Red Deer
Former Council Candidate urges leaders to get creative with prime downtown property
Submitted by Chad Krahn, a former candidate for Red Deer City Council
Buying Potential
As long as I’ve lived in Red Deer, the Buffalo Hotel has represented potential, or more accurately, lost potential.
The grand entrance to downtown Red Deer showcases a beat-up old hotel with a sign for a coffee shop. But there is no coffee shop and no one has booked a hotel room in decades. There are long-term rumours that the inside has been completely trashed, which wouldn’t be surprising given that the hardest to house folks were given rooms there for over a decade. This was essentially confirmed by the mayor’s comments about needing personal protective equipment just to go inside the building and the fact that no developer has taken a chance on it since Canadian Mental Health moved out three years ago.
So council bought it so they could tear it down and some day flip it. Financial details haven’t been released so we will have to reserve judgement on that aspect. By this summer the Buffalo Hotel and the Club Café will be just a vacant lot. Addition by subtraction. There is talk of combining the lot with the parking lot directly south making it a sizeable piece of prime redevelopment land. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a shortage between downtown and Capstone. But ultimately this will be a step in the right direction. No one has been willing to invest the capital needed to bring the Buffalo Hotel up to where it needs to be, and a clean slate gives us the chance to reimagine what could be done with that property. This is the gateway to downtown after all!
But there is something that council will need to address in the meantime. While a beat-up old hotel isn’t a great look, a vacant half-gravel, half-asphalt lot doesn’t inspire confidence or fit the vibrant vibe downtown is supposed to have.
Rather than simply wait five or ten years for a developer to be interested in the property, we need to look at some creative temporary land uses. We don’t need another vacant lot that people drive by or more parking downtown. With a little bit of vision, this could be a productive place.
What if that lot could be a pocket park, a place to showcase sculptures or a permanent parking place for a food truck? Imagine a few extra picnic tables, some mulch to cover the gravel, a few potted trees, some paving stones for kids to play hopscotch. There is pavement that would make a great parking spot for a coffee bus or an ice cream truck. Suddenly we can have an inviting place at the gateway to downtown! All we’d need is a sculpture of a big red deer and this place would be well on its way to be the most iconic place in the whole city!
Tearing down Buffalo Hotel is a big step, its buying potential but hopefully that potential isn’t wasted as we wait and pay for it all in opportunity cost.
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team
Alleged Human Traffickers arrested in Red Deer, Montreal, and Edmonton
Human trafficking suspect arrested in Red Deer, July 2024
From Alert, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team
Three human traffickers arrested in Project Endgame
Three men have been arrested and stand accused of running a human trafficking operation that stretched across Canada; operating throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.
Project Endgame was a year-long investigation led by ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit, and also relied on the assistance of the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, and the Quebec joint forces Anti-Pimping team known as EILP.
Arrests and search warrants had taken place in Edmonton, Montreal, and Red Deer. A total of 23 charges related to human trafficking offences have been laid against Clyde Elien-Abbot, 31, Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, 31, and Jean Rodnil Dubois, 31. Elien-Abbot was arrested on January 31, 2025 in Edmonton, while the other two accused were arrested on July 23, 2024.
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Westerner Park acknowledges the recent announcement of Peavey Mart closing all its locations across Canada, and the significant impact this will have on our community.
Peavey Mart has been the naming sponsor of the Centrium since 2021, a partnership that has helped create lasting memories for thousands of Central Albertans. Their support extended beyond their name on the building—Peavey Mart embraced our community by participating in activities during Westerner Days and supplying essential items that brought these events to life.
“Our partnership with Peavey Mart exemplifies the kind of meaningful relationships that can have a lasting impact,” said Shelly Flint, CEO of Westerner Park. “While their closure is undoubtedly a loss for the community, we are grateful for the support they’ve provided over the years and remain committed to finding the right partnerships to continue serving Central Alberta.”
As Westerner Park navigates this transition, the organization remains as a hub of Central Alberta. This includes not only hosting more events and attractions on the park but also finding new ways to connect with the community. “Whether it’s collaborating on events outside of our grounds or encouraging our team to participate in local initiatives as volunteers, our focus remains on strengthening our ties with the people and organizations that make this region so vibrant,” Flint added.
Westerner Park is actively seeking businesses and organizations that share a vision of fostering growth and connection within the community. Any parties interested in exploring partnership opportunities are encouraged to reach out.
ABOUT WESTERNER PARK
Westerner Park is Central Alberta’s largest tradeshow, agricultural, sports, entertainment, and convention facility. A not-for-profit organization and agricultural society, Westerner Park typically generates $150 million annually in economic activity, hosting over 1,000 events and 1.5 million visitors each year.
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