Update Dec. 29

The hail and wind storm of August 10 in Springbrook has gotten some national attention in the last day or two as a result of Environment Canada releasing its Top 10 National Weather stories of the year. The storm, grouped in with other hail storms and tornadoes that hit Western Canada this past summer, was listed as No. 5.

The most destructive of the 221 record-setting storms was the 30 km long, 12 km wide hail storm that hit Spruce View and Markerville first and headed east to Springbrook ending up just east of Gasoline Alley south of Red Deer. Virtually every building in Springbrook sustained some damage.

Five months later, roughly 80% of the repairs have been completed. It will be well into spring before the project is completed. Delays have been experienced due to the high work load and strain on available tradespeople, first with adjusters, then the insurance companies, contractors and workers.

Once completed however, with most homes requiring new shingles and siding, the community will look brand new. We won't really know until spring as to how the trees fared.

The news articles and pictures related to the storm can be found at www.springbrookwaskasoo.com/news0608storm.htm with additional pictures at www.springbrookwaskasoo.com/stormpix.htm

Update Aug. 13

The big event here in the last few days was the major hail storm that swept through Springbrook on Thursday afternoon creating damage like I've never seen. For about 10-15 minutes, hail the size of tennis balls in winds that gusted up around 125 km./hr. pounded the community, shredding vinyl siding, damaging roofs, blowing out windows in houses and vehicles, stripping trees of their leaves, pulverizing gardens, damaging aircraft, downing trees and branches, downing or fraying power lines, flooding houses and creating drifts of ice several inches thick.

Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt. Three cadets in training received minor injuries from broken glass or slipping on stairs when almost all the windows on the west side of their dormitories blew in.

It was mostly the older windows that got broken -- most new windows withstood the onslaught. And most of the damage was to the northwest side of residents' homes. The opposite sides generally had no damage whatsoever except for damage from branches or shingles blowing in the wind. Some vehicles received extensive damage, others had no damage at all. Some gardens, shrubs and trees that were somewhat sheltered had very little damage.

In the homes that the windows did blow in, glass, hail and water did considerable damage. Most people couldn't believe what they saw. Debris from trees, shingles and siding was scattered everywhere. There was a certain eerieness seeing the siding ripped off house after house after house. It was something that could not be described easily -- most people had to actually see it to appreciate the force of nature that was at work here.

Environment Canada called it a "straight line wind event" that could actually do more damage than a tornado and over a wider area. Through it all, however, no serious structural damage was done. It will just be a matter of repairing the roofs, siding, windows and landscaping for most people. For a few, significant interior damage will need to be repaired.

But because it affected so many residences, damage will be in the millions. Insurance adjusters are still tallying it up but it is expected to be one of the biggest insurance claims in recent memory in Central Alberta. And getting the repairs may not be easy either. Because of the construction boom and the shortage of skilled labour, it may be difficult finding contractors to do the repairs.

More news and photos of the storm can be found at www.SpringbrookWaskasoo.com/news.htm

There are some other recent developments in the area which I'll cover soon but, in the meantime, most of it is covered on the website.

Update June 4

Another really long stretch before updating and a lot has happened since my last update. Again I apologize if you're trying to keep up to date on what's happening in the community and on the Springbrook Waskasoo website.

The infrastructure rehabilitation project that was supposed to have started in May has been significantly delayed. Only one contractor bid on the project and the bid came in about 60% over budget. The County has decided to cut the project into smaller projects and try retendering in the fall. Meanwhile the new fire hall is almost completed and will be functional soon.

The Springbrook Gasoline Alley Area Structure Plan has been delayed along with other plans that the County has on the fringe of Red Deer as the City has decided to dispute virtually all County initiatives close to the City boundary until the annexation issue is settled. The Intermunicipal Committee has met several times with very little progress so it has now gone to mediation.

Our other netMagazine 'Focus on the Red Deer Region' has progressed very well. It now has over 95 pages and is currently getting over 100 hits a day. With so much information on the site and growing, I've spent the last several weeks reorganizing it to make it easier to use. I've also given it a new look and colour scheme to avoid confusion with other sites. In addition, I bought a digital camera and am in the process of taking hundreds of pictures. Virtually all the pictures on the site will eventually be ones I've taken myself to avoid any potential future problems with copyright. I will also be creating my own maps but I will have to get a lot better at the software to do it.

I'm going to be reorganizing the Springbrook Waskasoo site over the next few weeks and adding more information. You will soon notice a major change to the home page.

Hope to have updates sooner next time.

Update Feb. 2

It's been awhile since my last post and I apologize if you have been wondering what happened. Several projects have kept me quite busy over the last couple of months. More on the biggest of those projects at the bottom of this update.

Many initiatives by Red Deer County will be affecting the Springbrook Waskasoo community for many years. This year and next, the County is spending over $10 million to upgrade the water, sewer and road infrastructure. This of course will mean some disruption of services and access to property but the County assures us that those inconveniences will last only a few hours at a time. It will mean however, changing routes to get around the construction and putting up with some mud if it rains. The residential area will be done this year with second paving next year and the old barracks area will be done next year. The current water and sewer pipes are up to 50 years old and if the major upgrading is not done, repairs and subsequent disruption will increasingly occur.

On January 31, Red Deer County council gave first reading to the Springbrook Gasoline Alley Area Structure Plan. It provides for the Springbrook community expanding from the current 1,000 people to 5-8,000. Another community just west of Gasoline Alley is expected to also develop in time to a community of 5-8,000. Long term, another community is proposed to be built just west of Highway QE2 and Red Deer at C & E Trail (32 St.) around the County building and near where a high speed rail station could be built if that project goes ahead.

In Springbrook, a town centre with a blend of commercial and residential and a new road, tentatively called 'Mynarski Boulevard', is proposed for the not-too-distant future as residential development occurs east and north over the next few years. Light industrial is encouraged around the airport and a large area is reserved south of the community for future institutional (schools, sports fields, community centre, etc.) and ecological reserve (park, trails, campground, etc.). A new road with an adjacent trail will be built on the west side of Highway 2A and the CPR north to the C & E Trail. A public meeting will be held soon in Springbrook for residents to comment. Maps and a summary of the plan can be found at the Springbrook-Waskasoo Life web site.

Another initiative of the County is the adoption of the Corporate Strategic Plan, a major four-part document that will guide development in the County over the next 20 to 25 years. The Growth Management Strategy and the Economic Growth Strategy were both unanimously adopted by resolution and first reading passed on the revised Municipal Development Plan and the Land Use By-law, a document less than a third the size of the previous LUB. The documents recommend residential growth in existing and new hamlets, industrial development in areas that don't conflict with other uses close to good transportation and the preservation of agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas. Public meetings will be held for residents to comment on the Municipal Development Plan and the Land Use By-law.

The County is also undergoing a restructuring of its boundaries for electing councillors. The rapid past and future growth of the Springbrook Waskasoo area, combined with the necessity of reducing the number of divisions to six from seven, is necessitating the restructure. Public meetings will be held on this initiative as well.

The major project I've been working on over the past several weeks is another netMagazine similar to, but many more pages, Springbrook-Waskasoo Life. It's called 'Focus on the Red Deer Region'. It provides comprehensive information to residents, visitors, investors and researchers about the many features of the area within an hour's drive of Red Deer (including, of course Springbrook, and the towns of Sylvan Lake, Lacombe, Innisfail, Stettler, Rocky Mountain House, Blackfalds, Olds, Ponoka and others). The booming economy, the rich history, the spectacular attractions, the varied culture and central location have made the Red Deer Region one of the great focal points of North America. The site already has about 55 pages of information and will have at least another 20 before it's filled out to the point I want it.

Update Nov. 26

A new netMagazine by AbundanceNet, publisher of Springbrook-Waskasoo Life, will be launched Dec. 1. It's called Focus on the Red Deer Region and will feature information on the economy, tourism, history, recreation and transportation of the area. Although it will compliment the region covered by the 3C Partnership (City of Red Deer, County of Red Deer and Chamber of Commerce), it will also focus on topics and communities not within the boundary of that project.

The new fire hall is now taking shape and should be functional by late spring.

The Springbrook-Penhold Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail, is one step closer to being built. A steering committee for the project will meet in January to discuss funding, grants, partnerships and other issues involved in getting a project like this going. The plan is to build the 3 km. trail parallel with the railway on the old Hwy. 2A right of way. It will tentatively be 8 feet wide, possibly paved, and used primarily for walking, roller blading and bicycling.

The provincial government is taking a fresh look at high speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton. All three possible routes, if a such a project is built, will run fairly close to Springbrook.

Update Oct. 31

There are several new additions to the Springbrook-Waskasoo Life website since the last update. Both the proposed Springbrook and Gasoline Alley Area Structure Plans are on the site. A new street map of Springbrook and a map showing the area that is part of the Waskasoo Recreation and Culture Board is also there.

A new feature article revealing the history and the many projects initiated by the Springbrook Community Association is now online. There is also a roster of all the members of the Board of Directors since the Association began. The Association is looking for feedback from the community on what is needed as future projects.

Upcoming projects include a history and projects of the Waskasoo Recreation Board and more on the history of the Calgary Edmonton Trail and the airport. If anyone has any special information on any of the following topics, I would be glad to hear from you: the cadet training camp, Anderson of Craigmyle School, the Red Deer International Airshow and the early settlers of the area between Penhold and Red Deer around the Calgary Edmonton Trail or Railway.

The Penhold Lions Club is considering taking on the project of building the Trans Canada Trail between Penhold and Springbrook. A meeting of interested parties is scheduled for next week.

The construction of the new fire hall is well under way and the Landing Zone Bar and Grill is now open. A new industry manufacturing lubricants from canola oil announced its intention to start construction in the spring.

Update Sept. 23

Springbrook, Alberta is now 10 years old as a hamlet, and in spite of inclement weather, the community held a successful family celebration in the theatre of the Bear Training Centre on Sept. 10.

The final draft of the Springbrook Gasoline Alley Area Structure Plan was revealed to County residents at a Harvest Fair Sept. 17 in anticipation of a population increase of 8,000 over the next 10 years in the area between Red Deer and Penhold, the Red Deer River and Highway QE2. A town centre, new arterial roads, an elementary school, regional high school, sports fields, a possible police training academy and new access roads and trails are all provided for in the plan. There is even a possibility of high speed rail going through the area. Another 'town centre' is envisioned just west of Gasoline Alley near Waskasoo Creek as population increases in that area as well.