The Community
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Volume 113, Issue 3
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
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Open House held in Forestburg could have major potential GM Pearson hosted an open house in Forestburg on Saturday, July 11, to provide information and answer questions about a proposed new thermal treatment facility they are looking to build and operate, potentially in Forestburg, which is on the short-list of potential locations. Forestburg Council members were also in attendance, as Council supports the idea of the potential development, which could bring many benefits as well as investment to the village and surrounding area. Story P14.
Justice Minister discusses new policing hires Killam, Viking, and Tofield not getting any new frontline police in first wave Leslie Cholowsky Editor Alberta RCMP announced 76 new police officers and 57 new civilian support positions for rural Alberta last week. This news was met with some areas of the province confused about being left out of the initial group of hires, including Beaver County and Flagstaff. In an interview with Caribou Publishing on Tuesday morning, Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer addressed the situation. “What was announced earlier this month was the first wave of new police officers that will be here on the ground in rural Alberta. “It’s a part of our $286 million partnership with municipalities and the federal government that was announced late last year.” Twenty-five detachments in the province received new frontline police positions, with five of those in the Eastern Alberta District; one each in Athabasca, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Elk Point, and St. Paul. Camrose, in the Central Alberta District, also received one new officer, as did Stettler.
Other positions filled include 10 positions at the RCMP Call Back Unit, (CBU) who focus support to rural detachments by managing lower priority calls that do not require direct police attendance, including reports of stolen property, minor motor vehicle accidents, gas-n-dash, and general inquiries. Rural detachments also benefit indirectly from two new K-Member Operational Support positions, embedded in Operational Communications Centres, providing policing support 24/7 to all detachments in the province. Other specialized units in the province also received additional staffing. Schweitzer says through the new initiative, the Province is planning to have 300 new police officers for rural Alberta, plus 200 support staff. “This year we will get a total of 76, so another 30 officers are going to arrive later this year in our province.” He says support staff are important because they keep our police officers, “Out in our communities. They allow them to fill out their paperwork remotely so that they can continue to be out there patrolling our streets keeping
people safe.” He adds that there will be further announcements this year as officers arrive, and that this is going to be a continual thing over the next “three, four, five years, as we get to that full complement of 300 new officers on the ground.” Schweitzer says, “When you think about it, there are four districts in Alberta that comprise our rural communi-
ties and you have to think of how the different detachments support one another. When one’s really busy, the other ones will come and support. “Getting additional resources into every one of those districts is really important, because it allows us to cover more territory. “We heard loud and clear last year See RURAL CRIME P9
Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely and Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer discuss recent rural policing announcements and future needs to combat rural crime.
Page 2 - The Community Press, Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Deserving salute to a Clan Chieftan
Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Rosemary Imlah is a familiar figure to many in Flagstaff, especially those who have attended Robbie Burns Nights or either of the two Clan Gatherings hosted by the Flagstaff Scottish Club held in Sedgewick the past two years. What they may not know is that she acts as Clan Chieftan for the Flagstaff Scottish Club as well. Imlah, who was born in Scotland, moved to Canada in 1958 at age 20, and she has maintained her Scottish heritage with great pride. “We say there are two types in the world; those who are Scottish, and those who wish they were,” she jokes. Imlah’s soon-to-be husband had emigrated from Scotland two years earlier, and she joined him in Port Alberni, BC. As a civil engineer, he worked all over western Canada, and even spent some time working in Thailand. While in Thailand, she was Chieftan of the St. Andrews Society there. “We hosted a wonderful Robbie Burns night.” Through her son and daughter-in-law the couple became aware of the need for a swim coach and aquatic director in Forestburg, and moved here, where she worked at the swimming pool and with the swim club, then the golf course, before retiring. Imlah lost her husband John in 2013. Imlah joined the Royal Canadian Legion in Sedgewick, where her son Grant was already a member, and through that became involved in the Robbie Burns Nights organized by Karen Robinson and Ian Malcolm. The event celebrated its 14th anniversary this past February. She says she’s happy that the Flagstaff Scottish Club has grown so much over a few short years, and credits Robinson and Malcolm for being the catalysts of such great growth. “It’s amazing! I’m so proud of the club, and of the level of Scottish-ness in the region.” Imlah was extremely honoured to be named Clan Chieftan of the Club, and represented it at the first and second Gathering of the Clans Highland Festivals, in 2018 and 2019 in Sedgewick. “It was such an honour.” She’s supported the club however she’s able, “I’ve baked a fair number of shortbread cookies over the years,” she says, and has helped out wherever she could. While COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the 2020 Clan Gathering, she’s confident it will return in 2021 stronger than ever. Her son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter are also involved with the club, and with the relatively new Battle River Pipes and Drums Band. She recalls attending the first band camp the group held. “They started out just using the chanters on the Friday,” which are double-reed wood instruments that serve as practice instruments to learn fingering configurations for bagpipe playing. “By Saturday afternoon and Sunday they were actually playing the bagpipes. The looks of pride and amazement on their faces brought me to tears, I was so proud of them.”
Imlah visited with Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely on Sunday, July 12, in Forestburg, where she showed off her gorgeous full-length Culloden tartan skirt and sash; she says she wears this tartan because she was born nearby the site where that infamous battle took place, and chose it as her own. Lovely got in the spirit, too, wearing a Maple Leaf tartan scarf for the occasion. On Sunday, Lovely presented Imlah with a certificate in recognition of her role as Chieftan for the Flagstaff Scottish Club. Imlah says that role is an honourary one for her, explaining that chieftans are traditionally responsible for all the
clans under them. In her instance, “It was my job to keep the Flagstaff Scottish Club in order; most of the times it was easy, but there were some times it was not,” she said with a wink and a nod to Ian Malcolm. She later joked that the Queen has her own piper, and as Chieftan, Malcolm acts as Imlah’s piper. Imlah expressed her gratitude to Lovely for the recognition. Lovely has made a number of visits throughout the Camrose Constituency in the past weeks, helping to promote the area, and posting videos of her discoveries on social media.
Thursday, July 16
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The Community Press, Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - Page 3
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