Pierre Poilievre, left, and Shannon Stubbs.

By Adan Shaikh

Leader of the Conservative Party and Battle River-Crowfoot MP, Pierre Poilievre said affordability continues to be the biggest concern facing residents across the riding during a July 2 press conference at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 57 in Camrose.

Poilievre was joined by Lakeland MP and Conservative shadow minister for infrastructure Shannon Stubbs. The conference focused on the rising cost of living, with both MPs criticizing Liberal government policies they say have contributed to higher prices and economic challenges.

“It is our mission as Conservatives to restore the promise of this country,” said Poilievre. “Conservatives have three priorities: affordability, affordability, affordability.”

He said Canadians are struggling with rising food, fuel and housing costs, arguing federal taxes and government spending have increased the cost of living.

Poilievre criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney over energy and housing policies, calling for the repeal of Bill C-69, the removal of the industrial carbon tax and fewer federal barriers to pipeline development.

“Today we understand that Mark Carney will hold another announcement in Alberta regarding a potential future pipeline. To start with, let me congratulate the great Danielle Smith. We’re continuing to fight for Alberta and its oil and gas sector, she’s been up against a lot,” said Poilievre.

“We don’t need more taxes. We need more affordable prices for industry and people.”
Asked by The Camrose Booster what issue has been raised most frequently by constituents during his first year representing Battle River-Crowfoot, Poilievre said, “I would say the overall concern is affordability. People are working harder and harder, but they just can’t make it,” he said.

Poilievre said young people are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase homes, while families and seniors are making sacrifices to manage higher living costs.

He added that higher fuel prices have had a greater impact on rural residents because of longer travel distances and transportation costs.

The press conference concluded with Poilievre reiterating the Conservatives’ position that reducing taxes, removing regulatory barriers and expanding resource development are key to improving affordability for Canadians.

Submitted

With his announcement of retirement on July 15, Camrose Police Service Chief Dean LaGrange said he is proud to complete a 34-year policing career as the Chief of Camrose Police Service.

When asked where it all began, Dean chuckled as he recalled, at six years old, imitating his then hero, Poncherello, a character on the late ’70s/early ’80s CHiPs television show, who portrayed a motorcycle police officer in California. “I would ride my bike up and down our family farm pretending I was a motorcycle cop. I remember pulling my grandmother over when she drove into the yard.”

However, his adult career in policing began when LaGrange started with the Calgary Police Service. He ended his 25-year stint as Inspector, then moved on to serve the Red Deer RCMP as Inspector for one-and-a-half years. Recognizing an opportunity to wrap up his career serving a smaller community as the Chief of Police, LaGrange spent the last seven years as the Camrose Police Service Chief of Police.

“My first impression of Camrose, having never even been here before, was how intimate it felt,” said LaGrange. “I would run into people anywhere in the community, whether at the grocery store or in the capacity of my position, and be recognized. And people would always greet you. Camrose really embodies community policing and this was the first time I really felt it.”

The warm welcome extended beyond the community itself and was experienced tenfold from members of Camrose Police Service.

“Despite not having many connections in the community when he came to Camrose, Chief LaGrange treated Camrose as his home and was committed to providing a level of service to the community that it had come to expect and deserve,” commented Camrose Police Service Inspector Rene Brisson. “Chief LaGrange was proud of his appointment as the Chief of Police in Camrose, and he often shared that locally, provincially and nationally.”

Chief LaGrange remarked how immensely humbled and proud he was to have led Camrose Police Service, and how impressed he is with the level of professionalism and capability of the officers.

“Camrose Police Service is recognized provincially and within the Association of Alberta Chiefs of Police,” said LaGrange. “The members of Camrose Police Service consistently punch above their weight. The community can take pride in knowing that their Police Service is very well respected and capable of any type of investigation. The training is second to none and community involvement is the highest I have seen in any police agency.”

LaGrange added that the officers not only have a thumb on the pulse of activity in Camrose and know local offenders, they are also well aware of out-of-towners and maintain a tight grip on any activity that has the potential to put the community at risk.

He noted that crime in Camrose is typically on the property crime spectrum versus major crime.  “We really have no robberies or stranger attacks.” He contributes this in part to the geographical location of Camrose, but also officer knowledge and an overall sense of the community looking out for each other.

“If something happens in Duggan Park, all other areas of the community care. It’s a rare and wonderful thing.”

It’s fair to say that Chief LaGrange was an incredible fit for Camrose. He was often seen out and about, attending community events, chatting up citizens and basically ensuring that the community knew he was a “people’s chief.” He was well respected in the community and within the agency itself.

“It’s been seven years of great work and a lot of laughs, shaped by his easygoing, down-to-earth approach and strong commitment to mentoring the future leaders of our organization,” commented Camrose Police Service Acting Chief John Corbett.

“It’s truly been a pleasure to work with him, and we’ll miss his humour and the way he kept things real. We wish him all the best in his retirement and future endeavours.”

Aside from serving the community, Chief LaGrange made it his goal to ensure the Service itself, in all capacities, experienced progress and continued growth. Throughout his seven years, achievements included: changes in equipment, including new dress uniforms and badges; push bumpers for the patrol units; external vests; baseball caps; lit pistols and red dot sights; capital changes such as the new sergeant office, briefing room, report room and boardroom, 911 centre and new 911 backup location; and changes in keeping with technology advancements including e-bikes, two drones, AFFRACS radios, Next Gen 911 and body cameras.

“While most chiefs keep an eye on operations from the office, ours made it a priority to personally ‘test’ every new piece of technology that we acquired – particularly drones and e-bikes, sometimes right down the hallway,” noted Corbett.

Chief LaGrange recognizes he has been blessed in his career, the people he has met and the people he has been so fortunate to work with over the years.

In reflecting on the seven years as Chief, LaGrange acknowledged that Camrose Police Service is not just the uniforms seen on the streets. He said that without the incredible work of all members of the agency, including the 911 Communication Centre, administration and support services (Crime and Trauma Support Services, IT Services, crime analyst and the cell guards) and the support of the Police Commission, City and various external agencies, Camrose Police Service would not be able to provide the level of service to the community that it does.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the two senior officers, my wingmen, who have been there from the beginning, assisting me as not only a new chief, but new to the community,” said LaGrange, referring to Brisson and Corbett. “I relied heavily on their input, decision making and feedback and valued their opinions and knowledge about the community and policy. I sincerely could not have done it without them.”

There is no denying the respect and support that Chief LaGrange received from all members of the Service.

“Chief LaGrange always took the time to recognize the success of others, understanding that in our line of work, those efforts don’t always receive the recognition they deserve,” said Brisson. “He led by empowering those around him – placing trust in his people, supporting their growth, and creating an environment where others could lead and flourish with confidence. His success as a leader is reflected in the strength, professionalism and integrity of the team he built.”

In finding the words to sum up a 34-year policing career, Chief LaGrange, not uncharacteristically, sat back in his chair and reflected with a sense of sentiment.

“It’s been a good ride and I can’t thank everyone enough for the support. It truly has been a pleasure.”

On behalf of Camrose Police Service and a grateful community, we wish Dean and his family all the best in the future.

Foam covers the surface of the Stoney Creek beneath a pedestrian bridge at Jubilee Park following the heavy rainfall. The foam forms when fast-moving water churns naturally occurring organic matter, such as decaying leaves, plant material and other compounds, creating bubbles that collect in calmer areas. It is often a temporary and natural result of heavy runoff after significant rainfall.

By Adan Shaikh

Camrose’s wastewater system is under strain after a wet start to summer that has pushed infrastructure close to capacity and led to localized flooding. The last two weeks of rain have left many residents questioning if the City’s water systems are equipped for heavy rainfall.

At the June 22 Regular Council meeting, City council received an update following heavy rainfall on June 21 and 22. The City reported increased flows placed pressure on the South Lift Station and brought the system near operating capacity. Crews worked tirelessly around the clock to monitor conditions and relieve pressure on the infrastructure, using vacuum trucks to remove water upstream of the lift station.

“As council is aware, we put out an alert last night asking residents to reduce their residential water that makes its way into our water system, because the heavy rains over the last few days have caused a significant increase in the flows within our wastewater system, seeing upwards of three times the amount of flow,” said Kris Johnson, general manager of infrastructure for City of Camrose. He shared that the drainage and pipes of the city have a great capacity, including storage ponds for heavy rain events, however, the rainfall event on June 21 and 22 surpassed the expectations. “We were getting to a point yesterday where the storage ponds were getting close to full. We had about 18 inches of free board left in those ponds,” added Johnson.

The City’s water system is equipped with four pumps that can push 280 litres per second. “Total cubic metres that station can handle are 24,710 cubic metres in a 24-hour period. On June 21, we were at 24,641, which is 99.7 per cent of flow that can leave that station. Those four pumps have not stopped pumping yet and will continue on,” explained Kelly Bunclark, manager of utilities.

Councillor David Francoeur questioned, “I am worried – that was three days of rain. What if we have five days, what is going to happen?” In response, Bunclark shared that the ponds would overflow in that situation since the infrastructure is already at capacity and the water would go into the creek. This is exactly what Camrosians saw in action during the following week, as the city experienced six straight days of rain, which led to the creek overflowing and several streets around the City flooded.

Residents were once again asked to reduce non-essential water use while staff monitored rainfall, wastewater flows and system capacity.

Since the start of June, Camrose has received more than 220 millimetres of rain according to Canada Weather stats. The sustained rainfall has saturated ground conditions and increased runoff into the wastewater system.

Stoney Creek has been overflowing with water. The City has advised residents to stay away from all waterbodies, including the creek and Mirror Lake, where access restrictions stayed in place for most of last week.

On June 29, foam was observed under the Jubilee Park bridge on Stoney Creek, which is a normal accumulation of run-off from around the city. The wet weather has also contributed to basement flooding in various areas around the community and a significantly increased demand for mosquito repellent, leaving most local stores short on supply.

On Canada Day, two funnel clouds were reported near the south end of Camrose, but luckily did not touch down.

With more rain forecasted in the coming weeks, it is important that residents continue to limit non-essential water, during heavy rainfall events and help reduce pressure on the wastewater system