Red Deer Minute: Merry Christmas, Diverted Surgeries, and World Juniors Kick Off

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• There’s only one meeting scheduled at City Hall this week, a meeting of the Housing and Homelessness Integration Committee on Tuesday at 5:00 pm. At this meeting, Council will discuss strategies on how to address the issue of homelessness and will approve an Innovations In Housing engagement grant. They will also approve a budget for an RFP for Indigenous homelessness support services.
  
  
• Excited hockey fans will be descending on Red Deer for the World Junior Championship set to officially kick off on December 26th. Despite games in the international hockey tournament being split between Red Deer and Edmonton, Reg Warkentin, policy and government relations manager for the Chamber of Commerce, says it's a great economic opportunity for the city. The event is expected to generate $20-$30 million in local economic spin-off for city businesses.
  
  
• Finally, it is, of course, Christmas this Saturday! From all of the Common Sense Red Deer team and volunteers, have a Merry Christmas. Thank you to every single one of our readers, donors, and everyone who said a kind word to us this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have an excellent Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Last Week In Red Deer:

• The Red Deer Regional Hospital had to divert surgery patients elsewhere over the weekend as the hospital continues to experience capacity problems and a shortage of beds. Local doctors reminded residents of just how overburdened the hospital is. Capacity issues and bed shortages are nothing new - the hospital has been operating this way for years. The recent protocol to divert surgery patients was put in place to reduce wait times. AHS says it is working to recruit more operating room staff.
  
  
• The Executive Director for the Red Deer Dream Centre, Dr. Vincenzo Aliberti, says the centre is on schedule for an opening in the first quarter of 2022. The centre is inspired by the Los Angeles Dream Centre and will be a 40-bed, live-in residential drug and alcohol treatment and recovery centre. The centre in Red Deer was supposed to be open by January 1st, 2022, however, supply chain issues have delayed this date.
  
  
• Wind chill values of -40 C to -45 C were felt Thursday and Friday morning across Red Deer and Central Alberta. It was so cold that Red Deer Catholic Schools opted to cancel school bus service in rural locations. With more cold weather anticipated, Environment Canada is advising residents in Red Deer to dress in warm clothing. Thanks, Environment Canada!

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