The Edmonton Oilers centre — hand and ribs injuries hampering his superstar ability — gutted it out with 10 goals and 11 assists across the whole of the playoffs for a team that fell just short at the last hurdle.

Just over 11 1/2 months later, Draisaitl is healthy. And with Connor McDavid by his side, the big German stepped up for the Oilers in the opener of a title series rematch against the defending champ.

Draisaitl scored on a power play at 19:29 of overtime Wednesday as the Oilers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the second period to beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 and take a 1-0 lead in what looks like another mouth-watering matchup for hockey’s holy grail.

“It’s tough to describe,” Draisaitl, who has now found the back of the net nine times this spring, said of his winner. “Some incredible plays that made it pretty ‘easy’ for me to put that home. It’s a special feeling.”

McDavid took a pass from Corey Perry before finding Edmonton’s No. 29 for him to bury his second goal of the night — and third OT breakthrough of the post-season to tie a league record — inside an incandescent Rogers Place on Sergei Bobrovsky after Tomas Nosek was whistled for delay of game.

“You can’t put a number on it,” McDavid said when asked to quantify what Draisaitl brings. “He’s invaluable. Clutch, faceoffs you name it, he does it. He doesn’t get enough respect or credit for his defensive capabilities. There’s maybe nobody better.”

Draisaitl, whose parents were sitting in the stands behind Bobrovsky’s net in OT, reflected on being at full strength compared to the sick bay the group had going in 2024.

“Some of our guys got pretty banged up early last year,” he said. “Sometimes the fatigue just seems to set in a little bit quicker. It’s nice to nice to feel good and healthy.

“Hopefully it stays that way.”

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said the fact his team defeated both the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in five games this spring after opening with a 4-2 series win over the Los Angeles Kings has helped his roster’s overall health — other than winger Zach Hyman, who’s out with a dislocated wrist.

“Certainly he was banged up and not 100 per cent … I think a lot of our team was,” Knoblauch said of Draisaitl last post-season. “This year, we had two long breaks after series … gave us a lot of time to recover, and just helped everybody and the injury aspect. We’re pretty fortunate right now.”

The Oilers fell behind the Panthers 3-0 in last year’s final before winning three straight to force a winner-take-all showdown that Florida took on home ice.

Edmonton drew first blood Wednesday on a night where its stars led the way in key moments.

With the Oilers down 3-2 in the second period, McDavid found Mattias Ekholm in front for him to score his first of the playoffs after the Panthers choked off the middle of the ice.

McDavid and Draisaitl then combined, as they have so many times, to push Edmonton over the top.

“I don’t really have words for you guys,” Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen, who joined the club off the waiver wire and provided two assists Wednesday, said of that dynamic duo. “These guys are generational talents, and then future Hall of Famers.”

“I’ve seen them do it many times,” Skinner added. “Hopefully I’m able to see them do it a lot more.”

Draisaitl, of course, knows the job is far from done after Edmonton topped a Florida team that entered 31-0 when leading after the first or second period in the playoffs since the team’s first Cup final run in 2023.

“It’s great for right now,” Draisaitl said. “But we’ve got to look ahead and get ready for Game 2.”

That goes Friday back at Rogers Place.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

Well over 2,000 people attended the annual Lindsay Thurber High School Remembrance Day ceremony on Wednesday, honouring those who sacrificed their lives fighting to protect Canada.

The ceremony attracted people of all ages including numerous uniformed personnel such as students, Legion members, RCMP, members of the public and Cadets.

The school has been holding a Remembrance Day ceremony since 2001.

Before that, most schools in the area honoured veterans in more informal ways but after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks over 20 years ago, they decided to hold a full Remembrance Day ceremony.

Janna Armstrong, event organizer and teacher at Lindsay Thurber, said it’s important for the students to continue to honour those who served.

“We’re moving farther and farther away from the time when some of these conflicts happened. It’s important to keep this tradition alive so that our students understand the historical impact,” she said.

The ceremony began with the marching in of the colour guard followed by remembering those who fought during D-Day.

Some of those included a performance of “Where the Light Begins” by the LTCHS Treble Choir and a video display explaining the events of D-Day. They also showed art work done by students and the LTCHS Symphonic Band also performed “Hymn to the Fallen.”

This year marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which took place on June 6, 1944, where thousands of Canadian soldiers landed at Juno Beach in Normandy, France.

On that day, 381 Canadians were killed in the fighting of D-Day and 5,500 died during the Battle of Normandy. They were among 45,000 Canadians who died in World War II.

Student Fahd Mohamed read the poem In Flander’s Fields followed by the reading of names of former students of Lindsay Thurber who served in the First World War and Second World War.

Students, faculty, and veterans layed wreaths and Colten Kilpatrick performed the Last Post and Rouse. The treble choir and symphonic band performed O’ Canada before wrapping up the ceremony.

“Many areas of our school contributed to the ceremony,” Armstrong said.

“We have our band, art programs, choir, and the English department get’s involved with our poetry contest. Our social studies get’s involved with the learning aspect because we always have a video about what our theme was that year, so not only are we doing our part to memorialize the people who were here but also there’s a learning piece.”

Al Low, a local veteran who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 36 years, was in attendance alongside other veterans.

Originally from Nelson, B.C., he joined the Air Cadets and moved to Red Deer following his retirement in 1999 from the RCAF.

His father served in the Second World War as a tank driver and had an uncle who was killed in France during the Phoney War which began at the onset of the Second World War.

Low himself served in Germany during the Cold War. He explained that Remembrance Day is a sign of respect whether you’re in the military or not.

“It’s keeping up a tradition and this is a good example here with over 2,000 kids doing this every year,” he said.

“Every year they keep the kids up and involved knowing something else went on before they were born. Our mission is to assist wherever we can. Some Legion members go to schools where they talk to the kids but it’s all about keeping up a tradition.”

The initiative, which runs from Nov. 1 until the first Monday of the new year, is a yearly awareness campaign to promote sober driving during the holiday season.

During that time, MADD Canada chapters will hand out millions of red ribbons to Canadians to display on their key chains, jackets, etc.

President of the MADD Red Deer & District Chapter Joan McIntyre said ribbons are available at the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre year round.

They will have them available at their display at the Bluegrass Garden Centre on Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, they’ll also be handing them out at the annual Charity Checkstop on Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Taylor Drive. MADD, the Christmas Bureau, and the Red Deer Food Bank will all benefit. People can make monetary donations but are also asked to donate food for the Food Bank and gifts for the Christmas Bureau.

“This time of the year is when we really promote not drinking and driving but throughout the year it’s also important,” McIntyre said.

“We’re hoping that people pick up a ribbon and think about it, especially through the holiday season, and continue their diligence in not drinking and driving year around.”

The red ribbons can be picked up free of charge but people can make a donation if they want to. The red ribbons highlight a commitment to driving sober and a reminder of the devastation that driving impaired can cause.

“If you’re going to drink, find a safe ride home whether they take a cab or have a designated driver. Just don’t drink and drive because we know the devastation that causes,” McIntyre added.

This year the annual candlelight vigil of hope and remembrance will not be happening. Instead, they’re aiming to have it in the spring of 2025 but a date has not been set.

Organizers found the event wasn’t well attended because of the time of year it was held and made the change in hopes of increasing attendance.

“From now until Christmas time there’s a lot of celebrating going on and if people just remember not to drink and drive that would be great.”

The organization welcomed members of the public from 2-6 p.m. Thursday to their first-ever Go Blue Day Open House at the Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence in Red Deer.

Those in attendance were encouraged to wear the colour blue in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is a province-wide initiative among multiple child advocacy centres.

The free event allowed the entire Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence to show the public more about what they do. There were plenty of child-friendly activities including face-painting and balloon art.

Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre CEO Mark Jones said this month is all about creating awareness so they can get prevention programs in place and so people in need understand there is help available.

“You look at the system and right now when people don’t know what’s out there and that there’s help, often times they just continue to be in that abuse world,” Jones said.

“The longer they’re in the abuse world the more difficult it is for them to get the help long term in the mental health world. We’re trying to say an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.

“If we can get these kids just at the onset of somebody doing something inappropriate, for those kids to be able to come back here we have a far better chance of helping them have a much healthier life.

The CACAC has created several education programs in place where they visit schools and work with teachers. In addition, they work with support staff and principals at local schools. They also do a lot of work and presentations at Red Deer Polytechnic.

They do work with the child exploitation and human trafficking programs as well as the child and family advocate program. They also have a program called The Climb that focuses on vulnerable Grade 9-12 girls among many other programs.

“Eventually the hope is for the Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence to be a training hub, research hub, and also to be able to use data to show the best way to work with kids and families who are in the trauma world,” he added.

The CACAC is an organization that supports children who’ve experienced any form of child abuse. It is at the Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence where every child can tell their story to a trained child forensic interviewer and receive additional support.

“It’s all about awareness and continuing to bring people together and have them be a part of the solution,” Jones said.

“People don’t know how to be a part of the solution but it’s as easy as making a call and coming and seeing what we’re doing.

“It’s well known that a child needs just one supporting adult to believe in them for them to be able to change their life. You have to be that adult, person, coach, and whatever it is for that specific child.”

The Riders were coming off their first loss of the CFL season, a 35-20 defeat at the hands of the host B.C. Lions on July 13. The victory improved Saskatchewan’s record to 5-1 while the Bombers dropped to 2-5. The loss ended a two-game winning streak for Winnipeg.

The Riders scored the game’s only touchdown midway through the third quarter when quarterback Shea Patterson engineered a six-play, 83-yard drive. He was four-for-four passing for 62 yards on the drive, which ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to running back Clint Ratkovich. It was the first CFL touchdown for the 26-year-old rookie and it gave the Riders a 13-6 lead.

On Winnipeg’s next possession, quarterback Zach Collaros drove the Bombers to Saskatchewan 25-yard line. On a first-down play, Collaros was flushed out of the pocket and threw an ill-advised pass back against the grain that was intercepted by Riders linebacker Adam Auclair.

Taking over on their own 22-yard line, the Riders moved the ball deep into Winnipeg territory. After a 29-yard pass interference penalty on Winnipeg’s Tyrell Ford, Patterson connected with rookie receiver Ajou Ajou on a 34-yard completion to the Winnipeg 18-yard line. Ajou took a short toss from Patterson in the flat and broke a tackle from Winnipeg veteran linebacker Adam Bighill to escape down the sideline for the big gain.

Willie Jefferson got some of that yardage back with a 16-yard sack of Patterson on the next play. Following an 11-yard run by A.J. Ouellette, the Riders increased their lead to 16-6 with a 31-yard field goal by Brett Lauther on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

The Bombers narrowed the deficit to 16-9 with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo, his third field goal of the game.

The Saskatchewan defence, which has earned a reputation this season for creating turnovers, came up with a big play with 2:36 left in the game. Bombers receiver Nik Demski caught a 20-yard pass at the Saskatchewan 25-yard line but Riders linebacker Jameer Thurman punched the ball loose with the home team taking over on its 29-yard line.

Ajou moved the Riders into Winnipeg territory with a 46-yard reception. It was his fourth catch of the game for 110 yards, and it set up Lauther’s fourth field goal of the game with 1:32 remaining. Th 31-yard field goal increased Saskatchewan’s lead to 19-9.

There was a minor melee at the end of the game after Bighill tackled Patterson who was trying to run out the clock. The Riders took exception to the hit, which was right in front of their bench, and confronted Bighill. The Bombers then ran onto the field as well.

Both teams struggled to move the ball in the first half with the only scoring coming from the kickers. Castillo was successful from 35 and 56 yards, while Lauther hit from 28 and 41 yards. Castillo was short on a 61-yard field goal attempt late in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Blue Bombers: Visit the Toronto Argonauts (3-2) on Saturday, July 27.

Roughriders: Visit the Montreal Alouettes (5-1) on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2024.

Jeff DeDekker, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 31184391-0189-44fb-ad13-d838047b394a.jpg, Caption:

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) runs the ball during the first half of CFL football action against Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, on Friday, July 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

–>

“We piled 11 people into three cars with 11 pieces of luggage and travelled through the night and arrived home,” said Patrick Gobeil, who said his group rented vehicles on New Year’s Eve to get home to Prince Albert, Sask., after Sunwing left them in Calgary.

Sunwing has been scrambling to bring hundreds of passengers home from destinations such as Mexico after winter storms disrupted its operations over the holidays.

On Friday, Sunwing Vacations announced it was suspending its flights from the Saskatoon and Regina airports for a month due to extenuating circumstances.

Gobeil said his group of 11 people flew to Mazatlan, Mexico, on Dec. 9 and were supposed to fly back to Saskatoon on Dec. 23, but Sunwing kept delaying their return until Dec. 30, when they finally got a flight.

He said he didn’t know he wouldn’t be returning to Saskatoon until he noticed a Calgary tag had been attached to his luggage. He said Sunwing staff on the plane promised hotel and meal vouchers in the city and assured his party they would get transport to Saskatchewan.

Gobeil said they eventually had to book their own rooms after waiting in Calgary for hours. When they returned to the airport the next morning, Sunwing staff promised a manager was coming to help them.

“All of a sudden, they left out the back and we were left there by ourselves,” Gobeil said.

Traci Goertzen of Griffin, Sask., said Sunwing flew her to Regina on New Year’s Eve after her return from the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta was delayed by nearly a week, but she estimated there were about 50 empty seats on the plane.

Goertzen said she had met another family in the terminal that was trying to get to Saskatoon. She said they would have flown to Regina, but were told they couldn’t be on the flight.

“That family from Saskatoon, they were literally crying in the airport because they wanted to go home so bad,” said Goertzen.

Other Saskatchewan residents in a Facebook group formed by Sunwing passengers who have been trying to get home said they were flown to Winnipeg.

Sunwing did not respond to questions from The Canadian Press on Monday about the vacant seats or what has been happening to Saskatchewan passengers.

It said last week that it had planned 43 recovery flights. The airline apologized, saying despite its best efforts, it has failed to deliver on its customers’ expectations.

Gobeil said the Sunwing crew on his flight to Canada seemed to believe there were only 19 Saskatchewan passengers on the plane when, in fact, there were about 100.

He said despite daily, repeated attempts to contact the airline, he’s not sure they knew that his group were still in Mexico.

“I completed a survey about my completed vacation with Sunwing and got a $50 voucher, eight days before I got home. And it wasn’t the nicest review,” said Gobeil.

Goertzen said she was supposed to have flown back on one of the rescue flights several days earlier, but they were told the plane had a broken antenna. Then they were told the wrong part was shipped and another would have to be ordered from China. Then they heard nothing.

“It was just mentally frustrating. I don’t even know how to put it into words because it was that much of a fiasco,” Goertzen said when summing up the ordeal.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said last week that while airlines and air travel are regulated by the federal government, his transportation minister has been in contact with Sunwing and with federal transport minister asking for a detailed plan of how and when passengers who travelled from Saskatchewan will get back.

“In the days ahead, we expect Sunwing to appropriately compensate everyone who did not receive the service they purchased,” Moe said Friday.

Sunwing said in a statement Friday that it had planned to supplement seasonal demand for travel from Saskatoon and Regina with the assistance of temporary foreign pilots for the winter months.

It said it brought in sub-services to sustain its operations, buy After that plan failed to materialize, Sunwing eventually concluded “the conditions and schedule have proven too significant” to continue with regular operations. 

The airline said last week that “most, if not all, delayed customers should return home by Jan. 2.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2023.

—By Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton

The Canadian Press

The federal government made Sept. 30 a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces last year. And it is up to each province and territory to decide whether to also make it an statutory holiday for workers in their governments, schools and businesses. 

Here is what they are doing:

British Columbia

Similar to last year, B.C. has advised public sector employers, including those in public schools, that the day should be observed as a statutory holiday by those who are normally entitled to federal and provincial stats. Essential services will operate as normal. The province has consulted with residential school survivors, Indigenous partners and communities about creating a new holiday, and is seeking input from employers and employees. The province has said that the earliest changes can be made under the Employment Standards Act would be for 2023. 

Alberta

Alberta has left it up to employers to implement it as a statutory holiday. A spokesman with Indigenous Relations, Ted Bauer, says the province has chosen to commemorate the day through education and action, as work is being done to create a residential school monument and garden. The United Nurses of Alberta has said Alberta Health Services told it to recognize the day as a named holiday after the union filed a grievance.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan says it is not considering additional statutory holidays at this time. Matthew Glover, director of media relations with the government, says Sept. 30 will continue to be an important day for reflection, recognition and an opportunity for all citizens to learn more about the legacy of residential schools. 

Manitoba

The Manitoba government is observing the day for a second year, while discussions continue about making it a statutory holiday. Schools and non-essential government services and offices will be closed. The province says it is consulting with Indigenous and labour groups. 

Ontario

Sept. 30 is not a statutory holiday in Ontario. Schools will be open and operating as usual. Erika Robson, a spokesperson for Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford, says the day is a time for schools, workplaces and communities to honour those affected by the legacy of residential school policies, and is similar to how Remembrance Day is observed across the province. 

Quebec

They day is not a statutory holiday in Quebec. Last year, the government said it had no plans to make it one. 

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia will be observing the day for a second year in a row. Provincial government offices, public schools, regulated childcare and other non-essential public services will be closed. Businesses have the choice to remain open. The day is not a general paid holiday. The government is in discussions with Mi’kmaw leaders and communities, as well as businesses and organizations, on how best to honour the day in the future. 

New Brunswick

The province recently declared Sept. 30 a provincial holiday. All essential services, including health care, will continue to be delivered. The holiday is optional for private sector businesses. 

Prince Edward Island

P.E.I. said last year it would recognize the day. It is one of eight paid holidays in the province under the Employment Standards Act. Provincial government offices and schools will close. 

Newfoundland and Labrador

The government says consultations continue with Indigenous governments and organizations and the business and labour sector about making the day a public holiday under the Labour Standards Act. For now, provincial government offices, schools and other entities will be closed. The province is encouraging businesses and other organizations to commemorate the day. 

Nunavut

The territory announced last month that changes had been made to the Labour Standards Act, Legislation Act and Public Service Act to make the day a statutory holiday, which applies to public service employees and those with territorially regulated businesses.

Northwest Territories

N.W.T. amended the Employment Standards Act in the summer to add the day to its list of statutory holidays to be observed annually beginning this year.  

Yukon

The territory surveyed members of public, First Nations, businesses and other groups to get feedback on what the day should look like. It says support was mixed for making it a statutory holiday. The government says it is continuing consultations but the earliest Sept. 30 could become a stat would be next year. This year, the territory is observing the day and Yukon government employees will not be required to work. Schools will be closed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2022.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press

—

Harvey Kelts hopes to never see anything like it again.

Kelts was playing in a ball tournament at the Pine Lake Hub Community Centre on July 14, 2000. It was early evening when he and a teammate noticed a bad looking storm rolling in.

“We could see the clouds getting darker and we were surprised at how quick it seemed to be coming in,” he remembers. “As it got closer we folded up our lawn chairs and thought we’d better back to where we camped, because it looked like it was going to be a pretty bad one. By the time we had got there, literally within three minutes, the wind had picked up and it started to hail. We had no idea what it was and just rode it out.”

Gary McKinnon: Reflecting on the Pine Lake tornado

Within 15 minutes Kelts says the sun was out and people headed back to the ball diamond.

“Then within a half an hour we started hearing ambulances and helicopters. We had an idea that it must have been worse somewhere close to us.”

Soon after, Kelts recalls another ball team made up largely of EMTs and paramedics dropping what they were doing and leaving the diamond.

Kelts and everyone else at the tournament would soon learn that the area just a few kilometres south of where they were, at the Green Acres campground, had been devastated by a powerful tornado.

It claimed the lives of 12 people. 140 were injured and about 1,000 people were left displaced.

“When it passed through it seemed like it was a pretty intense storm, but we had no idea we were on the tail end of a tornado,” he says.

Buses started rolling into the community centre as volunteers were being sought to help at Green Acres. Kelts called family members to let them know he and his wife were okay before boarding a bus and heading to the campground.

He says the destruction he saw upon arrival or arriving at the campground was unimaginable.

(Red Deer Archives VC203)

“It was unbelievable. Thirty-foot motorhomes were on their side and trailers thrown all over the place. I can distinctly remember walking one of the sites and there was a mat there with shoes on it and no trailer. It was hard to believe that it literally picked up the trailer but didn’t move the shoes that were on the mat.”

Kelts remembers the brief moment of panic he felt.

“We were down there earlier that afternoon and some of the team members had kids down there. I remember some young kids playing there and I thought it was odd that there were no parents around. And as we were on the bus I was thinking about those kids. Then I saw some of them sitting on broken-off posts as we were coming into the campground and I just had a huge sigh of relief that they were okay.”

Kelts says that given the amount of devastation the tornado caused it’s fortunate that there weren’t more fatalities.

“That’s one of the hardest things to believe when you’ve actually seen the tornado site.”

The tornado, categorized as an F3 with wind speeds up to 300 km/h and ranging between 800 metres and 1.5 kilometres wide, carved a 15-kilometre path of destruction.

The storm had started developing around 4 p.m. along the Rocky Mountain foothills and at 6:18 p.m., Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning. It was at 7 p.m. when the twister touched down five kilometres west of Green Acres and smashed its way in a straight line for 15 km, straight through the campground.

It ranks as the second deadliest tornado in Alberta history after the “Black Friday” tornado that claimed 27 lives in Edmonton in 1987.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien visited Green Acres four days after the tornado to see the wreckage first-hand.

Jean Chretien, Canada’s Prime Minister at the time, visited the site of the Pine Lake tornado (Red Deer Archives VC310)

“We were lucky this happened at seven o’clock. If it had come in the middle of the night, it would have been extremely… worse,” Chretien said.

One hundred Canadian soldiers, 20 search and rescue teams, six navy divers, and dive teams from the Calgary Fire Department were all involved in the response and recovery operations.

Those who lost their lives from the tornado were:

Clifford Stegman, 50, from Red Deer
Merrill Booth, 63, Calgary
Charles Boutin, 72, Calgary
Lisa Gourley, 30, Calgary
Thomas Ian Prior, 68, Calgary
Margaret Provan, 66, Calgary
Kenneth Prudhomme, 50, Calgary
Irving Simmonds, 74, Edmonton
Margot Warner, 31, Rumsey
Oren Wangsness, 51, Leduc
Doris Broberg, 63, Strathmore
and Lucas Holtom, two, from Ontario.

(Story written with file from Red Deer Archives, including video from digital archive file VC203, and The Canadian Press)

Source: CARTOON 09-18-2021

The decision to cancel was announced Monday after Westerner Park was notified just last week (Wednesday, June 23) that its midway provider, North American Midway Entertainment, was unable to follow through on its contract.

Prior to that, an announcement was made June 18 that the annual Westerner Days parade was being cancelled for this year, but that a modified version of the fair would indeed be going ahead.

“We are heartbroken for our community,” says Westerner Park CEO Mike Olesen. “To be clear, this was a decision not made by Westerner Park but unfortunately a decision that was made for us.”

“We feel for our staff and volunteers, the families who were looking forward to starting their summer with us and the businesses and vendors that count on the boost in their revenue that the fair provides,” laments Olesen.

The overall loss due to the cancellation of this year’s event is expected to be in the range of $7 million. Of that, approximately $5 million would have been spent by visitors, exhibitors and contractors in Red Deer and area.

The cancellation is a tough blow for Westerner Park at a time when the organization is still recovering from the difficult financial state it has been in for the past couple of years. The fair’s cancellation also means Westerner Park will likely need to access the operating grant that the City of Red Deer approved for this fiscal year on May 11.

Olesen acknowledges the midway as being a core element of Westerner Days.

“When we learned of the choice that North American Midway made, we explored every option to look at alternatives to see what we could do to salvage the fair but due to these circumstances that were out of our control, Westerner Days is unfortunately cancelled for 2021.”

Despite the bad news, Olesen reminds central Albertans that Westerner Park is open for business and will adapt moving forward.

“We continue to support our event organizers and we will create new and innovative ways to allow us all to gather and celebrate again very soon.”

In terms of future events, announcements and more information are anticipated in the coming days regarding the North American Pony Chuckwagon Championships and fireworks display.

In addition, planning for both CFR and Agri-Trade in November remains ongoing with the anticipation of holding limited capacity events, if not full capacity shows.

Elsewhere in Alberta, Edmonton-based K-Days has been cancelled for 2021, as has the Ponoka Stampede. The Calgary Stampede will be going ahead July 9-18.