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City of Red Deer

What do you do if you find this?

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A Red Deer Resident was shocked and saddened to find a mess of needle debris on a popular walking trail Thursday afternoon.  Laura Anderson came upon this scene on the path system in her Bower neighbourhood about 2:30 Thursday.  She took a couple of photos so she could show her son what to look for and educate him on how dangerous needles are.  Laura says her 8 year old son uses this path virtually everyday.

If you find needles, there is a correct protocol to follow.   You can find this information posted on the City of Red Deer website….

Found Needles

Discarded needles are a problem for many cities, and Red Deer is no exception. The City acknowledges the work of community agencies who provide needles to intravenous drug users, but the collection of those used needles is a challenge. The City and a number of agencies are working on the issue.
Banner image for needle disposal guide

Read the Needle Disposal Guide here (pdf)

City crews regularly clean up needles to keep public places safe, and a process has been developed to help members of the public know what to do if they find a needle or other drug paraphernalia.

I found a needle. What do I do?

Always treat each needle as contaminated. You have a couple of options if you find one:

  1. I’m too nervous to pick it up or I am unequipped to pick it up.
    • Cover or mark the needle with an object.
    • Call 403-342-8238 for disposal.
  2. I’m willing and equipped to pick it up.
    • I have gloves, tongs or pliers, and a hard sharps container (or plastic bottle with lid).
      • Needle pickup kits are available at your nearest fire hall.
    • Put on latex, rubber or leather gloves. Use tongs or pliers to carefully pick up needle with tip pointed away from you.
    • Put sharps container on stable surface (do not hold it while putting needle inside). Put needle point down into the container and close lid.
    • Do NOT place container in garbage. Dispose of at nearest needle disposal location:
      • Fire stations 1 (4941 46 Street), 2 (5839 67 Street) & Headquarters (4340 32 Street) have 24-hour drop boxes
      • Many pharmacies accept needles
      • Turning Point (4611 50 Avenue)
      • Brown needle drop boxes located through parks and trails
    • Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer once you’re done

If you get pricked by a needle:

  • Flush the area with flowing water.
  • Wash the wound well with soap and warm water.
  • Seek medical attention for an assessment of the risk of infection and appropriate treatment.

 

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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City of Red Deer

Cindy Jefferies is Mayor. Tristin Brisbois, Cassandra Curtis, Jaelene Tweedle, and Adam Goodwin new Councillors – 2025 Red Deer General Election Results

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Showing official results for: Mayor of The City of Red Deer

# Candidate Name Votes Percentage
1 JEFFERIES, Cindy 6237 41%
2 SCOTT, Gareth 3483 23%
3 DOERKSEN, Victor 3143 20%
4 LEE, Lawrence 2215 14%
5 GALLAGHER, John 298 2%
Rejected Ballots 0 0%

Showing official results for: Councillor of The City of Red Deer

# Candidate Name Votes Percentage
1 BRISBOIS, Tristin 6703 7%
2 CURTIS, Cassandra 6422 7%
3 KRAHN, Chad 6249 7%
4 BARNSTABLE, Kraymer 6235 7%
5 WYNTJES, Dianne 6069 7%
6 TWEEDLE, Jaelene 5635 6%
7 GOODWIN, Adam 5290 6%
8 BURUMA, Bruce 5241 6%
9 GOULET-JONES, Calvin 5050 5%
10 HUIZING, Hans 4810 5%
11 BOUCHARD, Brandon 4528 5%
12 MACDONALD, Ashley Jason 3832 4%
13 BUCHANAN, Buck 3660 4%
14 MOHAMOUD, Zainab 3478 4%
15 SYPKES, Thomas 3459 4%
16 BECK, Gabriel 3370 4%
17 PARKS, Gail 2809 3%
18 YZERMAN, Calvin 2265 2%
19 WILE, Haley 1986 2%
20 COMÉTE, Christian 1843 2%
21 KLERKS, Kevin M. 1699 2%
22 ROBINSON, Don 1296 1%
23 MARTIN, Greg 656 1%
24 KLYWAK, Anthony 444 0%
Rejected Ballots 0 0%

Showing official results for: Trustee of the Red Deer Public School Division

# Candidate Name Votes Percentage
1 SOMMERS, Angela 3320 9%
2 BUCHANAN, Nicole 3180 9%
3 MACAULAY, Dianne 3119 8%
4 WATTERS, Jim 3038 8%
5 BAIRD SMITH, Emilee 2753 7%
6 DAVIES, Nathan 2749 7%
7 DALSTRA, Jason 2722 7%
8 CHRISTENSEN, Sheri 2701 7%
9 PARKER, Jenessa 2581 7%
10 PEACOCKE, Cathy 2573 7%
11 WILLIAMS, Danielle 2342 6%
12 ODISHAW, Shelley Lynn 2187 6%
13 SYMONS, Jessica 1881 5

Trustee of the Red Deer Catholic Separate School Division, Red Deer Area Ward

# Candidate Name Votes Percentage
1 ANDREW, Chris 2020 14%
2 MACDONALD, Brenda 1354 10%
3 REED, Martin (Marty) 1082 8%
4 LEYSON, Cynthia 1050 8%
5 HUBER, Emily 1037 7%
6 HOLLMAN, Murray 1036 7%
7 DONOVAN, Matthew 1021 7%
8 GROENEN, John 974 7%
9 STEEVES, Rod 921 7%
10 PASULA, Kim 911 7%
11 BECK, Gabriel 825 6%
12 HUNTER, Ashley 811 6%
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City of Red Deer

Plan Ahead: Voting May Take a Little Longer This Election Day

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News release from the City of Red Deer

Voters are encouraged to plan their vote and allow a little extra time at the polls this Election Day, Monday, October 20.

Because this year’s election uses Alberta’s new Permanent Elector Registry, voting may take slightly longer than in previous years. Municipalities are required to provide updated voter information back to the province after the election. As a result, many voters will be asked to complete an Elector Register Form (Form 13) at the voting station — even if they are already registered to vote. This ensures that voter information is accurate and up to date. Once the registry information has been updated, all forms are securely shredded.

Additionally, the Permanent Elector Registry is not shared with local school boards, so anyone voting for a School Board Trustee must also complete an Elector Register Form (Form 13).

We appreciate voters’ patience as our election teams work to ensure every eligible voter can cast their ballot accurately and securely. Once the voting process begins, most voters complete their vote in about 10 minutes.

To help avoid lineups, voters can visit Red Deer Elections website to check real-time wait times at each voting station and choose the location with the shortest line.

Anyone who arrives at a polling station and joins a line before 8 p.m. will be able to vote.

Thank you for your understanding and for taking the time to make your voice heard in Red Deer’s 2025 Municipal and School Board Election.

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