July 9: Dreams turn to reality as skate park fans break ground
On Friday, July 4, members of the Stettler Skate Park Committee joined Town of Stettler Mayor Dick Richards, skateboarders and parents in breaking ground at the new site.
July 16: Fish-free weekend draws in families
Several of the anglers had never lifted a fishing rod in their lives, but it didn’t stop them from taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the Kids Can Catch event held at West Stettler Park on Saturday, July 12.
July 23: Alberta debt clock visits Stettler
Every day, as Alberta’s debt climbs higher, Derek Fildebrandt sees his children’s future being eroded. Unwilling to be silent, he goes from town to town, bringing behind him the debt clock.
Fildebrandt was in Stettler Tuesday, July 15, parked out front of the Town of Stettler office.
July 30: Full house for RCMP musical ride
On July 22, the Stettler Agricultural Society brought in the Musical Ride, which is touring Quebec and Alberta this year.
Aug. 6: Jewel Theatre to lower curtain for final time
The Jewel Theatre, located at the junction of 50 Avenue and 49 Street, is closing its doors on Aug. 15, as a result of a management decision to end the operation and sell the property.
Aug. 13: Alberta Métis come together in annual meeting
Stettler played host this past weekend, Aug. 8 to 10, to Métis from all over Alberta as they came together for their annual general meeting and youth conference.
Aug. 20: Firefighters work to dispel fear before emergencies
It’s a hot summer day when Stettler and District Volunteer Fire Department lieutenant Steven Notman kneels on the asphalt in full gear, all so children under four years of age can get a close look and poke and prod at him.
Aug. 27: Clean, fresh water flows into Big Valley, Donalda
On Aug. 20, at the Shirley McClellan Regional Water Services Commission water transfer site, dignitaries from the province of Alberta, the County of Stettler, Town of Stettler, and villages of Big Valley and Donalda joined members of the commission for a ceremonial turning of the taps to mark the completion of the second and third stages of its water delivery Master Plan, which would see clean, potable water delivered to communities all through Stettler County and parts of the neighbouring counties of Lacombe and Camrose.
Sept. 3: Back to school in Erskine
The halls of Erskine School, west of Stettler, were loud with the sound of children’s voices and banging lockers as students came in from recess before their lunch. For the past five or so years, the school has been having recess before lunch, a project that lets kids run off some energy before eating.
Sept. 10: Inaugural Boomtown Music Festival has strong start
Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort north of Erskine was home this past weekend to the inaugural Boomtown Music Festival, a country-western/ bluegrass weekend of music performances.
Sept. 17: Skating’s great at new Stettler park
At three-and-a-half years old, Skyler Grams is just a beginner on the board, but he was as excited as anyone to try out Stettler’s new skate park.
Skyler and his father, Chad, were part of the crowd of skaters that came by to check out the park at its unofficial opening in West Stettler Park on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Sept. 24: A place of their own, at last
First they got a new playground, and then they got to see their principal and vice-principal get hit in the face with pies. Altogether, it was a great day for the 450 students of Stettler Elementary School.
Oct. 1: A crack and a whack at Stettler PAC
Stettler’s Kimberlee Stadelmann and the Accidental Humour Co. brought their latest creation to a hometown crowd last week at the Performing Arts Centre.
Oct. 8: Food bank’s bare shelves filled to brim
Sirens ringing and lights flashing, Stettler Regional Fire and Rescue prowled up and down Stettler’s streets collecting food for the annual fall food drive for the Stettler Food Bank.
Oct. 15; Superintendent to review issues with Stettler schools
The staff, students and parents of Stettler’s public schools will soon have the chance to have their say on the issues facing those schools and what could be done to address them.
Oct. 22: Some pig! Principals pucker up in porcine prank
Two staff members at Stettler Elementary School got up close and personal with a young piglet last week to reward students for raising more than $15,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
Oct. 29: Gala event kicks off $1-million campaign
Each story was different, but the message was the same: it’s sometimes hard to appreciate what we’ve got until we really need it. The stories served to illustrate why a crowd of close to 200 had gathered for a gala event at the Stettler Community Hall on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Nov. 5: Geddes family bringing movies back to town
Stettler’s silver screen will soon be aglow once again, thanks to a local family that hopes to have the Jewel Theatre back up and running by the end of November.
Nov. 12: Grade 11 class examines Canada at war
The students’ projects were on display at William E. Hay Composite High School on Tuesday, Nov. 4, where they were viewed by their peers and other guests, including members of the local Royal Canadian Legion branch.
Nov. 19: Taming the Dragons: Grade 2 Stettler student a hit on CBC-TV show
It took Mya Prehn mere minutes to win the hearts of the five investors on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The seven-year-old Grade 2 student from Stettler — an entrepreneur in her spare time —became the youngest guest in the show’s history with her appearance, taped in March and aired on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Nov. 26: Kitchen fire closes Stettler restaurant
The quick thinking of the owner of the White Goose Restaurant at the sight of smoke coming from the kitchen door saw firefighters on scene within minutes, likely saving the restaurant thousands of dollars in damages.
Dec. 3: Festival of lights shines through cold, snowy weather
When the heavy snow began to fall on Thursday, event organizers at Stettler’s annual Festival of Lights felt a twinge of worry — but despite the scary roads and cold weather, people still made it out to events on Thursday, Nov. 27.
Dec. 10: Holiday checkstop raises more than $7K
Members of the community opened their wallets big time this past weekend for the annual emergency services charity check-stop on Highway 12, as the volunteers brought in more than $7,000 in donations.
Dec. 17: Local teen collecting gifts for Edmonton hospital patients
A local teenager is encouraging Stettler residents to share the joy of Christmas with patients at Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Jordan Church, 16, began a campaign this month to collect donations of toys and other gifts for patients at Stollery, inspired by the children and teens she met there on her recent stays at the hospital.
Dec. 24: He made his list — and these kids were on it
Many kids dream of flying to the North Pole, dropping in on Santa’s house and visiting the old man himself, surrounded by toys, cookies and other sweet treats. For a group of Stettler kids, that dream came true over the weekend.