Jenn Heil wins silver

Canada had high hopes that Jenn Heil would be their first gold medal win of the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver.

On Saturday, during the Women’s Moguls Freestyle Skiing Final at Cypress Mountain, Jenn posted an impressive score, placing her in first place. But it was the skier that followed her, Hannah Kearney from the USA, that grabbed Olympic gold.

Heil, who is consistently described as a “class act,” commented:

I really do feel like I won the silver today.  It’s a fierce competition out there. The girls are so good. I really embrace that and, today, Hannah had the best run.

Springham Rally 2010

Having fun safely was a key message shared by Parkland  County’s Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Unit at the Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club rally  held February 6th at the Jack Pine Grazing Reserve.  Jason Springham, OHV officer,  was invited to attend the rally and share information regarding Parkland County’s OHV  bylaw and best practices for safe operation of off highway vehicles.

“Parkland County really appreciated the invitation to be part of this event,” said  Springham. “It was a great opportunity for the County and Trail Seekers to work  together and help promote safe and responsible riding.”

Springham’s presentation included an overview of Parkland County’s OHV Bylaw 38-  2008, including required documentation such as registration and insurance, restricted  age, and helmet requirements.  Springham also fielded a number of questions regarding  OHV use on provincial highways, County roads, and riding on private property.

Although there was no active enforcement during the event, all riders were required to  comply with the Parkland County OHV Bylaw 38-2008 as well possess as an Alberta  Snowmobile Association trail pass in order to participate.  Underage riders with smaller  machines were not permitted on the trail and were supervised on a closed course.

“Overall, this was a very positive event,” said Springham. “This particular trail system is  marked to guide riders and provides for safe, enjoyable riding.”

The Off-Highway officer position was implemented in May 2009 as one of the  recommendations from the Off-Highway Vehicle Committee.  Since inception, the OHV  Officer has been focusing on targeted enforcement and public education.

Parkland County first passed a bylaw regulating OHV use in 1993, with subsequent  bylaws passed in 2003. In 2008, Parkland County Council passed the new OHV Bylaw  38-2008, which included increased fines for offences under the bylaw and changed the  minimum age of OHV operators from 14 to 16 years of age and possessing a valid  Class 5 Operator’s License. For more information on the OHV Bylaw 38-2008, visit the  Parkland County website at www.parklandcounty.com or contact Parkland County  Enforcement Services at 780-968-8400.

Torch in Stony Plain

Thanks to Arlene Schmidek for this YouTUBE video of the Olympic torch coming through Stony Plain, Alberta at 6:58am this morning. The Olympic Torch is travelling 45,000 km across Canada and also made an appearance in Spruce Grove.

The torch will eventually find its way to the opening ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on February 12, 2010.

The complete route information can be found here.

The eyes of the world will turn to our community as the Olympic flame arrives in Stony Plain as part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

On January 15, 2010, Stony Plain will kick off Day 78 of the Relay. The torch will depart Stony Plain at approximately 06:58 am as part of a convoy of vehicles , which will include torchbearer shuttles, media vehicles, relay support vehicles and police cruisers. Temporary rolling road closures will ensure the safety of the torchbearers and spectators lining the relay route. The crowd will see a new torchbearer carry the flame ever 300 meters through the community as it travels on it’s 45,000-km-long journey across Canada – the longest domestic Torch Relay in Olympic history.

The 106-day Olympic Torch Relay will visit more than 1,030 communities and places of interest in every province and territory. On Februrary 12, 2010, the Olympic Flame will make its way to downtown Vancouver to light the Olympic Cauldron in a magical and awe-inspiring moment before a television audience of three billion people worldwide, signalling the kick off to the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

To Celebrate the arrival of the flame, the Town of Stony Plain is planning a FREE Community Breakfast at the Town office at 06:00 am. (4905-51 Avenue) The first 75 attendees will receive one FREE pair of Red Olympic Mittens.

The route through Stony Plain has now been released. Click on the “Route Map” PDF to download or to follow the route with the interactive map visit. www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay

[Source: Town of Stony Plain]

Jennifer Heil | Source: www.jenniferheil.com

Jennifer Heil won back-to-back gold medals at Calgary’s World Cup Freestyle events.  On Friday’s event (January 8th), Heil came in first, but commented that she still had things to work on.  She came back strong on Saturday, pleasing the hometown Alberta crowd by, again, taking gold.  These are Jennifer’s 22nd and 23rd World Cup wins.

Here are the results:

1. Jennifer Heil, CAN
2. Aiko Uemura, JPN
3. Nikola Sudova, CZE

1. Jennifer Heil, CAN
2. Nikola Sudova, CZE
3. Margarita Marbler, AUT

Olympic Torch coming to Spruce Grove

The Olympic Torch is travelling 45,000 km across Canada and will be making an appearance in Spruce Grove.  At approximately 7:30 am on January 15, 2010 the torch will make it’s way east on Highyway 16A, and then head north past City hall.

“This is an incredible honour for our city and its residents and we are thrilled that we will be a part of this historic event,” said Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston.

The torch will eventually find its way to the opening ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on February 12, 2010.

The complete route information can be found here:

Jennifer Heil | Source: www.jenniferheil.com

The City of Spruce Grove will pay tribute to Spruce Grove native, World Cup and Olympic gold medallist freestyle skier Jennifer Heil by naming a street in her honour.

A portion of Campsite Road from Highway 16A north to Highway 16 will be renamed Jennifer Heil Way.

“Not only has Jennifer made remarkable contributions to her sport, she has also been a goodwill ambassador for Spruce Grove and an inspiration to those who strive to achieve excellence,” said Mayor Stuart Houston. “Her dedication to making a difference in her community makes us proud to call her one of our own.”

“I am greatly touched and honored by the City of Spruce Grove’s recognition of my sporting achievements,” said Jennifer Heil. “Spruce Grove nurtured my dream to be an Olympic Champion by providing important grass root sport programs and coaching. I am grateful for the unwavering support I have received from the community since the start of my dream.”

The official renaming will take place in the spring of 2010 and will include a community celebration. Further details will be released early in 2010.

Campsite Road was chosen because it is a main artery through the city and provides access to two of the region’s significant sports venues – Fuhr Sports Park and the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre.

Some highlights of Jennifer Heil’s career include four consecutive World Cup titles from 2003 to 2007 and Canada’s first Olympic gold medal of the 2006 games in Turin, Italy. In 2007, she was named CanWest Media’s Canadian Female Athlete of the Year. Jennifer is also active in a number of charitable organizations that promote child development and girls’ rights.

[Source: City of Spruce Grove]

In the photo: Hon. Rob Merrifield MP for Yellowhead, Fred Lindsay MLA for Stony Plain, LeAnn Whaling from the Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club and daughter Vanessa Whaling.

OTTAWA, November 10, 2009 – Rob Merrifield, Member of Parliament for Yellowhead and Fred Lindsay, MLA for Stony Plain today announced joint federal-provincial funding for The Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club to improve recreational trails in the region.

The Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club will receive $117,844 in joint federal-provincial funding to improve recreational trails. This funding will go a long way to create jobs and revitalize trails in the area.

“The Government of Canada is providing $58,922 for to the Trail Seekers for this project,” said Hon. Rob Merrifield, Minister of State for Transport and Member of Parliament for Yellowhead. “As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we are boosting local economies by creating jobs, getting shovels in the ground, and enhancing trails for outdoors enthusiasts.”

“This funding is a result of great cooperation between both levels of government,” said Fred Lindsay, MLA for Stony Plain. “The funds for this project are good for job creation and go to a worthwhile cause to make sure people this area have the trails they need,” added Lindsay.

“We want to thank both the federal and the provincial government for their great contribution to this project,” said LeAnn Whaling of the Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club. “We are very happy with the job-creation that has happened from this funding and the opportunity we now have to increase our recreational snowmobiling.”

This project is being supported through the Government of Canada’s $25 million investment in recreational trails, part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The Government of Canada’s investment will be matched by the NTC and their provincial, territorial, municipal or private funding partners. A first federal payment of $12.5 million was issued to the National Trails Coalition on (July 29, 2009).

Applications for this funding were received between May 26, 2009 and June 26, 2009. With the intake for this funding now complete and projects approved, this first payment to the National Trails Coalition is allowing work to begin right away on over 450 projects.

The NTC is made up of the following non-profit organizations and their provincial/territorial affiliates: Canadian Trails Federation, Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations and the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council. For additional information, visit National Trails Coalition | NTC Canada.

The Government of Canada’s 2009 Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over the next two years.

In June 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was awarded the highest honour granted by the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) for delivering on his commitment to expand Canada’s network of national trails through the Economic Action Plan.

To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit Canada’s Economic Action Plan. For more information on the Government of Canada’s investments in infrastructure, visit Building Canada – Stronger, safer, better

2012 Alberta Winter Games

In 2012, Alberta’s best young athletes will gather in the Tri-Region west of Edmonton for the 19th Alberta Winter Games. The City of Spruce Grove, the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County will jointly host Alberta’s largest multi-sport competition.“Over the last four decades, the Alberta Games have served as a springboard for athletes’ future success in sport and in life,” said Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. “Not only do we get to cheer on the next generation of emerging Alberta athletes, but this year we will also celebrate the tremendous spirit and diversity of the Tri-Region communities.”

Athletes ranging in age from 11 to 17 will compete in traditional winter sports, as well as in various indoor sports such as volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics and wrestling. The number of participants is similar to an Olympic Winter Games, with more than 3,000 athletes, coaches and officials taking part in the event.

“Hosting the Alberta Winter Games will display the spirit and enthusiasm of the Tri-Region community,” said Bill Persley, Chair, Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation. “With their previous success in hosting the 1995 Alberta Summer Games and other major events, I am very confident that this will be a great experience for the communities involved and the athletes competing in 2012.”

The Tri-Region will benefit from an estimated economic impact of $3 million by hosting the games.

The Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation operates the Alberta Games on behalf of the Alberta government and works closely with the host community to prepare for the event. The foundation will provide and operating grant of $300,000 and a legacy grant of $50,000 for the 2012 Alberta Winter Games.

The Alberta Winter Games take place every two years. The next games take place in the Lakeland Region from February 4 -7, 2010 in Bonnyville and Cold Lake. The Alberta Summer Games take place July 19-25, 2010 in the Peace Region. For more information, visit www.albertagames.com.

[Source: Alberta Winter Games]

West District Park now has the Fuhr name

The City of Spruce Grove has renamed West District Sports Park to honour Bruce and Jeannette Fuhr, whose family farmed the land on which it sits.

Jeannette Fuhr helped Mayor Stuart Houston unveil the sign for the park at a ceremony on October 14. Bruce Fuhr passed away in 2004 after losing his battle with cancer.

The Fuhrs were instrumental in assembling several parcels of land to facilitate the building of the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre and the facility now known as Fuhr Sports Park. The City decided to name the park in their honour after they also donated seven acres of land adjacent to it to meet long term needs of the community.

“The land that the Fuhr family farmed for countless years now stands as a home to two facilities that will foster community pride and give families a place to spend quality time together,” said Mayor Houston. “I believe that’s a lasting legacy that would make Bruce proud.”

A bronze plaque commemorating the occasion will also be displayed at the park’s clubhouse.

[Source: City of Spruce Grove]