Community
The River Bend upgrades are officially open

(Red Deer, Alberta) – Residents came out to River Bend Golf and Recreation Area to try out cross country skiing and snowshoeing in celebration of the River Bend enhancements that were officially declared open today.
Over the past year, upgrades were completed at River Bend to meet technical requirements to host cross country skiing and biathlon during the 2019 Canada Winter Games. As part of the project, select trails were widened to better accommodate skate skiing, winter biking and other multi-trail uses resulting in improved recreational amenities for all residents. A stadium area for spectators was constructed as well as a media and timing cabin, and the biathlon range was renovated.
“As one of Red Deer’s most utilized parks, the modernizations made to the River Bend Golf and Recreation Area have already have demonstrated benefit for Red Deerians and Central Albertans who seek year-round recreational opportunities,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “We are also proud to welcome our country’s athletes and visitors to River Bend for cross country skiing and biathlon for provincial and national events.”
The biathlon range will be in action this weekend with the North American Cup, Western Canadian Championships and Calforex Biathlon Cup underway. Racing for biathlon occurs Saturday and Sunday and the public is welcome to attend.
More information is available at reddeer.ca/riverbend.
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Business
Business leaders decide it’s time to reduce the number of homeless in Red Deer

News release from the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce
Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce to form Task Force on Homelessness in Red Deer
The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be convening a Task Force of community and business leaders to address the issues of homelessness and identify actionable steps which can be taken to tackle this generational challenge in Red Deer.
“With the release of the City of Red Deer’s Point in Time (PIT) Report on homelessness last week we are very concerned and disappointed with the effectiveness of the strategies currently in place, and the urgency by which we need to turn this situation around within our city,” commented Scott Robinson CEO of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. “Clearly our current strategies are not enough, and we need to elevate the urgency by which we get things done to reduce the number of citizens who are without a place to live. The growing number of people who are homeless is not sustainable and is impacting on our sense of pride, safety and attractiveness of our city to business and industry.”
“We will share more about this Task Force and the next steps in the coming weeks. Time has run out to act with conviction, courage, and clarity. Our community and citizens deserve that from our community leaders, and we are ready to bring the business community and the urgency required to the table.”
Over the next 60 days, the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be reaching out to its business and social agency partners to build the Task Force on homelessness and establish a strategy to address the critical steps that need to be taken to reverse the trends and further our community’s vision as a vibrant and healthy city.
Matt Cassidy, Chamber Board President. remarked “Our Chamber is positioned to be the collaborative leader in connecting our business community, social agencies, and elected officials together, to find tangible progress on this complex issue. All businesses rely on the vibrancy of our community as they strive to be sustainable, innovative, or grow, and the results of the PIT Report indicate that we need to do much more. This task force will help hold our leaders accountable for the actionable progress needed and engage one another effectively.”
“In speaking with our membership, and those working closely with the vulnerable populations there are best practices and models for delivery that are successful in other parts of the world that we need to start implementing” says Robinson. In addition, we need to look at ways that our private sector can get more involved and bring their expertise and strategic thinking to the table. As a collaborative community we also need to ensure that governments at all levels are delivering on their promises of affordable housing and eliminating barriers to expediting these investments.
Established in 1894 the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan, collaborative business leader representing over 825 member businesses. As one of Red Deer’s oldest and most established membership organizations we are striving to build a vibrant community that fosters an environment where businesses can lead, be innovative, sustainable, and grow.
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