Red Deer Minute: Population Data, Capstone Flexibility, and Molly Bannister Hearing

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• Today, at 3:00 pm, there will be a public hearing to discuss the potential removal of the Molly Bannister road extension from the Area Structure Plan. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is - this isn’t the first time the City has addressed this issue. It was most recently discussed in 2020. In 2020, Council decided to maintain the inclusion of the road extension and bridge over Piper Creek in the plans, despite recommendations to the contrary from administration, the developer, environmental groups, and the Bower neighbourhood residents. The developer has submitted new changes, prompting another public hearing.
  
  
• The Audit Committee will meet on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. The Committee will discuss the City's vacation obligation for 2022 as well as the Committee's work plan for the coming year.
  
  
• It might be your last chance to support a couple of local businesses. Two nightclubs, Bellinis and Longriders, will be demolished to make way for the relocation of Jackpot Casino. Additionally, artisan butcher Messinger Meats has announced that it will be closing its storefront and moving to online sales only at the end of the month.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Council gave first reading to a Land Use Bylaw amendment that will provide greater flexibility to developers in Capstone. The aim is to provide more options (like adding discretionary use and permitting microbreweries), reduce red tape, and speed up the approval process. This is good news as there have been zero developments in the area since 2016 and the original developer has long since left town. The vision for the area, dating back to 2000, is to develop it into a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, and dense neighbourhood that acts as an extension of the downtown. A public hearing will be held on February 6th, 2023.
  
  
• At an open house held at the new Red Deer recovery community, it was announced that Edgewood Health Network has been selected to operate the facility. Edgewood provides addiction treatment services and operates centres across Canada, with an impressive success rate of over 70% for their treatment programs. The new facility in Red Deer is a 75-bed long-term treatment centre, offering programs that range from three months to a year. This is the first recovery community of its kind to open in the province.
  
  
• Red Deer has grown, according to newly released data from Statistics Canada. The data showed that between July 1st, 2021 and July 1st, 2022, Red Deer's population grew by 1.4% (1,469) for a total population of 107,073. Of that growth, 1,075 were due to international migration - the largest amount in 20 years. Red Deer had the fourth highest increase in the number of new residents, behind Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge.

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