Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Vol. 44, No. 2
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Provincial vaccine rollout targets seniors first Patricia Harcourt Editor
The vaccine rollout for COVID-19 is on the minds of many as the province expands immunizing those in long term care and supportive living facilities first. Seniors and others living in those facilities and staff will be targeted for vaccination in January. That timeline also includes respiratory therapists, health care workers and Home Care workers. Paramedics/EMS have been added to the list as of Jan. 11. In February all seniors over 75, and First Nations and Metis over the age of 65, would be getting the vaccine. The general rollout for all Albertans is expected to happen in the fall. Locally, the timing is as yet unclear on the rollout for seniors in care. Vialta Lodge Manager in Viking Wanda Lefsrud said Monday she has not heard the schedule for their facility yet. But Beaver Foundation Board Chair Gene Hrabec stated that he “is very happy with the immunization progress that the Province of Alberta and Alberta Health has completed with the amount of doses received so far.” He added: “We hope the supply of vaccines can sustain the progress in motion on phase 1 and soon phase 2.” The east end of Beaver County falls under the Public Health office in Sedgewick, which had no information to offer on the rollout, referring queries to Alberta Health Services communications. Beaver Foundation CAO Owen Ligard stated Tuesday morning that, although he has reached out to AHS,
there is as yet no word on how the rollout for seniors will take place locally. “I do not have any information on who has received vaccinations or when we will be scheduled in our facilities as of yet,” said Ligard, but long term care facilities would be ahead of lodges in that scheduling. “Residents in other continuing care settings like lodges fall into later phases of the vaccine rollout and will be immunized as soon as we are able,” states the AHS on its website. Ligard did state that eligible healthcare staff across Beaver County, including those at healthcare facilities and in Continuing Care programs, continue to be contacted to attend immunization appointments. The province’s COVID update for Monday, Jan. 11 did reveal that so far over 50,000 doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered province-wide. Premier Jason Kenney added that three-quarters of the province’s supplies of these vaccines are now in arms, and the province will fall short of needed vaccine if more doesn’t arrive by next week. But he said the work of vaccinating vulnerable seniors and others living in care is underway now. Seniors in 398 facilities for long term care and supportive living “are in the process of receiving it,” he said, referring to vaccine doses. “We are on track to complete vaccinations (in these facilities) in all health zones by Jan. 18,” he said. “This is very good news.” The challenges are to hire enough staff to administer the doses and have
enough supply of the vaccine, which Kenney called “a concern as the pace picks up.” The final challenge is to convince enough Albertans to participate, he said. “We need Albertans to take the vaccine.” The goal is to “create the fastest possible system,” with 50,000 doses being given out every week by the end of January. Ramping up the rollout means that by the end of March 200,000 people a week will be vaccinated, for a total of 700,000 doses given out by that time. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that 70 per cent of the population would need to have the vaccine before herd immunity could develop. However, by targeting vulnerable first the early benefits hope to be a large reduction in severe outcomes. Kenney said the plans to vaccinate all Alberta seniors over the age of 75, plus First Nations over the age of 65, “will be announced soon.” However, he warned that “Alberta’s capacity will soon outstrip supplies,” of
the vaccine. Health Minister Shandro said the plan was to vaccinate the highest risk Albertans first, starting with priority health care workers and expanding to residents in long term care facilities. That expansion now includes paramedics and EMS staff “who work on the front line.” Shandro said the province is committed to “getting vaccines out as soon as possible…We want every Albertan to get a vaccine as soon as we get the vaccines.” Vaccines are being administered “nights and weekends,” and vaccines are being taken to long term care/supportive living facilities and hospital sites. Clinics are being set up and “we need to be adequately staffed by actively hiring vaccinators,” Shandro said. But with 4.4 million Albertans to vaccinate, he said that “we still have a long way to go.” He urged everyone to “stay the course” and follow the health guidelines and restrictions until that can happen.
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2 - Beaver County Chronicle, January 13, 2021
County responds to letter from ratepayer about S.H. 870 Patricia Harcourt Beaver County Council responded to a letter from Kinsella area ratepayer Bill Armitage regarding Secondary Highway 870. The ratepayer listed longstanding issues with S.H. 870 that involved safety and dust on the stretch of road from Highway 14 north to the County of Minburn border, a distance of 13 miles. Armitage reminded council that S.H. 870 is not paved from the Beaver County’s border south of Innisfree to the Kinsella crossing S.H. 619 that runs to Viking. “From S.H. 619 there is approximately seven miles of gravel (which is like a bridge being out) that connects S.H. 619 east to Highways 881, 41, and 17 just south of Lloydminster on the Saskatchewan border,” he writes in his letter. He writes of the “dusty, washboards, pot holes, and soft when wet gravel found on 870 north. When dry, you have to wait for the dust to clear to enter 870 and when on it, and meeting traffic, you need to slow down or stop to let the dust clear.” He notes there are five gravel pits along this seven miles of ungraveled road. “Please explain to me and the public why this secondary 870 link has not been paved between Highway 619 and Highway 14 at Kinsella,” Armitage asks of council. Reeve Jim Kallal (Division 2) said he felt council needs to follow up on this letter, noting that “S.H. 870 was important to council over the years.” Division 5 Councillor Dale Pederson expressed his own frustrations in his efforts: “I actually campaigned on it,” he said. “I’ve been working on it.” But there is no money in the provincial coffers for that project which he said has been placed “on the back burner” along with many others. Pederson said he was told that the traffic counts for that road “just don’t justify it.” Also, the county doesn’t have the $5 million needed for “a few miles of road.”
Pederson also said he was told by the local MLA that the economy would have to improve before it could be considered. “All we can do is leave it on the list,” he told council. With a nine vehicle per day road count, he said: “The only thing we can do is say the provincial government can’t do it and the county can’t afford it, either.” Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec (Division 3) asked if the paving company working out of the areal there would be willing to pave that section of road. “Is there going to be a paving plant out there,” he asked. “Sometime we need to step up to the plate, too.” He said that the paving company which hauls on that road “is hurting it and taking paving product to other projects out of the county.” A quarter mile of the road “is a dust bowl,” he said, calling it a safety issue. Kallal called these “great comments,” adding he agrees with them. Councillor Barry Bruce (Division 4) said he could confirm the dust and gravel on that road, so much so that it can result in broken windshields. Bruce said he understood both “people’s feelings and provincial constraints.” But he also wondered about the kind of traffic counts being conducted on secondary highways. The counts aren’t as realistic as they might be as many drivers will take another route to avoid that stretch of road. “A lot of traffic turns east or west as an alternate route to avoid the road conditions rather than go south on it,” he said. Also, a lot of local traffic is not counted because the counter car is placed in the wrong location. “We have a lot of traffic on secondary roads,” he said. “Rural Alberta needs attention,” but are instead “playing second fiddle to the big urban centres… We need to tell government they need to get on the secondary highways.” Division 1 Councillor Kevin Smook said council should advocate on behalf of that road. But as for putting county funds into a paving project, he said the See 870 LETTER BCC3
Notice of the 44th ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
of the Beaver Heritage & Agricultural Society
TRANSFER STATIONS IN BEAVER COUNTY Claystone Waste operates five transfer stations within Beaver County. These locations are the Lindbrook and Tofield Transfer Stations on the west side of the county, The Ryley Transfer Station located at the Beaver Regional Landfill just north of the Village of Ryley, and the Viking and Kinsella Transfer Stations located on the eastern end of the county. The Ryley Transfer Station has undergone extensive changes this past year. We developed a new area, and moved all the buildings onto the new site, which is just north of the old public drop off area. Beaver County residents can drop off household waste at any of these locations free of charge during operating hours. Transfer stations are also used by Claystone Waste collections trucks when working on both urban and rural bin routes s.
All transfer stations accept bagged household garbage. Dry waste can also be accepted. This includes wood items, such as broken chairs, small tables, and things like tree branches, trimmings, and lawn clippings. These items should be broken down to under three feet in length as longer items can cause issues for the collection equipment and can get caught as operators push garbage down from the building into the transport trucks.
All of the Claystone Waste Transfer Stations can also accept other materials in addition to household wastes. The specific items vary from site to site but include: electronic wastes (i.e. old computers, televisions, ˛˔˜˥˗˥ˬ˘˥˦ʟ ˘˧˖Ϩʜʟ ˨˦˘˗ ˢ˜˟ʟ ˢ˜˟ ˙˜˟˧˘˥˦ʟ ˣ˥ˢˣ˔ˡ˘ ˧˔ˡ˞˦ʟ ˧˥˜ˣ˟˘ ˥˜ˡ˦˘˗ ˙˔˥ˠ ˦ˣ˥˔ˬ jugs, antifreeze, batteries, tires, twine, grain bags, paint, paper, cardboard and metal items which includes appliances (there is a $25 freon removal charge for each freon containing appliance such as fridges and freezers), all of which are recycled. The recycling services offered do vary. You should check by phone or visit the Transfer Station page on our website to confirm what items are accepted at each location.
The transfer stations can not accept hot or cold ashes, liquid wastes such as water or gas, any explosive material such as pressurized tanks, biomedical waste, animal carcasses, or household hazardous waste.
For more information regarding transfer stations and acceptable items, you can call our office voicemail and leave a message or visit our transfer station page on our website at www.claystonewaste.com/ residential/transfer-s stations.
Toll Free: 1.855.221.2038 Ph: 780.663.2038 50117 Range Road 173 (Secondary Highway 854) Box 322, Ryley, AB T0B 4A0
Ryley Landfill Hours:
Operators of the
We ee ekdays 9:00 am - 4:30 pm; Saturda ay ys / STATS 9:00 am - 3:00 pm; Close ed d Sunda ay ys
Ryley Swimming Pool & Wellness Center
NOTE: customers must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to closing; Administration Offices closed from 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Monday, January 25th, at 7:00 pm The meeting will be held via Zoom
To register to participate, please call or text Lonnie @ 780-996-2580 New members welcome!
Lindbrook Transfer Station Hours: Tues 10:30 am - 5:30 pm; Thurs 11:30 am - 6:30 pm; Sat 10:30 - 5:30 pm
Tofield Transfer Station Hours: Wed, Fri and Sat 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Viking Transfer Station Hours: Tues 10:30 am - 5:30 pm; Sat 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Kinsella Transfer Station Hours: Wed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm; Fri 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Beaver County Chronicle, January 13, 2021 - 3
Viking Health auxiliary funding granted Patricia Harcourt Beaver County Council supported a request from the Viking Health Foundation for a 2020 grant allotment of $7,133. This funding is Viking’s share of a $20,000 amount budgeted each year since 2013 for the health foundations in Viking and Tofield. The funding is divided up based on population of each area served by these foundations. For Tofield, this means $12,867 on 64.335 per cent of population, and for Viking, $7,133 based on 35.665 per cent of the population served in Beaver County. Viking Health Foundation had submitted financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2020, and an extensive list of the basic equipment and other necessities that have been provided for the Viking Health Centre.
870 Letter Continued from BCC2 drop in oil and gas income in the county precludes that idea.
“Our objective is to use the funds to enhance health care, but many of the requests are for basic equipment, which we recognize and accept as our obligation,” stated the letter from the Viking Health Foundation to county council. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” said Division 1 Councillor Kevin Smook at the Jan. 6 meeting, held virtually. “They have needs so I fully support this recommendation.” Division 4 Councillor Barry Bruce, who had earlier called for equal funding for both foundations, this time supported the grant based on population. Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec referred to the discussion in December about the foundation grants being “the same for the east as the west,” but Reeve Jim Kallal
(Division 2) countered with the statement that: “Viking’s in a healthy situation,” calling it a “superior, well run organization.” Viking’s health foundation has received many large legacy donations from local citizens, he noted. “Health is one of the biggest things we should be supporting,” he added. Smook said the funding for Tofield’s foundation is used to enhance facilities and recruit physicians. In a December article, it was reported that Reeve Kallal said he was the chair of the Viking Health Foundation two decades ago. Reeve Kallal later clarified this to say he had been the chair of the Tofield Health Foundation at that time, and Viking’s then chair was Phyllis Lefsrud. Lefsrud held that position for well over two decades and only retired recently.
“We can advocate to the province for them to do it,” he said. Kallal said he didn’t think the county should drop the project “because we don’t have the money,” noting that using terracem “might be the answer.”
A motion was passed to inform the ratepayer that the county will lobby the provincial government regarding the paving of that highway. Administration will also follow up to find out if there are paving projects that might take place in the area to piggy back on.
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