Prior to his passing on Dec. 23, Airdrie businessman Hugh Hamilton donated 10 acres of land to the Airdrie Health Foundation (AHF), which could help to finally establish 24-hour healthcare in Airdrie.
Prior to his passing on Dec. 23, Airdrie businessman Hugh Hamilton donated 10 acres of land to the Airdrie Health Foundation (AHF), which could help to finally establish 24-hour healthcare in Airdrie.
The land, located near Hamilton Boulevard in northeast Airdrie, is currently not serviced with utilities but does have easy access to highways.
If the land is not deemed suitable for a healthcare facility, it could also be sold and the money directed towards other projects.
The former Progressive-Conservative government announced plans to develop a $35 million healthcare park in Airdrie, which would include a 24-hour urgent care centre, but movement has since stalled.
Angela Pitt and the Wildrose Party were the big winners in Airdrie, taking the riding with 7,499 votes (35.13 per cent) in the provincial election on May 5.
The win returned the riding to the Wildrose, which lost the seat when outgoing MLA Rob Anderson crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party on Dec. 17, 2014.
Chris Noble, running for the New Democrats (NDP), placed second in Airdrie with 6,368 votes (29.83 per cent), while Peter Brown came in a close third for the PCs with 6,168 votes (28.89 per cent).
The Alberta Party's Jeremy Klug was a distant fourth with 913 votes (4.28 per cent) and independent Jeff Willerton managed to pick up only 400 votes (1.87 per cent).
An orange wave crashed across Alberta as the NDP won a majority government, taking 53 of the possible 87 seats.
The NDP win wiped away 44 years of PC rule in Alberta.
The Wildrose Party picked up 21 seats and became the official opposition. The PCs went into the election with 70 seats but won only 10, while the Alberta and Liberal parties picked up one seat each.
Estimates pegged between 58 and 60 per cent of eligible Alberta voters casting a ballot in the election, up from 54 per cent in 2012. Voter turnout in Airdrie was 56 per cent, up from 52.9 per cent in 2012.
In a night that saw the Liberal Party of Canada steamroll the competition en route to a stunning 184-seat majority, voters in the Banff-Airdrie riding chose stability over change, giving incumbent Blake Richards a third term as a Member of Parliament.
Richards led the polls throughout the night Oct. 19 and was elected with 40,617 votes (64 per cent). His closest competitor, Liberal Party candidate Marlo Raynolds, took in 16,517 votes (26 per cent).
Rounding out the polls was NDP candidate Joanne Boissonneault with 3,951 votes (six per cent) and Green Party candidate Mike MacDonald with 2,383 votes (four per cent). Richards, alongside the Conservative Party, formed the official opposition with 99 seats in parliament – a 67-seat decrease from 2011. The Liberal Party picked up an additional 150.
Airdronian Christian Hudson took home the top prize at the 2015 Calgary Stampede Talent Search. If winning the honour wasn't newsworthy enough, Hudson then announced he would be donating his $10,000 prize to the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre.
In the days leading up to the contest, he spent an evening sleeping by the Bow River when plans to stay at a friend's home fell through. During his night on the street, Hudson said he met some of Calgary's homeless, which inspired him to make the donation.
Following news of Hudson's intention to donate his winnings, Calgary philanthropist Brett Wilson – who served as a judge for the talent search – confirmed on Twitter he too would be donating money to the Drop-In Centre.
Douglas Garland, the man accused of killing three Calgarians in 2014, was once again in the news in 2015.
On March 29, officers from the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and RCMP resumed a search of the property northeast of Airdrie owned by his parents. In a statement issued by CPS, the new search of the property was said to be taking place “ to collect additional evidence to support the upcoming court case.”
The preliminary trial for Garland, 54, – who had been charged with the first degree murder of Alvin Liknes, 66, and his wife Kathy, 53, and second degree murder of the Liknes' grandson, five-year-old Nathan O'Brien – began on May 19 and concluded on May 27.
At the end of the preliminary inquiry Judge Bob Wilkins found sufficient evidence for a jury to possibly convict Garland, and upgraded the murder charge in relation to O'Brien to first degree murder.
On July 31 in Calgary Court of Queen's Bench, Justice David Gates set the five-week trial date for Jan. 16 to Feb. 17, 2017. Jury selection will start Jan. 11, 2017.
Garland has been in custody since his arrest on July 14, 2014.
The bodies of the Liknes' and O'Brien have not been found.
Following a lengthy cold case investigation dating back to 2006, investigators charged 47-year-old Duane Redelback on Sept. 11 in relation to the death of his common-law wife, Airdrie resident Ruth Degayo.
On Jan. 8, 2006, investigators from the Canmore RCMP detachment received a complaint of human remains found burned in an abandoned building in the hamlet of Exshaw.
RCMP used DNA testing and determined six weeks later the remains were that of 40-year-old Degayo. Redelback had reported his wife missing prior to the test results being released.
Investigators arrested Redelback in Cochrane and charged him with second-degree murder and indignity to a human body.
On Oct. 22, Redelback appeared in Airdrie Provincial Court by CCTV from the Calgary Remand Centre.
Defense lawyer Lisa Burgis asked Provincial Court Judge K. Jivraj to adjourn Redelback's bail hearing to Dec. 3, so lawyers and the Crown could determine if the bail hearing could be heard in Airdrie or if it needed to be moved to Calgary. Crown Prosecutor Lori Chambers agreed with Burgis' request and the judge granted the adjournment.
Redelback made another appearance in Airdrie Provincial Court Dec. 3, via CCTV from the Calgary Remand Centre.
Lawyer T.A. Pierce, acting for Redelback's lawyer, Balfour Der, requested the case be adjourned to Dec. 17 to allow Der time to review all the discovery evidence turned over by the prosecution on Dec. 2. Pierce said Der might also seek to have the trial moved to Calgary.
On Dec. 17 a pre-preliminary hearing was set for July 7 in Airdrie. The preliminary hearing will be held in Calgary from Oct. 3 to 7 and Oct. 17 to 21.
Redelback has remained in custody since his arrest.
Not everyone was thrilled when Airdrie City council approved curbside blue bin recycling on Sept. 21, however, at least one resident had been campaigning for the program since March.
Airdrie resident Candi Strohan promoted and pushed for blue bin recycling pick-up in Airdrie, by circulating a petition that netted more than 400 signatures in less than one week.
Strohan, a resident of Williamstown, put her petition online Feb. 26, and as of March 5, it had 432 signatures, as well as comments about the need for curbside blue bin pick-up in Airdrie.
The City also showed interest in blue bins earlier in the year and held two open houses on May 7 and 9 about the future of recycling services in Airdrie.
The open houses were the third step in public consultation into recycling services the City had held since November 2014.
Residents were given a chance to comment not just on the services they like, but also those they don't like. Three options were reviewed: a curbside program, enhancing current depots or keeping the status quo.
Results from the survey, presented to Airdrie City council on Jan. 19, showed residents, while pleased with current recycling services, would like to see the City introduce curbside recycling.
Council then approved moving forward with blue box curbside recycling at its meeting on Sept. 21.
What isn't so clear is when residents can expect to see blue carts showing up on their street. Council directed staff to return to council with details about the program, taking into account private recycling contractors and investigating the ways they might be incorporated into the program.
When staff will return to council with the requested information is not known.
Municipal Enforcement worked throughout the year to revise and replace the existing Dog Control Bylaw, originally approved in 1981, with an Animal Control Bylaw. Amendments were introduced July 6 to include provisions for vicious dogs following public feedback sessions and after council requested staff gather more information.
City council also approved including cats in the bylaw at its Oct. 5 meeting after reviewing the practices of nine other municipalities and found all but two had bylaws dealing with cats and cat ownership.
The bylaw is scheduled to be back before council in spring 2016 after a second round of public consultation.
One man was sent to hospital Sept. 27 after an early morning shooting near a fitness centre in an apartment building on Railway Avenue. RCMP was called to the building that houses Anytime Fitness and the Copperstone Village apartments at 1:25 a.m. after receiving a 911 call of shots fired. RCMP arrested Michael Sharman, 35, of Calgary and Matthew Van Shiak, 21, of no fixed address in connection with the shooting and charged them with numerous offenses.
The 39-year-old victim was expected to make a complete recovery. Sharman will appear in Calgary Criminal Court Jan. 15, 2016. Van Shiak will appear in Airdrie Provincial Court on Jan. 21, 2016.
Who or what was responsible for a string of suspicious fires in October in Airdrie was unclear, but investigators treated the fires as arson.
Nine fires in total raged from Oct. 7 to Oct. 13, including fires at the Chinook Winds Waterpark, the Sobey's grocery store on Eighth Street and multiple suspicious blazes on rural property outside Airdrie.
Investigators were not able to say if the same individual was responsible for all nine fires, however, two men were charged Oct. 12 with arson and break and enter in relation to the suspicious fire in Ravenswood. Nicholas Maschke, 20, of Calgary and Trevor Brown, 20, of Airdrie were charged.
Rocky View County (RVC) council voted unanimously to reject a land use redesignation for the proposed site of the $70 million Rockyview Motorsports Park, which had been in the works since 2012. The application proposed to redesignate 640-acres of land northeast of Airdrie, near Range Road 290 and Township Road 274.
The park would have included a four-kilometre road course, karting facility, driver training and safety opportunities, and complimentary business development.
Those who spoke in opposition at the hearing voiced concerns over losing agricultural land and the impact the noise, litter and traffic would likely have on their adjacent properties.
The debate surrounding Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools goes back to April 2014 when Motion 503 – which would have made it mandatory for Alberta schools to allow GSAs to be established if students requested them – was defeated in the Legislature.
In November 2014, Bill 202, the Safe and Inclusive School Act, was introduced and passed first reading. Then-Airdrie MLA Rob Anderson introduced amendments, which included exempting those who were homeschooled and religious schools from mandatory GSAs.
However, Bill 202 was effectively negated when Bill 10, the Act to Amend the Alberta Bill of Rights to Protect our Children, was introduced to Legislature on Dec. 1, 2014.
The original Bill 10 was said to ensure students who wished to establish clubs that promote caring, respectful and safe learning environments – including GSAs – had clear resources if their request was denied. Students and/or parents would have had the ability to appeal any such decisions to their elected school boards.
Following feedback from Albertans that indicated Bill 10 required further consultation, then-Premier Jim Prentice announced on Dec. 4, 2014 the Bill had been put on hold.
After months of contentious debate, the provincial government passed legislation on March 10 that enabled GSAs to be established in schools. With the amendments made on March 10, students may now set up GSAs and meet on school property, may use the names GSA or QSA (Queer-Straight Alliance) and will enshrine sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and gender expression in the Alberta Bill of Rights as protected grounds from discrimination.
The pool-area at Genesis Place Recreation Centre got some much needed re-surfacing this year for the first time in its 11-year history.
The pool-area was shut down for the duration of the project, from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31.
The renovations were budgeted at $1.4 million, which was endorsed by the Community Services Advisory Board and the City of Airdrie council in April.
However, on April 7 officials requested an increase of $523,069 to complete the project. The reason for the request was cited as inflation, as well as a decision to put some additional funds into contingency to deal with any unexpected issues that might arise.
The final cost of the project will be determined after completion of the steam room and of the deficiencies, but is expected to come in on budget.
The entire pool was re-tiled, as well as the pool deck, hot tub and change rooms. Officials said the change rooms went from being half tile and half cement to all tiles, which will increase safety for visitors.
The pool area reopened on Nov. 1, and the steam room reopened a few weeks later.
Just weeks before the 2015 Airdrie Pro Rodeo was set to take place, RVC exercised its right to enforce the land use bylaw in place for the rodeo grounds – which are located within the County – and did not allow onsite camping for visitors. Competitors were still allowed to camp at the site.
Though RVC would not reveal how many complaints it had received, officials cited complaints centering around noise, garbage, parking and traffic as the reason for the move.
The County did, however, allow the organizers to go ahead with concerts and beer gardens as planned.
Wayne Hanson, vice-president of the Airdrie Rodeo Ranch Association, said the organization was aware there had been some complaints and the group was trying to work on a solution with neighbours near the rodeo grounds.
Hanson said the organization began to officially allow onsite camping for visitors three years ago, after it had been happening informally for many years.
Organizers were able to make arrangements for off-site camping at the Beaver Dam Golf Course in Madden.
RVC said it will enforce both the no-camping and no-concert rules in 2016, unless a land use designation change has been granted. The change will require a redesignation application that would go to RVC council for consideration at a public hearing.
The number of calls to the Airdrie RCMP involving some form of domestic violence continued to steadily increase in Airdrie in 2015, according to Airdrie RCMP Inspector Gordon Sage.
He noted Airdrie's statistics on domestic violence were much higher than in other communities he has studied.
As of June, Airdrie RCMP had responded to 275 calls involving domestic violence, according to Sage.
During a Crossfield Town Council meeting in mid-November, Sage said Airdrie had more than doubled the reported cases of domestic violence from 300 in 2014 to nearly 700 reported so far in 2015.
Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society (ADVAS) provided support to 979 victims of domestic violence in 2014, and continued to receive calls involving domestic violence in 2015.
Representatives speculated the increase in reported cases is a reflection on Airdrie's growing population.
ADVAS representatives said there has been more talk of the need for a woman's shelter in Airdrie in 2015 than there has been in previous years.
Local rancher and philanthropist Stan Grad was acknowledged as part of the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2015 for his efforts in business and charity.
The distinction is the highest honour a citizen can receive from the Province, and was awarded to eight Albertans this year. Grad said he was “ flabbergasted” when he heard he had been chosen.
Grad, who is the owner of Soderglen Ranches, has served in a variety of charitable roles, including as chairman and director of the Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) for more than 12 years. He donated $5 million to the organization in memory of his daughter, who passed away in a motor vehicle collision in 1990.
A graduate of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, Grad donated $7 million to the school, which led to the establishment of the Stan Grad Centre, located on the school's main campus.
Grad, who moved to Airdrie in 1972, said he remained invested in the future of the community, noting initiatives like furthering local healthcare as a current area of focus.
The investiture ceremony was held in Edmonton on Oct. 14, bringing the total membership number of the Alberta Order of Excellence to 148.
After much debate, Airdrie City council rejected the planned development of a section of land that backs onto Veterans Boulevard in the northwest community of Reunion on Aug. 4.
The land was originally zoned for seniors' housing; however, Manager of Planning and Sustainable Development Tracy Corbett said the property owner was having difficulty making that kind of development work financially.
The developer, Slokker-West, presented a plan to residents at an open house in July 2014 that included the building of up to 240 residential multi-family units on the 12.35-acre site.
Approximately 100 residents turned up at that open house to voice their displeasure at the plan, citing issues around traffic and access.
Corbett said the developer took feedback from that first open house and revised the plan to include single-family homes. That plan was presented to residents at an open house in January, but still concerned those living in the area.
The public hearing was re-opened Aug. 4, and a number of residents spoke against the planned development, which included 117 single-family homes.
The proposed development was considerably different than what was originally planned for the section and for many homeowners the sticking point was that residents purchased their homes in Reunion expecting that site to be developed as planned – but Slokker-West's plans had since taken a considerable detour.
The skies above Airdrie were home to the Airdrie Air Show in 2009, 2011 and 2013, but that changed in 2015 due to complications arising from the new runway at Calgary International Airport.
Director of Operations for the air show Sarah Van Gilst said in February it was not possible to obtain the air space in Airdrie to allow the show to proceed safely, without impacting Calgary airport to the point where it would potentially be crippling to its operations.
In April, it was announced the Airdrie Air Show would move to Springbank and be renamed the Wings Over Springbank Air Show.
In order for the event to be hosted at Springbank Airport, van Gilst said the Society required a letter of support from RVC – promising not only that RVC was behind the event, but that it would also provide the necessary safety accommodations to make the event possible – which was granted.
The first ever Wings Over Springbank Air Show was held July 18 and 19 at the Springbank Airport.
Airdrie resident Peter Poohkay, who served in the Second World War, was awarded the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour, by order of the President of the Republic of France. He received the honour on April 7 at Genesis Place Recreation Centre during an honours and awards event hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion, Airdrie Branch #288. Poohkay was a part of the Third Division on D-Day in the Ninth Brigade. Poohkay also was named parade marshal for this year's Canada Day Parade in Airdrie.
Concerns about graffiti, drug and alcohol use, and safety at the Chinook Winds Skate Park and neighbouring Mattamy Homes Spray Park were dealt with by an internal group at the City of Airdrie.
Other concerns, such as young children wandering from the playground onto the skate park and posing a danger to themselves and to skateboarders, were also raised throughout the year. Solutions pinpointed included installing a fence that would run the length of the skate park, or increasing RCMP presence at the park.
Following up on a campaign promise, the newly-elected Alberta NDP government moved forward on their planned minimum wage increase, which eyes an eventual increase to $15 in the province in the next three years. The first phase was carried out Oct. 1, as workers saw hourly rates increase from $10.20 to $11.20. Liquor servers saw their hourly wages increase from $9.20 to $10.70.
The remainder of the increase will be carried out through “ phased” increases throughout the next three years.
RCMP didn't expect to find a small child in a cardboard box on the backseat of a car during a routine traffic stop in Airdrie on June 23.
As the driver was searching for the requested documents, the officer noticed the box on the back seat was moving.
“ I thought, ‘There's going to be puppies in the box' because it was covered with a towel,” said Sergeant Darrin Turnbull, with the RCMP's Integrated Traffic Unit.
“ I asked, ‘What's in the box?' and then a hand sticks out and I heard, ‘I am.' I was speechless. The adult was not the one making the decisions in that car.”
The driver was charged with speeding – 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone – and with failing to properly secure a child in a motor vehicle under the Alberta Traffic Act.
The RCMP said it released the story, which made national headlines, as a way to educate parents on the importance of child seat safety.
“ Car crashes are the leading cause of serious injury and death in young children,” Turnbull said. “ When you look at that situation, we need to do better. We as a society owe it to our children to keep them safe.”
Yankee Valley Boulevard saw upgrades made to reduce bottlenecks and traffic jams as a result of a study done in December 2014 by ISL Engineering and Land Services. Technology to synchronize signal lights at eight intersections was installed, utilizing GPS clocks which worked by improving the precision of the timing of the signal lights. Other upgrades to further improve traffic flow on Yankee Valley Boulevard included adding additional dual turn lanes at some key intersections such as Sierra Springs, Eighth Street and Main Street. However, these enhancements are still on the back burner.
Citizens took to social media to begin reporting crime in Airdrie as part of the Facebook group called Airdrie Crime Watch, started by Airdrie resident Chris Wright in March 2014. Wright said he was a victim of ongoing petty crimes including home and car prowlings. As of Dec. 17, the group has 3,548 members, and much of the information posted comes from media reports or police report websites, as well as from individuals who send Wright information. Wright vets what is sent to him and he estimated he posts 25 to 30 per cent on the Facebook page.
In April, the former Alberta Government released its budget. Funding for education in the 2015 Provincial Budget increased by $145 million, but trailed student growth in the province. Estimates indicated RVS would see an influx of 1,000 additional students in the September, but would not receive funding for the required additional 44 teachers.
On April 20, Rocky View Schools (RVS) released a joint statement with school divisions across the province expressing concern with proposed education funding and how it would affect students in the province.
The joint statement issued included a request for government to “ reconsider and to work with our school districts on a collaborative approach that will sustain student success, support student growth and provide enough autonomy and flexibility for local board officials to address the most pressing areas of concern for their districts.”
In May – after Alberta elected an NDP government – Premier Rachel Notley promised student growth would be funded in Alberta.
In June, Notley followed through with her promise and restored education funding, along with funding for enrolment growth for the 2015/16 school year.
The cost to restore funding this year was $103 million.
While Airdrie's population continues to grow, the pace appears to be slowing, according to the census figures released by the City on July 6.
The population of Airdrie, as recorded in the 2015 census, is 58,690, up from 54,891 in the 2014 census. This equates to a 6.92 per cent growth rate or 10.4 people per day. From 2013 to 2014, Airdrie recorded a 10.76 per cent growth rate or 15 people per day.
Mayor Peter Brown called the slow down in growth “ a relief.”
