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Red Deer Polytechnic’s Jenica Swartz named ACAC Indoor Track Runner of the Year

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Jenica Swartz named Indoor Track Runner of the Year, Ethan Duret picks up an All-Conference Award

Red Deer Polytechnic and the Athletics department are pleased to recognize Jenica Swartz of the Queens Indoor Track Team as the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Female Runner of the Year and Ethan Duret of the Kings Indoor Track Team as he was named an ACAC All-Star.

Swartz was a crucial part of the Queens team winning their first-ever championship title in Indoor Track. Duret picked up multiple top-five finishes on the men’s side at the ACAC championship.

Jenica Swartz (Queens Runner)

What a year it was for Jenica Swartz. It all started way back in August when she started training with the Queens Soccer and Cross-Country team. She was able to earn a gold medal in soccer and a bronze medal on the same weekend at the ACAC Soccer and Cross-Country Championship. Capping off the 2022 season, Swartz competed for the soccer team at nationals before flying to Medicine Hat for cross-country nationals where she ran the 6 km race that same morning and placed fourth. A few months later, she would help the Queens win the first-ever championship in program history in Indoor Track after picking up three individual golds, one silver and first place in both the relay events at the ACAC Championship held in Edmonton at the Butterdome this past weekend.

Head Coach Douglas Spicer explained that Swartz is an outstanding athlete and teammate.

“She leads by example in her training and competing in both cross-country and indoor track, along with being an integral part of the Queens Soccer program. It was a great pleasure working with Jen this year and watching her dominate the competition in her quiet, humble way.”

Last season, Swartz broke her ankle and she had to have pins put in to repair the damage. Between the 2022/2023 cross-country and indoor track seasons, she had the pins removed and in the end, she came out on top in the 300m, 600m and 1000m events at the championship.

Swartz is a second-year student-athlete at Red Deer Polytechnic and is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Pre-Med program. She was also named to the All-Conference team.

Ethan Duret (Kings Runner)

Ethan Duret is a second-year student-athlete with the Kings Indoor Track and Cross-Country team. He is from Red Deer and went to high school at Notre Dame Ecole Secondaire where he ran for their cross-country and track team before moving over to the Polytechnic. He is a five-foot-nine runner and is enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program.

Earlier in the Indoor Track season at the Grand Prix hosted by Red Deer Polytechnic, Duret earned himself two first-place finishes and a gold and bronze medal in both relay events. At the Championships, it was a much different story, Duret could not find the podium in the individual events but helped his team to a bronze finish in the 4x200m relay. He ended his weekend with two fifth-place finishes in the 300m dash and 600m run.

Spicer said he is a terrific athlete who is well-suited for indoor track, as he has natural speed, along with the endurance that he developed during the cross-country season.

“Although he did not finish in the top five in cross-country, he trained hard and developed a solid aerobic base which we refined during indoor track. This added more speed and endurance which suited his 600m and 1000m races in particular. Ethan is a goal-setter who asks a lot of himself and works hard to achieve his goals.”

Duret will also be graduating from the program following the end of the academic year.

Education

Support a young reader through the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign

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Smile Cookies are coming to a Tim Hortons near you!

We know you missed those delicious chocolate chip cookies with the big blue eyes and bright pink smiles! And we are so thankful Tim Hortons is bringing its Smile Cookie campaign back next week!

Helping struggling students become readers of potential is exactly what local Tim Hortons stores want as proceeds for its Smile Cookie campaign, which runs April 29 – May 5, will be directed to Reading College, a project of the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools.

“We set up this amazing and fun summer program for kids in Grade 2 where they learn to love reading, and gain the skills to continue their growth as learners. Reading is the foundation for success in school and life. If we can help further develop their skills and instill a love for reading, it creates a lifetime of difference for that child. It will make a difference for them, make a difference for their families and make a difference in their life experiences. That’s the beauty of Reading College,” said Superintendent of Schools, Chad Erickson. “Last year, we had 67 graduates of the Reading College program who were incredibly engaged and able to excel and improve their reading abilities over the month of July, setting them up for further success.”

“The Smile Cookie Campaign is a great opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of literacy. It really does create life chances for students. Reading College is made possible through great support from our community and Tim Hortons – we could not operate it without this support,” said Kristine Plastow, Foundation Board Chair. “I encourage the community to get out there and buy their cookies next week!”

From April 29 – May 5, Tim Hortons restaurant owners in Red Deer will generously donate proceeds from sales of a special smiling chocolate chunk cookie to support the Reading College program through The Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools. The $1.50 treat helps community programs across Canada in the cities where they are sold. This year, 10% of funds raised from Smile Cookies will support the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, of which more than 100 students from Red Deer Public Schools will attend.

Join us for Smile Cookie Day May 4

“We invite the community to join us for our Smile Cookie Day on May 4 at the Tim Hortons on Thomlison Avenue in Red Deer,” said Plastow. “We have partnered with the Red Deer RCMP, Emergency Services and the Alberta Sheriffs. Come and sit in a firetruck or police car, meet local emergency responders and buy a delicious Smile Cookie, while supporting a great cause!”

“We are excited to bring back the Smile Cookie campaign this spring. On behalf of all Tim Hortons’ restaurant owners and team members in Red Deer, I would like to thank our fantastic guests for their loyalty, generosity and support of the campaign,” said Tanya Doucette, Tim Hortons Restaurant Owner in Red Deer. “We are thrilled to support The Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools and their Reading College program. With funds raised we are helping students learn to read, which will ultimately help set them up for a lifetime of success. During Smile Cookie Week, we welcome all Red Deerians to buy a delicious freshly-baked Smile Cookie in support of a great cause, which helps benefit children in our community.”

Help us promote the campaign by ‘liking’ Red Deer Public Schools on Facebook and ‘following’ us on Twitter, both under @rdpschools. You can also find us on Instagram @reddeerpublicschools.

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2024 City Councilor By-Election

Chad Krahn wins City Council by-election: Official results Friday

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Unofficial 2024 By-Election Results

With 100% voting stations reporting, Red Deerians have elected a new City Councillor during The City’s first ever by-election.

Unofficial results of the 2024 Municipal By-Election are as follows:

Councillor for The City of Red Deer Number of positions to be filled: 1

Candidate Votes
1 BUCHANAN, S.H. (Buck) 479
2 CHILIBECK, Jason 287
3 COLLINGS, Mark 115
4 CULLEN-SAIK, Linda 296
5 HUIZING, Hans 381
6 KRAHN, Chad 2512
7 MACDONALD, Ashley 165
8 MILANEY, Liam (The Level) 29
9 TWEEDLE, Jaelene 2355
10 YZERMAN, Calvin 183

Official election results for the Municipal By-Election will be announced by noon on Friday, April 26, 2024.

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