Community
Westerner Days Fair & Exposition Set To Kick-Off Tomorrow!

Local business, non-profits and community members unite together in partnership with Central Alberta’s largest summer celebration by hosting off-site events, submitting for Best Dressed Business and partaking in our Parade. These events are a great way to come together in celebration and get involved by raising your organization’s profile in the community!
Westerner Days Fair & Exposition kicks off the celebration with our annual Parade, presented by Holiday Inn & Suites. Over 30,000 people line the streets to enjoy the colourful marching bands, dignitaries, floats, collector vehicles, lights and other livestock entries as they meander through the heart of Red Deer on Wednesday, July 19 at 9:30 am.
As people are busy filling the streets for our Parade, attending offsite events and more, we invite local businesses to come together in celebration and showcase their Westerner spirit. Decorate your business and let us know about it by submitting online at westernerdays.ca/bestdress for your chance to win Westerner Days admission passes for all of your staff!
Westerner Days is an annually attended event full of rides, food, friends and fun, but for many others the Fair is not a reality due to financial constraints. It is during events like Westerner Days where childhood memories are created that will last for years to come. Westerner Park with our sponsors, NOVA Chemicals along with their charity of choice, Family Services of Central Alberta and Stantec with their charity of choice, Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, continue to support the ‘We All Play’ program. This program provides complimentary admission passes and parking to Central Alberta families that may not otherwise have been able to enjoy our event.
We are pleased to continue our ‘Share the Fair’ program that is generously sponsored by Olymel. This program allows kids, regardless if they can physically attend our event or not, the opportunity to create those same memories. In partnership with Olymel, North American Midway Entertainment and some of our event entertainers will be visiting kids at the Red Deer Regional Hospital and Central Alberta Ronald McDonald House on Thursday, July 20. At this gathering, a few of the same shows that will be seen at Westerner Days are re-created for families and children to partake in the celebration.
Community
Red Deer family rocked by cancer diagnosis seeks support from the community

From the Facebook page of Nicole Maurier
From GoFundMe
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.
-
COVID-192 days ago
Jordan Peterson explains why Canadians should pay attention to the National Citizens Inquiry.
-
Alberta2 days ago
Three Hills RCMP charge man with sexual assault of four victims at Prairie College in Three Hills. Looking for more victims
-
Business1 day ago
CNN preaches patience as ratings tank during turnaround
-
COVID-1915 hours ago
Dr. John Campbell – The health researcher who’s been explaining the pandemic to millions
-
RCMP19 hours ago
Concerns raised over recommendation to phaseout RCMP police training Depot in Regina
-
Atlantic1 day ago
Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry identifies many RCMP failings, recommends overhaul
-
Alberta19 hours ago
UCP candidate, slammed for comments on pornography in schools, quits
-
Alberta2 days ago
Province trumpets $105 million in new health spending for Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program