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Trevor Thomas will lead organization formed for advocacy and development of sport and events – Central Sport

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Article submitted by Central Sport

Central Sport Announces New CEO, Trevor Thomas, and Welcomes New Board Members

Central Sport’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce it has named Trevor Thomas as its new CEO effective March 2023. Thomas brings with him 25 years of experience in post-secondary as an Instructor, Chair, and Associate Dean as well as almost a decade of coaching experience in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“Our Board of Directors is thrilled to introduce Trevor Thomas into this new role with Central Sport. His expertise and commitment will allow Central Sport to continue to grow our mission to be the voice for sport in Central Alberta, connecting sport organizations through sport advocacy and development, sport hosting and event development, and sport inclusion and celebration.” says Russ Wlad, Board Chair. Thomas is well known in the community and transitions from a Board Director to this new role. He succeeds Scott Robinson, who is now the CEO of the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce

“Being a Board member on Central Sport for the past year, I see how important this organization is in Central Alberta”, stated Thomas, “Local Sport Organizations need support more than ever coming out of COVID . Our Mission to be the voice for sport in Central Alberta, connecting sport organizations through three distinct operational pillars: sport advocacy and development; sport hosting and event development; and sport inclusion and celebration helps fill a gap in our region.”

Additionally, Central Sport strengthens its Board of Directors by appointing five new board members: Shawna Pearman, Rick Polutnik, Evan Hardy, Renae Clark, and Patrick Callan. Each of these new board members brings with them unique credentials, experience, and perspective to inspire growth in community development of sport in Central Alberta. They join current Board members Chair Russ Wlad, Past Chair Allan Ferchuk, Trent Rix, Lori Schiller, Todd Thiessen, and Patrick Wigmore.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are proud to welcome these five individuals to our organization. They each bring with them tremendous value and contributions in their respective fields with a shared focus on excellence and collaboration,” says Wlad.

As the Board of Directors continues to serve Central Sport and the Central Alberta community, diversity of skills and backgrounds of its members are key factors in influencing the growth, awareness, and collaborative opportunities Central Sport provides for local sport organizations and the community.

“I am thrilled with the strength and diversity of our Board. Everyone here is looking to make an impact and help Local Sport organizations in Central Alberta. New Board members were elected during the March Board Meeting and began serving at the end of March.

For more information, visit https://centralsport.ca.

ABOUT CENTRAL SPORT: Formed as a legacy of the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Central Sport is committed to connecting Central Alberta sport to build on the momentum created by the Games and to position Central Alberta as a leader in sport.

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Alberta

Red Deer’s first new courthouse in 40 years expected to open early in 2025

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Front entrance of the new Red Deer Justice Centre.

New courthouse in downtown Red Deer will improve justice services for the region’s growing population and address space constraints.

Red Deer residents are one step closer to enhanced justice services in a state-of-the-art facility. The newly built Red Deer Justice Centre will replace the city’s existing outdated court facilities that have been operating at capacity. The new centre has space for 16 courtrooms, with 12 courtrooms fully built and the ability to add up to four additional courtrooms for future use.

With construction complete, Alberta Infrastructure is turning the building over to Alberta Justice, who will outfit the facility with furniture and modern equipment to prepare the building for the public. The centre is expected to officially open and begin operating in early 2025.

“This new, state-of-the-art courthouse will increase access to justice services for residents of Red Deer and central Alberta. The new facility will meet the space and service needs of residents for generations to come.”

Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure

Construction on the new Red Deer Justice Centre began in August 2020. The new centre includes spaces for alternative approaches to the traditional courtroom trial process, with three new suites for judicial dispute resolution services, a specific suite for other dispute resolution services, such as family mediation and civil mediation, and a new Indigenous courtroom able to accommodate smudging. Additionally, it will include modern technology to replace legacy systems at the current courthouse.

“Along with building a new justice centre for Red Deer, Alberta’s government is preparing to expand pre-court services, such as mediation, in Red Deer early in 2025. This new facility has the space to offer these services while also allowing more court cases to be heard, increasing Albertans’ access to justice.”

Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice

“As MLA for Red Deer-North, I am thrilled this new justice centre will open its doors to serve our growing community soon. When it opens, it will provide essential space and resources to support timely legal services, reflecting our commitment to improve legal access for the people of Red Deer and central Alberta.”

Adriana LaGrange, MLA for Red Deer-North

“Central Alberta is a wonderful, attractive place for individuals to work, live and raise families, and many are choosing our region for these reasons. The Red Deer Justice Centre will improve justice services for a growing population of individuals, families and businesses. This centre is a testament to Red Deer and central Alberta’s growth and our government’s commitment to it.”

Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South

Building the vital public infrastructure that Albertans need, creating jobs and attracting investment is integral to Alberta’s economic development. The project supported about 1,100 construction-related jobs from start to finish.

Quick facts

  • Red Deer’s current court facilities include seven courtrooms that were built in the 1980s.
    • Since then, Red Deer’s population has almost doubled.
  • The approved project funding is about $203.1 million.
  • The new 312,000 sq ft (29,000 m2) Red Deer Justice Centre is built to LEED Silver standards to ensure reduced energy consumption and operational costs and increased durability of the building.
  • The new facility was designed by Group2 Architecture and Interior Design, in conjunction with justice facility specialists DLR Group.
  • There are currently five courthouse capital projects in planning or design throughout the province.
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Red Deer

Chamber urges city council to look harder at cutting costs

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Red Deer District Chamber CEO, Scott Robinson

News release from the Red Deer District Chamber

Red Deer District Chamber Calls for Balanced Approach to 2025 City Budget

Following several meetings with City Administration, The Red Deer District Chamber has responded to the release of the draft City of Red Deer 2025 Budget with a call to immediately reduce tax supported Operational expenses by 3%. This recommendation is based on a balanced approach and one that acknowledges the significant amount of work The City must do in improving efficiency and managing costs.

“We have looked closely at The City’s financial position for 2025 and believe it is essential to consider further expense reductions alongside property tax increases.” says Red Deer District Chamber CEO, Scott Robinson. “The City of Red Deer faces a significant deficit, as revenues have fallen short of expenses over the past few years. While we agree that The City must address this imbalance and reduce its reliance on reserves and utility dividends to balance the budget, we believe that the full financial burden should not fall solely on taxpayers and property owners.”

Through a recent survey, our members shared the view that it’s crucial for The City to review its services and the costs associated with delivering them. 51.61% of respondents wanted to see The City implement alternative ways of doing business to reduce deficit.

When asked how a potential double digit tax increase would impact their businesses, 64.29% of respondents said that this would result in significantly increased operating costs.

Respondents felt that a double-digit tax increase would not result in a sustainable financial solution for The City of Red Deer, and that the overwhelmingly best option for The City to explore for the 2025 Budget and beyond, was cost cutting and efficiency measures being implemented within City departments.

“We believe a balanced approach is both reasonable and necessary. By reducing operational expenses by 3%, The City could save taxpayers approximately $9-10 Million, which would, in turn, make any necessary tax increase more manageable this budget year.” says Chamber CEO Scott Robinson.

The business community has been clear: a double-digit tax increase is not sustainable and would significantly impact the ability of some businesses to operate and thrive within the city.

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