.
  
  
• Newcomers to Canada can attend a learn to skate event on January 5th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Bower Ponds. This event is put on by CARE (Central Alberta Refugee Effort) and is in its 10th year. The event is free for immigrants and refugees and all equipment is provided.
  
  
• Severe winter weather - combined with the holiday season - is slowing blood donations, according to Canadian Blood Services. At the Red Deer Clinic, there are more than 300 appointments needing to be filled over the next two weeks. Red Deerians can make appointments online should they wish to donate.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Red Deer businesses have reported significant labour shortages. A recent survey of Red Deer Chamber of Commerce members showed that 60% of businesses who responded are experiencing "a moderate to significant" labour shortage, while more than 80% say they are in the midst of "a labour shortage on some level." Skills and experience, a small local hiring pool, and real versus expected wages are all reasons cited for the shortages.
  
  
• Between Christmas and New Years was an interesting time to release a first quarter financial report, particularly one that reports a deficit of $2.5 million. But, that is exactly what the Red Deer Public School Division did last week. Make sure to follow our friends at the Alberta Parents’ Union to make sure School Boards are held accountable.
  
  
• Red Deer Emergency Services said that they are still investigating the cause of a significant fire at the Bell store in Southpointe Common. Nearly 30 firefighters responded to the fire on Christmas Day, and the City even made use of the on-call firefighters from Red Deer County to help. Thankfully, no one was hurt as the whole strip mall was empty due to Christmas closures.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Red Deer doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Red Deerian knows what's really going on at City Hall.