January
Town looks into buying Bergen Rocks
Town of Sundre officials were looking into the feasibility of purchasing the Bergen Rocks sculpture collection created by artists from around the world for a town attraction.
The collection included 19 sculptures worth anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 a piece.
New Year's baby arrives
Proud parents Terran and Chantal Meston welcomed Victoria Anne-Marie, Sundre's New Year's baby 2013, on Jan. 1.
Victoria arrived at 6:31 a.m. Chantal was scheduled to be induced on Jan. 6.
Peacock on the loose roams town
A peacock on the lam in Sundre was lured into a cage and taken to the Medicine River Wildlife Centre.
It is reported that the peacock may have hopped in the back of a gravel truck that drove through town and then jumped out at the lights.
Council votes to keep pocket parks
Sundre council decided not to sell any of the seven pocket parks that had been heavily debated for a few months.
A public outcry caused the decision of council to keep the parks.
February
Council approves 2013 tax increase
Sundre council approved an operating budget for 2013 including a residential tax increase of 4.12 per cent.
This added an estimated $75 annual increase to the average homeowner's tax bill, in comparison to 2012.
Town sued over dog attack
The Town of Sundre was named in a $300,000 lawsuit launched by a woman severely injured in a pit bull dog attack in town.
The attack was in the Sundre Mobile Estates Park on Aug.18, 2012, causing severe injuries to Calgary resident Deanna Wolfe.
Facebook page against road closure
A Facebook page was created to express concerns about the proposed closure of the road adjacent to Sundre High School.
Sundre resident Joanna McKenzie created the Facebook page and her goal was to collect feedback from fellow users of the road and fight to keep it open.
March
Swing for charity reaches 8th annual
Thirteen teams from surrounding areas registered to participate in the 8th annual Swing for Charity.
The teams played in the snow and dressed according to the theme “call of the wild”.
The funds raised were donated to the Sundre Fire and Rescue Society, Nutrition for Learning, the Sundre Ladies Auxiliary and River Valley School.
Sundre hosts provincial hockey tourney
Sundre hosted the 2013 Investors Group Atom C provincials that crowned the hometown Atom A Huskies provincial champions.
The tournament attracted eight teams comprised of 171 players and 40 coaching staff to Sundre.
Mennear elected new chamber president
Marty Mennear was elected the new president of the Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce.
He has been involved with the chamber for 15 years and said gaining the top title was unexpected.
Sherry Tytkanych did not stand for re-election after serving several years as president.
April
Pharmacies rally against changes
Sundre's Pharmasave and Pharmachoice participated in a provincewide rally to create awareness of provincial grant cuts.
The two pharmacies closed their doors for two hours on April 11 and talked with residents about how the change to pharmacy products and services affects consumers.
Holocaust survivor visits Sundre
Dr. Eva Olsson, 88, presented at Sundre High School about her experience in the Holocaust.
She was born in Hungary and forced to endure six years of torture under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime when she was a teenager.
Community rallies to find missing dog
About 40 people participated in a search around town for an area resident's missing dog.
Owner Kim Taylor was offering a $1,000 reward for her lost chocolate lab Ryley, who went missing on Feb. 15 west of Sundre.
May
Hotel brings 80 rooms to Sundre
The Best Western Plus Mountainview Inn & Suites opened and brought Sundre's room complement up to 270.
The hotel joined seven other hotels in town and is the largest one yet, with 80 rooms.
Semi possible source of Sundre Contracting fire
A semi was believed to be the source of a fire that destroyed six semi trucks and damaged three buildings at Sundre Contracting Inc. on May 19.
Damage from the blaze was estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
Sundre councillors undergo access challenge
Sundre councillors said sidewalks needed to be fixed in town after experiencing first-hand the difficulties with pedestrian accessibility in town on May 23.
They participated in an accessibility challenge where they manoeuvred their way in wheelchairs from the town office to the Best Western.
June
MVSH denied grant for seniors' facility
Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) officials were denied a grant it applied for in February to build a new seniors' facility in Sundre.
The organization applied for Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) funding from the provincial government.
Sundre ‘dodges a bullet' in flood
The Red Deer River breached its banks on June 20 causing less flooding than was originally predicted.
A state of emergency was enacted for the municipality and the flooding was expected to exceed the level of flooding in 2005.
Evacuation orders were enforced on all east side residents, Greenwood Campground, River Valley School, Sundre High School and the Sundre hospital.
On the northeast side of town, 49 households were evacuated. Another 35 were evacuated on the southeast side of town, as was the entire riverside area including Tall Timber, which includes about 333 households on its own.
Rodeo postponed for first time in history
The Sundre Pro Rodeo was postponed for the first time in its history of 34 years because the town was under a state of emergency.
The tentative new dates were August 23, 24 and 25.
The Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce parade and Sobeys pancake breakfast were also postponed.
July
Redford visits Sundre
Alberta premier Alison Redford visited Sundre on July 12 to see first-hand how much the town suffered from overland flooding in June.
Redford visited Greenwood Campground to assess the damage and went to Foothills Lodge – along with George Vanderburg, associate minister of seniors – to chat with seniors about their evacuation experience.
She also paid a visit to the Sundre Fire Hall where she thanked first responders for their heroic efforts during the time of crisis.
Sundre businesses suffering from flood
A few Sundre businesses were dealing with losses as a result of overland flooding in June.
Otter Rafting, the Sundre Hotel and the Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort were some of the businesses that were forced to close their doors at some point.
Sundre hosts provincial golf championship
The Sun Life Financial Alberta Amateur golf championship was hosted in Sundre, with 19-year-old Riley Fleming winning for a second consecutive year.
Local golfers that competed in the event included Innisfail's Ron Harder, Olds' Jason Thiels and Sundre Golf Club's Dane Thorogood and Ryan Swelin.
Chamber eliminates VIC position
Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce officials eliminated the Visitor Information Centre manager position because of financial issues.
The centre was not open seven days a week through July because of the change.
August
Forget the fish, save the town
Sundre councillor Myron Thompson announced that $128,065.76 set aside from a provincial grant for the town to spend on fish mitigation should be spent on flood prevention.
The money is committed to providing habitat for fish in the Sundre area, as part of a $2.4-million provincial grant the town received last year for the Red Deer Riverbank Stabilization project.
Bulls & Wagons
The Sundre Rodeo Association held a successful 9th annual Bulls & Wagons event on August 9, 10 and 11.
There were 30 bull riders and close to 75 chariot and wagon competitors registered for the weekend.
Lines snipped at complex
Someone broke into a storage room at Prairie Creek Plaza and damaged the telecommunications system, which affected multiple businesses.
Police could not confirm if it was linked to the hundreds of compromised bankcards, which happened on the same day.
Pickering resigns from CAO position
Dean Pickering resigned from the position as the Town of Sundre's chief administrative officer on Aug. 16 due to medical reasons.
He held the position for 10 months.
Reduced entries for rodeo
The 34th annual Sundre Pro Rodeo only attracted about a third of the cowboys and cowgirls that were registered for June, after it was postponed for the first time in history as a result of overland flooding in June.
However, officials were happy with the turnout.
Sobeys annual pancake breakfast and the Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce's parade was hosted in conjunction with the rodeo.
September
Hundreds walk to spread suicide awareness
Karen Carrier, a Sundre resident who lost her 19-year-old son to suicide in January, gave an emotional testimony in front of nearly 200 people during a Call to Action event.
The ‘walk in memory, walk for hope' attracted hundreds of residents who walked through town on Sept. 10 with a goal to spread suicide awareness.
Neighbour's Day 2013
Sundre Petroleum Operators Group hosted its annual Neighbour's Day on Sept. 13, attracting thousands to town.
The theme was ‘My Backyard', which attracted 69 booths.
This year's event featured a meet-and-greet with a guest panel that included officials from the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Farmers' Advocate and the Petroleum Services Association of Canada.
Race for Sundre mayor and council
It was a race for Sundre mayor and council in the 2013 municipal election.
Two candidates, Annette Clews and Terry Leslie, declared they were running for mayor.
Seven candidates declared they were running for council, including Jodi Orr, Verna McFadden, Chris Vardas, Paul Isaac, Cheri Funke, Tony Jordan and Myron Thompson.
Pat Toone announced that she was retiring from council after 18 years.
Sundre hosts vehicle extrication challenge
The Sundre Fire Department made the top three in both the limited and unlimited challenges of the 2013 Alberta Regional Vehicle Extrication Competition hosted in town on Sept. 21.
Each challenge involved a simulated accident scene set up with a live patient that was to be extricated from the vehicle safely in 20 minutes.
Bylaw establishes $15,000 water connection fee
Sundre council passed a fee bylaw for the connection of municipal water and wastewater services in town during the council meeting on Sept. 16.
The bylaw establishes a connection fee of $15,000 for residential parcels and $25,000 for commercial.
October
Town applies for mediation with county
A disagreement between the Town of Sundre council and Mountain View County council on water and wastewater servicing sparked mediation.
Town officials felt the county owed more than what it offered for Sundre's east side servicing project.
Municipal Development Plan approved
After an eight-month-long process, the Town of Sundre's Municipal Development Plan was adopted.
It is a 20-year plan that includes new policies and direction for future development and transportation systems.
Leslie takes mayor's chair
Terry Leslie won the municipal election by 421 votes, taking over the mayor's chair for the next four years.
Jodi Orr and Verna McFadden were voted in to join Paul Isaac, Chris Vardas, Tony Jordan and Myron Thompson on council.
Cheri Funke was not re-elected.
Leslie received a total of 556 votes while Annette Clews received a total of 135 votes.
As for council, Isaac took the lead with 515 votes, Vardas wasn't far behind with 513 votes and Orr at 510 votes. Jordan received 481 votes, McFadden received 475 votes and Thompson received 388 votes.
Backyard hens denied
A total of 42 residents requested for Sundre council to allow the keeping of backyard hens in town.
Council denied the request.
Funding for seniors' facility granted
After a two-year battle of Sundre residents fighting for a new seniors' housing facility in town, the community's wish was granted.
The Alberta government agreed to provide $3.8 million towards a new facility, from the Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) grant.
George VanderBurg, associate minister of seniors, visited town to make the announcement.
Town submits flood claim
Town of Sundre officials submitted a claim for an estimated $451,000 to the provincial government for damage from the June flood.
The majority of the cost was to cover the damage that was caused to Greenwood Campground and the cost to run the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the town office around the clock for about three days.
November
Irvine awarded Alberta's top doc
Sundre's own Dr. Hal Irvine was awarded with Alberta's Family Physician of the Year.
The award was presented by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and was to be presented to Irvine at the Family Medicine Forum in Vancouver.
Arena operations status quo
A committee of council decided to keep operations at the Sundre Arena status quo.
Under council's direction, town officials explored several cost-saving measures for the arena over a few months in an attempt to get the arena out of a $93,933 deficit for 2013.
Several options were discussed, including contracting out the operations of the facility.
SHS drops arena program
Sundre High School officials cut the school's indoor arena program for the 2013-2014 year, instead opting for the less expensive outdoor ice.
“With reduced levels of funding that are happening, we need to ensure that our money is used as efficiently as possible,” said principal Jason Drent.
December
Sundre hits -40 record
Sundre broke a new record of – 40 degrees Celsius.
The last record was – 36.4 degrees Celsius in 2009.
A blizzard that came through town caused vehicles to get stuck in the snow, and event and transportation cancellations, but no reported motor vehicle collisions in town.
Council approves 3.17 per cent tax increase
Sundre council approved a 2014 operating budget of $9,133,789 that will increase residential taxes by 3.17 per cent and commercial taxes by 2.68 per cent compared to last year.
During the previous council meeting, council reduced the proposed budget by $70,350, in an effort to bring the proposed tax rate down by almost half.
Council hires new CAO
The Town of Sundre hired Dave Dubauskas as the permanent chief administrative officer.
His first day on the job was Dec. 9 and he has worked for the town in the past, twice as the interim CAO.
Dr. Irvine undergoes brain tumour treatment
Dr. Hal Irvine was in B.C. to receive his Alberta's Family Physician of the Year award when he suffered a seizure just prior to the ceremony.
After arriving at the hospital, doctors discovered it was a brain tumour.
He and his family are keeping positive.
