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City of Red Deer

Opportunities to provide input on permanent homeless shelter in Red Deer wrap up this week!

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“While site selection is not part of the formal agreement between The City and the Province, we believe that the Province will support a recommendation in good spirit as part of a shared responsibility to providing shelter services in our community,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “When citizens come to the table to discuss criteria, we ask that they come with an open mind. Consider all the factors in selecting a location, not just proximity to your home, your business, your property. The permanent shelter will not be what we currently have, it will be an integrated shelter for our vulnerable population to access services that will support them on their journey to permanent housing.”

“We are beginning public participation based on the understanding our community wants to help us to address shelter needs.  We are starting with a clean slate when it comes to actual location,” said Interim City Manager Tara Lodewyk. “We recognize that some citizens will want to propose specific locations but we want to dig deeper to understand why.  We will be asking further questions – why do they think that site is a good option, what does it have that would make it the right place and see how that aligns or builds upon the criteria we already have in place.”

Input opportunities continue for permanent shelter

Red Deerians and community partners still have an opportunity to provide their input on the permanent shelter site criteria, and additional areas of the project. The following are the input opportunities this week:

ONLINE

  • The online survey continues to be available until 4:30 p.m. on June 10. Citizens wanting to participate in the online survey can access it here.

IN-PERSON

  • We are hosting three in-person sessions at Westerner Park on both June 8 and 9 (1-3 p.m., 3:30-5:30 p.m., 6:15-8:15 p.m.). Each session is limited to 25 participants.
    • June 8: register here.
    • June 9: register here. (limited spaces available)

EMAIL

  • For input on the permanent shelter outside of site criteria, citizens and community partners are asked to email [email protected]. All emails received prior to Monday June 13 will be included in administrations report to Council on June 20.

The input opportunities allow The City to discuss and dig into site criteria with the intent to inform a City Council decision about the future site of a permanent shelter in Red Deer.

Administration will present a what we heard report to Council on June 20. Following this meeting, site criteria will be finalized which will guide the site selection process.

For more information about the permanent shelter project, please visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter.

 

 

 

City of Red Deer

City of Red Deer Employee Honoured with Bob Stollings Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions

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Annette Scheper, Community & Program Facilitator in the Safe & Healthy Communities Department is The City’s 2025 recipient of the Bob Stollings Memorial Award.

The Bob Stollings Memorial Award is given out each year to a City employee who displays outstanding performance in alignment with The City’s RISE cornerstone values – respect, integrity, service and excellence. Nominations for the award are submitted by fellow coworkers detailing the employee’s achievements professionally and interpersonally, along with letters of support. The award is considered a great honour among City staff.

With an impressive 22-year career, Annette has played a pivotal role in shaping Red Deer’s cultural and special events landscape. Her leadership and innovation have brought thousands of successful events to life, creating lasting traditions that enrich the lives of residents. Her commitment to excellence and resourcefulness has ensured that community initiatives are inclusive, accessible, and impactful.

One of Annette’s most notable achievements is the development of the Community Loan Program, which provides essential resources for local groups, contributing an annual value of $86,778.95 back into the community. In addition, she has successfully led and executed a variety of large-scale events, demonstrating remarkable problem-solving skills and a dedication to sustainability. From creating elaborate event designs with repurposed materials to managing complex logistics, she continuously sets the standard for excellence.

“Annette exemplifies the best of our organization,” said City Manager, Tara Lodewyk. “Her unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and ability to bring people together has made a profound impact on our city. This award is a testament to her hard work and passion for creating meaningful experiences for our community.”

The Bob Stollings Memorial Award was first established in 1985 and is presented every year to honour Robert (Bob) E. Stollings, a loyal and dedicated City employee from 1960-1984.

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City of Red Deer

Red Deer will choose a new Mayor as Ken Johnston decides to step away

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It’s a telling detail about the person who leads Red Deer City Council.  Always putting the city’s needs ahead of his own, Mayor Ken Johnston has announced his intentions within days of the opening of  Nominations for October’s municipal elections,

After 12 years on council, Mayor Ken Johnston has decided against running for a second term as Mayor this fall.  Johnson shared his decision in front of colleagues and supporters in a touching announcement on Wednesday.

At 71 years old, Johnston remains vibrant, passionate and healthy. He says that’s exactly why he and his wife Carolyn have decided now is the right time to start their next stage of life together.

Mayor Johnston listed a number of highlights and achievements he can look back on, including his help advocating for the redevelopment of Red Deer Regional Hospital, the growth of Red Deer Polytechnic, and positive moves in Economic Development.

All these lead of a feeling of ease about the decision to step away, though affordable housing and a permanent shelter for the homeless remain pressing concerns.

With about 8 months remaining in his term, Mayor Johnston is planning to push hard to move the needle on these housing issues.

“We’re looking forward to some more work and we’ll be going to the community shortly about it. So I still have optimism that maybe before the term is out we can have an announcement.”

This is the second major political announcement in Central Alberta in the last number of days.  Earlier this week Red Deer Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen announced he won’t be running in the next federal election.

 

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