Red Deer Minute: Naming Ceremonies, Property Assessments, and ParticipACTION Ranking Slips

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 meeting of City Council. The meeting begins with a closed session, in which Council will discuss a CUPE bargaining update and a Westerner Advocacy Update. Once the meeting opens back up to the public, Council will discuss the Vision 2050 report, which lays out a long-term vision for the community. The meeting will finish with a Public Hearing, where a number of land use amendments will be considered.
  
  
• The Housing and Homelessness Integration Committee will meet on Tuesday at 5:00 pm. The Committee will review the recommendations on homelessness put forward by the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the draft Community Homelessness Report.
  
  
• Starting today, property assessment staff in Red Deer will begin photographing the exteriors of non-residential and multifamily properties. They will carry photo identification while conducting these inspections, which include documenting property details and taking pictures from roads and sidewalks. This initiative targets commercial, industrial, and multifamily properties and will occur during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Red Deer has slipped to second place in the ParticipACTION Community Challenge, trailing Hay River, NWT, but still has a chance to reclaim first place before June 30th. Despite this setback, Red Deer holds the top spot in Alberta, with Vulcan close behind. ParticipACTION will determine the Most Active Community in Canada and each province based on the number of organizations tracking activities and individuals taking the 'get active pledge.' The national winner will receive $100,000 to support local sports and physical activities, with Red Deer having previously won in 2022. This year, the focus is on engaging participants rather than tracking activity minutes, with 54 organizations in Red Deer already signed up.
  
  
• Mayor Ken Johnston and the City Council honoured 24 groups and individuals at the 2024 Mayor’s Recognition Awards at Westerner Park Harvest Centre. These awards celebrated residents who have brought distinction to Red Deer through their actions, recognizing them in four categories: athletics, fine and performing arts, distinguished voluntary service, and community builders. This year, notable winners included Gerald Kress for founding the Wheelchair Rugby Club and the Donald and Lacey families for their extensive philanthropy. The awards have been a tradition since 1989.
  
  
• The Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence hosted several room naming ceremonies to honour major donors, including the Kiwanis Club of Red Deer Intake Room, the Rifco Employee Giving Boardroom, and others. These ceremonies recognize significant contributions to the capital campaign and highlight the support from various organizations and individuals. The public fundraising campaign reached $12.56 million, largely through public and private donations, with named rooms contributing to this total. Three organizations - the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, and AHS' Move Your Mood Studio - are in operation, and the remaining partners will be by the end of summer.

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