YEAR IN REVIEW - 2016

January 2016

• Roger and Caleb Bott each received personalized jerseys from Edmonton Oilers player Conner McDavid. The Botts were invited by Larry Kaniusis and his son Jaxon to join them for the Oilers’ game.
• Greg and Amy Shepertycky headed to the ice oval racing competition in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
• Canadian Cancer Society held an open house with the goal to bring back the Relay for Life.
• Secure Energy donated $7,500 to the Boys and Girls Club.
• Levi James Nutting, born to Heather and Carson Nutting, was the first baby born in 2016 at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre.
• An Alberta Transportation gravel pit, located off Hwy. 11, raised concerns.
• The Caroline Colts Dynamite team competed in a tournament in Bashaw.
• Barracuda swimmers achieved personal bests in a swim meet hosted in Sherwood Park.
• The Farmers Bonspiel was cancelled due to the unfinished work on the curling rink and rec centre.
• No minor hockey tournaments were scheduled due to the arena reconstruction.
• The recreational hockey league received new jerseys and a new name – the Rocky Trail Blazers.
• Caroline hosted the West Country Chiefs 2016 Midget Hockey Tournament. Caroline won the B pool, Eckville won the A pool and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Association took the C pool.
• Second World War veteran, Gordon Lea, 91, received a Quilt of Valour.
• Clearwater County, Rocky Mountain House, Caroline and the Summer Village of Burnstick Lake joined together in a new Joint Emergency Management Agreement.
• Rocky Mountain House town council adopted the regional tourism initiative in conjunction with Clearwater County and the three area chambers of commerce.
• Caroline Colts atom hockey team won their home tournament.
• Rocky Mountain House Speed Skating Club took part in the Alberta Indoor Long Track Meet at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
• Village of Caroline’s library was reopened following repairs due to a waterline leak.
• Calgary Hitmen player Layne Bensmiller was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders.
• Curtis and Janice Keil lost their shop to a fire. The quick actions of their two teens got everyone out of the nearby house when fire engulfed the shop.
• Five recorded deaths due to the flu prompted Alberta Health Services to urge Albertans to get immunized.
• Roy Mitton, founder of Masquerade Ministries, spoke at a workshop about domestic abuse, hosted by the Living Branches Church.
• Hunter Smith, a wrestler from David Thompson High School, won three gold medals in competitions across Alberta.
• Local figure skater Bryce Chudak and Bryn Hoffman from Whitehorse won silver in the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Halifax. The win qualified them for Team Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.
• Carter Rowe competed in his first boxing match in Medicine Hat.
• The Rocky bowling team headed to nationals in Hamilton, Ont.
• Rocky Mountain House Public Library joined libraries across Alberta in the Read for 15 Challenge to encourage youth and adults to read.
• Good Neigbours: Dale Shippelt; Kelly and Laurie Drolet.
• Died: Winona Titford; Robert ‘Bob’ McGrath; Andre Gervais, Maria Berger; Matthew Fidelak; Albertus Opdendries all deceased in December 2015. Ronald Shunamon; Vera Lynn; Kelly Kirstein; Joanne Kuprowski; Dale Hernberg; Glen Kanten; Jim Rollier; Isabelle (Joan) Leavitt; Ron Wymenga; and Ron Lakie; Myrtle Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Horne; Lyle Edwin Layden; Carl Plehnert.

February 2016

• The effects of El Nino brought warmer than usual winter temperatures to Rocky Mountain House and surrounding areas.
• Justin Doran performed some stunt work in the film The Revenant.
• The Credit Union Co-op Aquatic Centre implemented new safety procedures following a carbon monoxide buildup.
• Mountaineer reporter Kayla Bruch earned second place at the ATCO Photographic Awards for her photo of Theresa Kokesch and her Labrador dog Shelly, both victims of a pit bull attack.
• Sunchild School’s cheerleading squad competed in Edmonton at the Cold Snap Classic earning Division 1 second place, and Division 2 sixth place. They placed first at another competition in Red Deer.
• Carl and Sybil Sewell retired from breeding American Mammoth Jack Stock donkeys.
• Parks Canada discovered a bat hibernacula in a cave off the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. This was the first winter bat hideout ever recorded in the park.
• Rocky Fish and Game Association and Tackles and Trails hosted the first Poles N Holes Ice Derby at Strubel Lake.
• Festival of Culture expanded to West Central High School as the festival had outgrown the community centre.
• Photographers from around the world flocked to Abraham Lake to see the bubbles trapped in the ice. The bubbles are created by methane gas produced by decomposing organic matter on the bottom of the lake.
• Aki, Saya and Savanna Whitford were presented the keys to the Habitat for Humanity home.
• MLA Jason Nixon spoke at the Rocky and District Chamber of Commerce lunch to discuss hot topics such as the economic downturn, minimum wage increase, Bill 6, and the Rocky Hosptial.
• The Goldeye Centre’s Hay Cabin received a $50,000 grant from the provincial government for renovations.
• Kendrick Robinson headed to Europe to play hockey.
• Hundreds of people joined in various Family Day activities at Crimson Lake Provincial Park.
• Actor Justyn Shippelt of Rocky was in two movies: Deadpool and Heartfelt.
• The new banners were hung up along Main Street showcasing pictures of the old Main Street from 1910 to the 1970s.
• A 21-year-old man died in a single-vehicle rollover on the Arbutus Road.
• Several cougar sightings and incidents were reported to Fish and Wildlife.
• Albertans First made a stop in Rocky to solicit signatures against Bill 6 and the carbon tax.
• The Rocky Royals midget hockey team went to provincials in Springbank.
• Vance Curtis, long-time coach of the West Central High School football team, left the team.
• David Thompson High School senior boys basketball team placed second in their home tournament.
• Former Village of Caroline resident Crystal Davies and her four-year-old dog Scout, a Lakeland terrier, were invited to the 140th Westminster Kennel Dog Show in New York.
• Good Neighbour of the Week: Micah Turchet.
• Died: Theresa Mary Small; Rod Bardenhagen; Josh Headon; Daniel Hewitt; Joan Elmont; Cameron Allen Harder; Verena Butt; Louvern Croteau and James Severson.

March 2016

• Clearwater County set the capital budget at $31,515,422.
• The Rocky Christian School Kindergarten class raised over $600 for Habitat for Humanity.
• The Rocky Kinsmen Club presented the Clearwater Boys and Girls Club with a $13,592.44 cheque.
• The Mountaineer welcomed Logan Schenk as a new reporter.
• Attendance was up at the Métis Local 845 annual general meeting, and the province-wide membership drive drew a large crowd.
• David Thompson wrestler Hunter Smith won gold at the 2016 Rural Alberta Provincials in Lethbridge.
• Caroline local and Calgary Flames defencemen Kris Russell was traded to the Dallas Stars.
• Oval racers Greg and Amy Shepertycky headed to the Canadian Championships in Beausjour, Man.
• Six wrestlers from West Central High School finished strong on the mat at the 2016 Rural Wrestling Provincial Championships.
• Grace Chambers took gold; Cole Neville and Kamryn Leavitt took silver; Hannah Murphy and Mckayla Wade took bronze and Phoenix Graham placed sixth.
• Clubroot continued to spread in Clearwater County.
• Caroline dancer Meghann Michalsky travelled to Finland to perform in the artArctic Festival.
• WCHS student Sarah Chisholm was named Miss Teenage West Central Alberta 2016.
• Dovercourt Hall donated $10,000 to community groups and schools.
• Thirty members of the swim club raised $3,000 in a swimathon.
• One man died following a single vehicle accident.
• Reverend Deva Sugirtharaj was inducted as minister of the Presbyterian Church.
• Rocky’s outdoor rink was closed early due to the warm weather.
• Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County endorsed a mutual aid fire control agreement with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
• The Rocky Fish and Game Association released a number of game birds onto the Leavitt conservation property.
• A 71-year-old woman was seriously injured by a dog bite while she was walking on the town’s walking trail.
• At the Rocky Chamber awards banquet, Ernie Closs, Lorne Lewis, Janet Hansen, Kim Hastings, Mark Friesen, Gerry Laslo, Eden Feddema and Sarah Chisholm received individual awards.
• G&M Graphics, McCaw’s Drilling and Blasting Ltd., Burly Beard, The Walking Eagle Inn and Taimi Soil Projects received business awards.
• The Rocky Nordic Ski Club had a record year for their jackrabbit learn-to-ski program, with 32 skiers participating.
• The Rocky Credit Union and Co-op Aquatic Centre welcomed swimmers for the Barracuda’s Four Leaf Clover Invitational swim meet.
• The Rocky Figure Skating Club carnival was a success with more than 100 skaters of all levels taking to the ice to show off their skills.
• School bus fly-bys were a major concern for parents in Creekside subdivision.
• Physicians and nurses teamed up for Rocky prenatal care.
• Musher Jason Campeau completed a second Iditarod in Anchorage, Alaska, placing 35th out of 71 finishers.
• The chuckwagon tarp auction saw lower purchase prices than average.
• The Rocky Raiders won silver in the provincial tourney.
• The Pioneer Centre began hosting pickleball.
• Arashi-Do athletes competed in the Capital City Championships in Edmonton bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals.
• The Caroline Atom Colts took the title of NCMHA Tier 3 league champions.
• Village of Caroline councillors approved a $1M operating budget for Caroline.
• West Central High School’s team Everyday I’m Hubblin’ placed first overall at the Science Olympics in Red Deer.
• The Friends of David Thompson Corridor Society was formed with a mission to partner with Alberta Parks and local communities in the area.
• Members of the Nordegg Environment and Recreation Working Group met with Agriculture and Forestry to look at the effects of FireSmart work near Nordegg.
• The municipal inspection of the Town of Rocky Mountain House got underway. Strategic Steps Inc. was appointed by the province to conduct the inspection.
• West Country Family Services received a wheelchair-accessible van. The van was dedicated to the memory of Al Bergsma.
• Community Connections Daycare Centre hosted an Easter-themed fundraiser to raise awareness about epilepsy.
• Clearwater County approved a 25-kilometre trail concept for Nordegg.
• Hayden Brenneis became the new head coach for the West Central Rebels football team.
• Cassidy Odgers, Alexandra Elliott, Tessa Rudkin and Hannah Trautmann competed at the Alberta Pool Junior Lifesaving Championships in Lethbridge.
• The Rocky Trail Blazers hosted their first ever hockey tournament. Five recreational teams from town and 10 teams from out of town participated.
• Rocky Mountain House said farewell to local historian, retired principal and long-time resident Pat McDonald as he headed to Edmonton.
• Staged Right theatre group turned one decade and celebrated in a big way with a newly-renovated theatre and four sold-out shows.
• Died: Elsie Alice Mandlein; Hank Cody Calvert; James Melvin Coleman; Janet Peters; William “Bill” John Greer; Verner Kohtala; Mary McGlashen (nee Flamond); Cherry June Peterson; Marion Elizabeth Kostynuk; Dennis Edward Stuart; Mel Butler.
• Good Neighbour of the Week: Steven Verduyn.

April 2016

• Constable Leah Russell and Corporal Dru Abernethy each received commendation awards for bravery for their response to the Columbus Place fire in 2013.
• CRFRS responded to a shed fire north of the Rainy Creek Road.
• The Rocky Mountain House Library hosted a Hero Party to teach young children about firefighters and what they do.
• The Oilmen’s Bonspiel returned for its 50th year after skipping the previous year due to the arena reconstruction. Despite the slowdown in the economy, the curling rink was packed.
• Priscilla Sharpe and Beatrice Carpentier, two local First Nations women, were each recipients of the Esquao Award presented in Edmonton.
• DTHS students Brooklyn Thomson and Hunter Smith each won gold at provincials in wrestling and moved on to nationals.
• Four WCHS students qualified for nationals at the Alberta Open Wrestling Championship. They were Kamryn Leavitt, Grace Chambers, Phoenix Graham and Christopher Anderson.
• Four Caroline Cougars football players made the Alberta 6 man All-Stars football team. They were Luke Loomis, Johnny Carr, Scotty Leek and Brylee Peacock.
• The Caroline School Enhancement Committee received a $96,781 grant from the Community Facility Enhancement Program from Alberta Culture and Tourism.
• The Medicine River Wildlife Centre received some major renovations.
• A grass fire sparked northwest of Cow Lake spread to five hectares.
• Caroline’s Kris Russell headed to the NHL playoffs with the Dallas Stars.
• Art Terpsma, Karen Terpsma, Elsie Overgaard, Bob Hagsma and Case Korver were each presented with membership awards at the Rocky Mountain House Ag Society banquet.
• Lauren Bolton, Jadeyn van der Vlis and Nicholas Boivan were awarded student bursaries on behalf of the Rocky Mountain House Ag Society.
• Jos and Bernadette Mason, Case and Marlene Korver and Gary and Fay Steeves were honoured with the 2015 Rural Beautification Awards, presented at the Ag Society banquet.
• Marci and Jason Bradley along with their daughter Cherilyn Bradley were awarded with the Clear Water Landcare Award for Environmental Stewardship.
• The Caton family, Glen, Lila, Stuart, Bunny, Sophie and Bill were presented with a Century Farm award.
• The Foothills Brass Quintet put on a concert for the Rocky Elementary students. They also performed for a full house at the Memorial Presbyterian Church.
• Town council passed a motion to support the Prescription to Get Active program.
• Wildfire rangers and firefighters were all outfitted for a prescribed burn at the Raven Brood Trout Station.
• An extreme wildfire hazard was in effect for Clearwater County.
• The Rocky Museum and Chamber of Commerce lobby became home to a new refurbished street piano.
• Newly-published author Lisa Flickinger launched her book All That Glitters in Rocky.\
• Rookie’s Lounge was robbed at knife point. The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
• Dustin Glenn and Ty Patten each took home top honours at the 2016 Small Town Smack Down in Caroline.
• Fifteen volunteer groups gathered to celebrate National Volunteer Week at the Caroline Legion.
• Olympic athlete Akeem Haynes visited Lochearn and École Elementary schools. He was part of the Classroom Champions program which taught children goal setting, perseverance, friendship, fair play, team work, community, courage and honesty.
• The Grades 9, 10 and Symphonic Band ensembles from WCHS each received gold awards at the Alberta Band Festival in Edmonton.
• The Mountaineer was named best all-around newspaper in Canada by Newspapers Canada. The Mountaineer also earned top spot for Best Front Page and Best Editorial Page.
• At Rocky’s Volunteer Appreciation celebration, Roman Chabot received the Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award, Betty Osborne received the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award and Lori Davis received the Volunteer of the Year Award.
• Students from WCHS participated in the Hairstyling and Cabinet Making Regional Skills Canada Competition in Red Deer. Shelby Stewart placed first in the Junior Braiding Competition. Jaylyn Hewitt placed second in the Intermediate Bridal Competition. Kenny Bertagnolli and Kiana Uhlmann placed fourth and fifth in the Cabinet Making Competition.
• Grade 5 students from St. Matthew School visited the Co-op Shopping Centre to get some real-world experience in budgeting.
• Alberta Environment and Parks fisheries technicians Thomas Winter, Rocky Konynenbelt and Shauna Logan released 500 rainbow trout into the Children’s Fish Pond.
• Rocky resident Bill Eickmeyer celebrated his 104th birthday on April 19.
• A sexual assault response team was launched in Rocky.
• Pine Hills Golf Club opened its doors earlier than in previous years.
• Miss Teenage West Central Alberta Sarah Chisholm in conjunction with Glamour Studio and Manifested Beauty Photography, hosted a Princess for a Day fundraiser for the family of Kelsey Kramer.
• CRFRS hosted the National Fire Protection Association 1033 course. Firefighters from around Canada learned about fire investigation and how to determine a fire’s cause and origin.
• The Mountaineer welcomed Jordan Johnston as the new sports reporter.
• Pioneer School held its Heritage Fair and McKenna Petersen was the overall medal winner and 16 students were moving on to the Regional Heritage Fair in Calgary.
• CRFRS were called to a wildfire just off the Burnstick Lake Road. The fire reached 3.3 hectares in size.
• Thanks to the fast actions of local citizens a garage that caught fire in Caroline was quickly extinguished.
• The 36th annual West Country Trade Fair welcomed 2,850 people through the doors at the Rec Centre.
• Dana Andrishak and her team won first place at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Detroit for the eco car they built.
• A.J. Pets and Supplies was robbed during the day. A lone male walked in and stole cash from the till while staff were pricing items.
• Died: Lily M. Brant; Ronald Romeo Deguire; Doreen Gloria McLenon; Audrey Kathleen Sande; Marilyn Idoris (Coates) Norrie; Alma Loretta Oja; Lyla Mae Dean; Wilfred “Jock” Kay; Maria Inocencia Rodriguez-Tweedle; Shawn Wyatt Westlund; Dennis Mellick; Carolyn Reum; Audrey Evelyn Antila Carr; Elizabeth Heather Gulka; “Shorty” Melvin Roy Tessmer; Betty-Ann Miller (nee Pritchard).
• Good Neighbour of the Week: Matilda Stracey.

May 2016

• Fort McMurray was evacuated due to a massive wildfire.
• Northern Crossing’s “Rock of Ages” was a rocking success. The opening night was sold out.
• Students at École Rocky Elementary celebrated Music Monday with a concert in the playground.
• Caroline ATB was smashed with a front-end loader and the suspects made away with the ATM and its cash contents.
• A province-wide fire ban went into effect. The use of off-highway vehicles was banned within the forest protection area.
• Kiara Price, Emilie Both, Katie Both and Jesse Both were part of a group that took the initiative to collect donations for Fort McMurray evacuees.
• Bernie and Gillian Ernewein of Rocky were blessed with two grandchildren on May 3 in the Fort McMurray Hospital just hours before the city-wide evacuation was called. The family was airlifted to the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. Once released they resided here in Rocky with the Erneweins until it was safe to go back to their home in Fort McMurray.
• The Leslieville Hotel bar was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect made away with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured during the robbery.
• The Next to New gave $75,000 in donations to various non-profit organizations in Rocky.
• Race car driver Parker Thompson gave a presentation at West Central High School as part of his Drive to Stay Alive campaign during Safety Day.
• Firefighters demonstrated on a mock accident scene with the Jaws of Life to show students how they do their job.
• Wrestling champs Hunter Smith and Brooklyn Thomson competed at the Alberta Amateur Wrestling Association Nationals at the University in Calgary. Smith placed third and Thomson placed fourth.
• Fighter Steve Tutkaluk fought at Ellis Mania in Vancouver, B.C., making it into the final round of musical chairs boxing.
• Student Jeffery King’s artwork was named the winner of 2016 logo art contest for Fright Night at the Sight.
• Rocky Search and Rescue (SAR) did their reaccreditation at Parker Ridge for their avalanche training, Goldeye Lake for their search and rescue training, and Coliseum Mountain for their technical training. SAR is the only team in Canada fully accredited with the Mountain Rescue Association.
• Rocky’s annual Safety Day was a great success bringing in over 1,500 people to the rec centre.
• Approximately a dozen firefighters from several departments responded to a grass fire in Withrow. Together the firefighters were able to quickly get the blaze under control, but a garage was completely destroyed by the flames.
• Several kids attended the COPA for Kids at the Rocky Airport. They were taught the basics of flight and were able to go for a 15 to 20 minute flight.
• The Royal Canadian Legion R.L Zengel V.C Branch No. 8 celebrated its 90th anniversary.
• The Nordegg Community Discovery Park development received a $125,000 government grant.
• Students from Leslieville received a $55,767 Alberta culture and tourism grant for the outdoor rink.
• Deegan Mofford was drafted to the WHL team Kelowna Rockets.
• The Kis Sai Wah Toe Tat Society held a Wellbriety gathering at the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site offering healing resources, teachings of sobriety, recovery, addictions prevention and wellbriety.
• St. Dominic High School participated in World Catholic Education Week, the theme being Care for God’s Creation.
• Tamarack Trail Realty hosted their National Garage Sale in support of the Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter raising $5,149.35.
• Over 270 students from local schools got to experience life on the farm by visiting area farms.
• A police investigation prompted a school lockdown as a suspicious male with a firearm was near WCHS.
• A fatal OHV roll-over claimed the life a 37-year-old male from Blackfalds.
• The multi-million dollar upgrade to the Rocky Hospital helipad was not approved by Transport Canada due to off-site obstructions, including the town’s decommissioned water tower.
• Rocky’s quilting club, Comforts of Home, donated quilts to Fort McMurray evacuees.
• The Rocky Rod and Gun Club hosted 108 competitors for their first ever International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) competition.
• The Caroline Bottle Depot was robbed at gunpoint. No one was physically harmed.
• The Little Horn Junior Rodeo was cancelled due to the snow and rain.
• Clearwater County councillors faced a large crowd of 350 people in opposition to the plan to build a $28.5 million building north of Rocky.
• The Rocky Museum reopened the lower gallery with music and demonstrations of artisanal weaving, rope making and blacksmithing.
• Alder Flats celebrated their rodeo’s 50th year.
• Clearwater Regional Fire and Rescue Services and RCMP responded to a suspicious cabin fire east of the North Saskatchewan River.
• Rocky Knights hosted their annual World Cup Soccer Day drawing in over 300 local athletes to compete.
• Died: Terry D. Evans; Betty N. McLellan (nee Ayre); Dianne Stretton; Walter Godun; Rebecca Elizabeth “Becky” Caskey; Loretta Marie Speight; David Stelfox; Kathaleen Thompson Ewen; Alexander C. Gammie; Betty Noreen McLellan; Rick (Bliss) Reicker; Beverley Irene Vanderleek (Dirsten); Gail S. Dingman.
• Good Neighbours of the Week: Marlene Konynenbelt; John Warneke

June 2016

• The 44th Rocky Pro Rodeo competitions were cancelled. Pony chuckwagon and chariot races still went ahead.
• A 54-year-old man died after a collision between a motorcycle and a minivan on a gravelled section of Hwy. 591.\
• Students at David Thompson High School presented a dinner theatre called Dinner at Seven, Dead by Eight.
• The Rocky Knights U16 Boys captured the bronze medal in the Camrose Under the Lights Classic.
• The Rocky Minor Football Association welcomed an atom team to the league.
• The Caroline Cougars hosted the second annual 6-man Bantam Football Jamboree.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hosted the Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter food drive.
• Seventy-five pounds of trash were pulled from Crimson Lake and Twin Lakes during the Canada-wide Shoreline Cleanup campaign.
• Métis elder Marcien LeBlanc celebrated his 81st birthday at the National Historic Site.
• Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services were called to Twp. Rd. 37-4 where a structure was fully involved in flames and completely destroyed.
• Rocky Motorcycle Club hosted over 100 racers at the Tabletop Raceway spring MX race.
• An untimely hail storm and sporadic weather cause problems for ag producers.
• Lance Dickrow and Brian Cermak replaced the diamond-shaped shingles on the Trunnell home at the Caroline Museum as a woodpecker had caused damage to the old log home.\
• The 2016 rodeo parade theme was Salute to the Veterans.
• Landscaping on Main Street began.
• Participants raised approximately $6,000 in support of the Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter during the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event.
• Twenty-four preschoolers graduated from the Asuni Wahchi Awasisuk Aboriginal Head Start Program.
• Rocky officially welcomed the Rocky Kinettes as a chartered Kin Club of Canada.
• The Oilmen’s golf tournament celebrated 50 years and was successful despite the economy.
• Makayla Beisal, Kevin Syzmanek and Rachel Osczevski medalled at the Alberta Provincial Track Meet in Edmonton.
• Caroline Dance West celebrated 30 years.
• The 72nd anniversary of D-Day was celebrated at Siffleur Falls staging area bringing in over 50 civilians and 50 plus military officials and veterans.
• Molly Day celebrated her 94th birthday.
• Camaro owners from all over the province made a stop in Rocky Mountain House during their annual Father’s Day cruise to Banff.
• About 30 paddlers descended on the Brierley Rapids for a whitewater kayak festival hosted by the United Alberta Paddling Society.
• The rec centre held a grand opening unveiling the new name Christenson Sports and Wellness Centre.
• The Justin Dezall Memorial Tournament was a huge success raising money for youth sports in Caroline.
• Foothills Livestock Co-op celebrated 20 years of business in Rocky.
• The Caroline Legion Branch #177 celebrated their 70th anniversary.
• Cassidy Johannesson won first place at the CVI Pacific Cup vaulting competition in Chilliwack, B.C.
• Former resident Melanie Mah released her first novel called The Sweetest One.
• The Little Horn Rodeo was back in action after it was cancelled due to the precipitation on May long weekend.
• The Sunchild School 2016 graduating class celebrated with a ceremony and Kalynn Goodrunning and Aleigha Lagrelle delivered the valedictory speech.
• Twenty-two Caroline students tossed their grad caps in celebration of graduating high school. Valedictorian Julie Velasquez addressed her class with words of inspiration.
• West Central High School celebrated 121 graduates. Susanna Heystek was the valedictorian.
• Forty-one St. Dominic graduating students said goodbye to high school. Amie Lipsey was the valedictorian.
  Forty-four students at David Thompson walked the stage at their graduation ceremony with Ross Duncan and Sydney Elliot as valedictorians.
• Rocky and District Victim Services held their annual golf classic and it was a good turnout despite the rain and the economic downturn.
• The Caroline School Enhancement Committee with the help of volunteers installed new equipment for the Caroline School playground.
• Good Neighbours of the Week: Laura Dennis; Calli Jolliffe and Michelle McHugh Jolliffe.
• Died: Keith Wadams; Arlyn Merle Scott; John Angus Cochrane; Floyd George Andrew Martinson; Stanley Marcinek; Melvina Redhead; Steven Michael Fabick; John Dale Black; Marguerite Clarkin; Foppe (Fred) Klooster; Edward Earl Loomis; Edna Rose Mae Browning; Jochen Rübeling; Douglas Mervin Cooper; Yvonne Shore (Rodtka); Leo Valan Schwitzer.

July 2016

• Wild Rose School Division approved their budget with $3 million in cuts for the 2016/2017 school year.
• The Rocky National Historic Site celebrated Canada’s 149th birthday with various activities.
• The O’Chiese Reserve hosted their 2016 Powwow drawing in a large crowd of competitors and spectators from local community members to as far away as Ontario and Kansas.
• The Rocky Museum served over 450 community members on Canada Day with a pancake breakfast.
• Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 8 presented donations totalling $33,705.46 to various groups in the community.
• Thirteen-year-old Jazmyn Chomyshen donated one foot of hair for cancer.
• The old Smart Shop was torn down on Main Street.
• St. Matthew Catholic School kept their library open for the reading program during the summer to alleviate summer reading loss to elementary and middle school students.
• The Buster Creek Horse Trials were a great success bringing in horses and riders from all over the province.
• Caroline Main Street was under construction to update the infrastructure under the highway and the highway itself.
• The Helen Hunley Memorial Public Library hosted a fun party for children of all ages to come and learn about all different types of reptiles.
• The new game Pokémon Go brought together strangers as they gathered in various places to play the game.
• The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta celebrated 100 years at the Rocky Hospital.
• Kassidy Atwater joined Team Alberta in women’s football.
• Thirteen graduates celebrated the completion of their training through the Aboriginal Training to Employment Program.
• Loyal Ma headed to the Olympics in Rio to be an official of the BMX races.
• Rocky SAR members rescued a man who fell some 80 metres near Ram Falls.
• Western Wheels Auto Club hosted their annual car show on the top of Main Street and it was a huge success. People’s Choice
• Award winner was Bob Soppit with his 1966 Ford Mustang GT Fastback.
• The Junior Forest Rangers headed to Ya Ha Tinda to help with maintenance to cabins and other projects.
• Miniatures in Motion put on its 21st annual horse show at Spur West Arena.
• Caroline community members were brought together by 16-year-old Lillith Nuzum in hopes of starting up a neighbourhood crime watch.
• The 14th annual Husky Spring Swing tournament brought out 142 competitors and raised over $30,000 for three local charities.
• Two men were killed in a gravel truck rollover on Hwy. 11.
• Several dozen campers from Artlife Canada brought their flash mob to the Clearwater Boys and Girls Club and the Good Samaritan Clearwater Centre.
• Nordegg Days was a major hit with visitors, drawing in over 1,000 people to the historic hamlet.
• Hunter Adrian, Lance Clay, Rayce Schroderus, Raylee Davis, Makayla Beisal, Ava Beisal and Abby Ishie all represented Rocky at the 2016 Alberta Summer Games in Leduc.
• Leslieville Antique Days was yet another success drawing in large crowds.
• Frontier Lodge hosted its 25th annual Fat Tire Festival bringing in competitors of all ages to take to the track.
• Died: Amanda Lorraine Christensen; Ronald Howard Blowers; “Bozzy” Brian Frank Bosworth; Judith Margaret Bott; Ronald Gordon Weatherill; Kenneth Earl Banks; Hugh Peter Lasalle; Larry Max Moore; Galen Murray Phillips; Eric Danial Groves; Theodore Keith Vorachek; Richard Smith Sr.; Larry Max Moore.

August 2016

• The Junior Forest Rangers spent some time at Rocky’s National Historic Site learning about FireSmart practices and wildfire suppression.
• CRFRS were called to the waterfall near the water treatment plant to rescue a youth who had fallen approximately 50 ft.
• Westview Lodge hosted a barbecue for residents and their families with a Summer Olympic theme with over 100 people in attendance.
• Due to the Main Street construction in Caroline businesses saw lower than average numbers of customers visiting their stores.
• Alberta’s history wrangler Rob Lennard and Alberta’s youth ambassador Eden Feddema performed in front of a large crowd at the
• Rocky Museum for the first ever Cowboy Trail Tour.
• The Arts and Craft Guild settled into their new space at the Christenson Sports and Wellness Centre.
• Alberta Health Services promised $430K for the demolition of the water tower.
• A local motorcycle club called the Whiteline Drifters hosted the 2016 Women in the Wind Canadian Rally with over 120 women attending.
• Four MLAs from ridings bordering the North Saskatchewan River, as well as elected municipal officials and civil servants paddled from Horburg to the Brierley Rapids.
• Rocky Mountain House brothers Walker and Clay Guthrie were the top two steer wrestlers in Canada, as decided at the Canadian High School Finals Rodeo.
• Rocky welcomed Andre Simoneau, the arena supervisor at the Christenson Sports and Wellness Centre as the new ice maker.
• The Rocky Ranch Horse Association hosted the 9th annual Meagan Kirstein Memorial Ranch Rodeo.
• WCHS hosted three athletic camps for students to brush up and develop their skills.
• Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Parks, Shannon Phillips, announced $239 million would be spent on upgrades to Alberta provincial parks over the next five years.
• Scott and Jody Laitre lost two of their best horses due to lightning strikes.
• Staff Sergeant Mark Groves was pleased with the amount of crime his officers were tackling.
• Chad Harden of Mulhurst Bay, Alta. was named the aggregate winner of the Battle of the Rockies.
• Luke Tournier won the 2016 World Professional Chuckwagon Association championship title at the Battle of the Rockies.
• Chad Flad was named the World Champion Outrider at the Battle of the Rockies.
• Jason Kenney was in Rocky as part of his provincial tour aiming to unite conservative voters in advance of the next provincial election.
• The 21st annual Crimson Lake Trail Run saw 275 participate.
• The first ever Rock City 3 on 3 outdoor basketball tourney brought out seven teams with 28 total players to Creekside Park.
• The Credit Union Co-op Aquatic Centre was shutdown for pool tiling and maintenance.
• Nordegg firefighters, Rocky SAR, EMS, RCMP and Kananaskis Public Safety responded to the Thompson Creek area near the Banff Park border where a female hiker sustained serious injuries and was long-lined out of the backcountry.
• Farmers and ranchers across Alberta invited people to attend their workplaces to learn more about where their food comes from at the Alberta Open Farm Days.
• The fourth and final memorial skateboard competition, Prince of the Park, was held at the Rocky skate park.
• Dan Willis, Brad Dollevoet, Jason Nixon, Fred Nash, Jim Eglinski, Chris Parfitt, Merv Pidherney, Ernie Murias, Randall Sugden, Sandy Andersen and Sheila Mizera all took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially mark the grand opening of Main Street.
• Emergency responders were called to a fire at a Yangarra Resources Ltd. lease site north of Rocky.
• Twelve students went to Kamikawa, Japan for an exchange program. Each student was paired up with a family to live with for one week.
• Eleven paddlers of all skill levels took part in the Women’s Paddling Weekend hosted by the Rocky Canoe Club.
• Rocky town councillors adopted a new program called the Historical Mural Incentive Program to encourage more property owners to beautify their buildings with murals.
• Over 1,500 people came out to watch the 35th annual Demolition Derby making it one of the most successful years ever for the Rocky Lions Club event.
• Kassidy Atwater and Team Alberta women’s football won the bronze medal during the national football tournament.
• Nine-year-old Avery Kapser competed in the 100-foot shootout in her Nitro Guppy drag racing car.
• Eighty people attended the 29th annual West Country Ag Tour.
• Died: Glen Allen Brunner; Brenda Lynne Simpson; John Baird Warneke; Ralph H. Cook; Glen Carter; Auline Lillian Arychuk; Gerald Michael Smith.

September 2016

• The Nordegg Education Centre did not reopen as there were not enough students to justify keeping a teacher in the classroom.
• Caroline students were welcomed with the new playground when they returned to school.
• The Tour of Alberta cycling race kicked off Stage 3 in Rocky Mountain House, and made its way through Clearwater County before heading north to Drayton Valley.
• Five fitness business owners were upset with the town’s new recreation facility prices.
• Several kids took part in the Mountain Bike Challenge at Curtis Field that was held in conjunction with the Tour of Alberta Fan Festival to celebrate all things cycling.
• The Innisfail Legion hosted a memorial and wreath presentation for the family of the late Robert Earl Anger, a veteran of the First World War.
• WCHS graduate and trombone player Brayden Friesen was selected to be a part of the National Youth Orchestra and travelled overseas to Portugal with the orchestra.
• Glamour Studio hosted a Princess for a Day event to raise funds to help support the Ketchum family as their daughter Isabelle was diagnosed with leukemia.
• There was an armed robbery at the Sunchild Gas Bar.
• The Opportunities Centre at the corner of Main Street and 50 Ave. closed after months of vacancies.
• Royal Richardson moved to Ness Ziona, Israel to begin her volleyball career as a professional athlete.
• Heidi Northcott competed with Canada’s Women’s National Baseball team and won silver at the World Cup.
• Caroline Pioneer Days honoured the McKenzie family for 100 years in the area.
• Ninety-four-year-old wood artist Art Reynolds called it quits on his self-taught art form.
• The Good Samaritan Society Clearwater Centre celebrated Grandparents’ Day and the grand opening of the Memorial Garden made in memory of Helen Hunley.
• The O’Chiese First Nation hosted the grand opening of their new community school Ne Sah Soh Is Koh Dahn (the Seventh Fires).
• Eight-year-old Jevin Kingsbury took part in a one-day trip to Disneyland with the Dreams Take Flight program.
• The West Central Rebels football team’s bus was surrounded by rowdy individuals after a game in Wetaskiwin, leaving the bus with a broken window and two players with minor injuries.
• Eden Feddema was invited to dinner with the Alberta Lieutenant-Governer Lois Mitchell at the Dutch heritage dinner.
• Brianna LaPerriere and Antoine Loomis’ flag design won second place out of 256 submissions for the Alberta Birthday Flag contest to celebrate Alberta’s 111th birthday.
• Bernie Lublinkhof’s annual potato dig was a huge success bringing in over 60,000 pounds of potatoes for Alberta food banks.
• Golfer and Grade 12 student Brandon Maxwell was off to the MJT Boston Pizza National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.
• The Alberta Conservation Association purchased one quarter of land which can be enjoyed by hunters and anglers along the Raven River.
• The Caroline Hotel Bar was robbed at gun point.
• St. Matthew School reached its goal of raising $200,000 in its 25 years of participation in the Terry Fox Run.
• Children from Haiti, adopted by families in Clearwater County, got to meet the couple who made it all possible through God’s Littlest Angels.
• The Rocky Youth Rodeo Club hosted their 8th annual Junior and High School Rodeos drawing in 200 students to compete.
• Teachers and staff of the Wild Rose School Division took part in a Cultural Awareness Day to educate and develop their knowledge on First Nation, Inuit and Métis cultures.
• Police recovered $500,000 worth of stolen property from a property in Clearwater County.
• Approximately 350 students, teachers, parents and community members took part in the annual Terry Fox Run hosted by the Caroline School.
• Brynn Willis cycled from downtown Vancouver to Rocky in 11 days—about 1,451 kilometres.
• Sunchild students got an opportunity to participate in a workshop for film acting and youth empowerment called Road to Freedom put on by First Nation actors Kyle and Jesse Nobess.
• County Reeve Pat Alexander, MLA Jason Nixon, Mayor Fred Nash, and Greg Christenson were all present at the official grand opening of Park Avenue, the new seniors living units in Rocky.
• Sunchild School students in Grades 3 through 7 travelled to Enoch First Nation to compete in the Treaty Six cross-country running meet. Sunchild placed second earning a trophy for the school.
• Died: Elizabeth Doreen Young; Lorna Ann Foesier; David Garry Ramstad; Anne Zaozirny; Bonita Hamilton; Joseph Kenneth Xavier Kingsbury; Steven Peter Abraham; Betty “Irene” LaCount, Ursula (nee Lorek) Turchet; Dorothy Anne Loblaw; Allen Frank Whitelock; Paul Lavern “Sonny” Leer; Mary Victoria Maki.

October 2016

• A Sundre ambulance was rear-ended on the Arbutus Road while en route to an emergency.
• Wakesurfer Julie Vasselin won first place in the semi-pro division in the Canadian nationals.
• Five people were sent to the hospital after a single-vehicle rollover on Buster Creek Road.
• A Medical Equipment Lending Society opened in Rocky to lend medical equipment to those in need at no cost.
• The Taimi Hall was taken down after being a part of the community for more than 100 years.
• A Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services engine from Nordegg was damaged following a rollover on the Forestry Trunk Road.
• ROAR was under quarantine after a case of panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper, made its way into the shelter.
• Olds College partnered with Campus Alberta Central and Red Deer College to bring a heavy equipment operator certificate program to Rocky for the first time.
• The Rocky Public Library hosted a Tea for Thirty to celebrate women’s history.
• David Johnston competed in the Huntsman World Senior Games despite sustaining major injuries from a cycling accident at the end of June.
• Rocky Curling Club started their 2016/17 curling season with a grand opening bonspiel where 20 teams competed in the three-day event.
• Provincial Health Minister Sara Hoffman was in Rocky Mountain House to hear directly from municipal leaders about the state of the hospital and health care in the community.
• RCMP Constable Matthew Doane received a Commendation for Bravery for his role in rescuing a 12-year-old girl in Rocky Mountain House two years ago. Sgt. Jay Penner, Constable Harold Smits and Staff Sgt. Mark Groves each received the Alberta
• Long Service Medal for serving more than 20 years in Alberta.
• The 50-foot-long mobile mammography screening trailer made its way to Rocky for women ages 50 to 74 to get screened for early detection of breast cancer.
• The Banff National Park gatehouse on Hwy. 11 was destroyed by fire.
• Thelma Northcott celebrated her 99th birthday with family and friends at the Clearwater Centre.
• WCHS Rebels played the first Constituency Challenge Cup, an event MLAs Jason Nixon and Mark Smith of Drayton and Devon set up.
• RCMP continued to receive a number of complaints of vehicles passing school buses while their lights were flashing.
• Leslieville community members celebrated the completion of repairs to the outdoor rink.
• Pat Alexander continued to serve as reeve of Clearwater County.
• The Rock hosted a pumpkin auction to raise funds for their group.
• Died: Bridget Christine Cronin; Bernice Clement; Marilyn Sandra Hallock; Glory “Mona” Brun; Father Mathias (Matt) Keufler; Tibor Sarkozi; Everett James “Jim” Nelson; Grace Ethyl Navian Toudal; Roger Braithwaite Horne; Yolanda “Toots” Miller; Margaret “Billy” Rose Webber; Otto Straub
• Good Neighbours: Harold Smits; Florence Bott; Faye Roseth.

November 2016

• One hundred and fifty people filled the Lou Soppit Community Centre to hear the town’s Municipal Inspection results; which had few irregularities.
• Legends All Stars Hockey event brought in seven former NHL players to Rocky. The over-30 hockey league got a chance to play a game, and the recreational hockey players had a chance to skate with the pros as well.
• McKenna Petersen won the Young Citizen award and joined other winners in Ottawa, Ont.
• The Credit Union Co-op Aquatic Centre reopened its doors after tiling the pool.
• Bantam Rebels football team won bronze during a home game wrapping up the football season.
• The Rebels JV boys finished their season winning silver.
• The Rocky Mountain House Speed Skating Club hosted their provincially-sanctioned Fast is Fun meet at the Bunch Arena drawing in 54 skaters from clubs in Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge.
• Iron Fist gym hosted a wrestling tournament at David Thompson High School bringing in 29 amateur youth wrestlers.
• Jadey van der Vlis was on the national stage as a finalist for Miss Rodeo Canada and is the reigning 2016 Ponoka Stampede Queen.
• Rocky Minor Hockey hosted the Blaine Chambers Memorial tournament.
• The Next to New donated $85,000 to various organizations within the community.
• Santas Anonymous geared up for a busy Christmas season.
• The Caroline Cougars football team won the provincial title becoming the Tier-2 provincial champions.
• New, more weatherproof and secure mailboxes were installed in Clearwater County.
• A new headstone for Victoria Cross winner Sgt. Raphael Louis Zengel was dedicated at the Pine Grove cemetery.
• Repsol hosted a youth curling clinic with Team Koe, 2016 World Series Curling champions, teaching the juniors.
• The Man Van rolled in to Rocky to test men ages 40 and up for prostate cancer.
• Some crops in Clearwater County remained standing due to the excessive amount of moisture.
• Clearwater Family and Community Support Services and Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter volunteers distributed long-stemmed roses around businesses in Rocky as a visual reminder of family violence, and the violence against women in the École Polytechnique Montreal Massacre in 1989.
• MP Jim Eglinski addressed the Rocky and District Chamber of Commerce.
• The community marked Remembrance Day with ceremonies in Rocky and Caroline.
• The Junior Forest Wardens’ Meadows cabins were subject to vandalism and theft.
• Clearwater Regional Fire Chief Cammie Laird resigned from the service.
• Jesse Kurtz was named Interim Regional Fire Chief.
• The Lord’s Food Bank kicked off their annual Turkey Drive, with a goal of raising $60,000.
• The Festival of Trees raised $25,025.
• Westward Goals celebrated 25 years of services in Rocky.
• Clearwater County identified land as the potential site of a future agricultural fieldhouse.
• The James River Bridge underwent repairs.
• Mild weather drew huge crowds to watch the Parade of Lights.
• Operation Christmas Child shipped 699 shoeboxes out of Rocky.
  The Friendship Zone bench, in memory of William “Bill” Symko, was dedicated at École Rocky Elementary.
• Died: Leonard Jerome Kjorlien; V. Lyle Delaney; Bonnie Lynn Fauville; Gennie Honey Hyde-Gulka (Fillinger); Audrey F.D. Mason (Fenc); Nellie Murphy (Cliff); Paul Michael Fenc; Trueman Findlater; Ethel Maud Annesley (nee Osborne); Francesco (Frances) Cristina (Bosch) Semeniuk; Betty Lou Pedersen; Ivan Elmer Jones.
• Good Neighbour of the Week: Bob Demerchant, with dog Tessa; Flora Scott.

December 2016

• The Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre opened an outreach office in Rocky.
• Caroline councillors set an agenda to clean up dilapidated properties in the village.
• Clearwater County was counting on a $200,000 fix to put an end to ongoing IT trouble.
• Elliot Speight, Shaye Kristoff and Eric Allen were honoured at the Central Alberta Football Association All-Star Banquet for an exceptional season with the WCHS Rebels.
• The WCHS Rebels football team received the 2016 Team Sportsmanship Trophy.
• The Inter-denominational Christmas service officially welcomed Syrian refugees to Rocky.
• Rocky Support Services Society (RSSS) celebrated the start of construction on a new housing multiplex.
• Alberta saw its first cold snap, with temperatures dipping to – 30 C.
• Bleachers were installed at the Quick Lane Arena.
• Rocky town council approved a plan to implement the 47 recommendations of the municipal inspection report.
• The Lord’s Food Bank exceeded their $60,000 fundraising goal.
• Northern Crossing held their 31st Christmas choir concert.
• Santa’s sleigh was spotted over Rocky Mountain House at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24.
• Rocky Dreams Dance School held a Christmas recital.
• Shopper’s Drug Mart owner Kambo Githu asked retailers to be on alert for the grandparent scam to protect customers from losing thousands of dollars.
• Fur Trade Christmas returned to the National Historic Site.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints held their annual Nativity Display with the theme, O Come Let Us Adore Him.
• Rocky town councillors approved a 2.68 per cent increase to their operating budget for 2017.
• Private campground owners were concerned about the possibility of a Canada Revenue Agency ruling that could affect their businesses.
• The Clearwater Broadband Foundation began working with Clearwater County to begin a pilot project of fibre optic Internet to county residents.
• Died: Wendy Lynne Bertelsen; Wayne Allen Welsh; Norman James Closs; Glenn Allen (Tinker) Florence.

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