January 17: Dana and Dustin Neufeld of Hillcrest celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Emily Nichole on January 7th at the Crowsnest Pass Health Centre, making her the first baby born in Crowsnest Pass in 2012.
LINDSAY GOSS
Pass Herald Reporter
January 10th
Captain Dan Rossi of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds visits students at Isabelle Sellon School in Blairmore on Thursday, January 10th to discuss what it is like to fly for a living with the Snowbirds, all while promoting safety.
January 17th
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass was selected as a recipient of a $50,000 grant from the Province of Alberta’s FireSmart Community Grant program. The FireSmart Community Grant program allows provincial and municipal governments to work together to minimize the risk of wildfire to Albertans and their communities. The $50,000 was given for the intent of vegetation management, education and training purposes.
January 24th
Plummeting temperatures and a downpour of snow prompted the closure of Highway 3 through Crowsnest Pass. At 8:05 p.m., on Monday, January 16th, Alberta Transportation closed the Highway at the west end of Coleman causing a group of vehicles including transport trucks to line the roadways of the Pass until conditions improved and the Highway reopened.
January 31st
Close to 150 protesters from all over Alberta gathered near Beaver Mines on Sunday, January 22nd to show support for area residents who have been actively protesting clear-cut logging in the Castle Special Management Area since January 11th. Logging operations in the area started on Wednesday, February 1st.
February 7th
Four protesters who were rallying against clear-cut logging in the Beaver Mines area were arrested. The four had been protesting at the site for three weeks and were arrested for refusing to leave the site on the first day of logging.
February 14th
Crowsnest Pass Municipal Council voted unanimously at the Council meeting on Tuesday, February 7th to proceed with the Rum Runner Days and Thunder in the Valley festivities, after concerns were raised by the Rum Runner Days volunteer organizing committee regarding random camping and the safety of participants.
February 21st
The Lions Club ice fishing derby was cancelled on Monday, February 20th due to low membership. 2012 would have been the sixth year of the ice fishing derby, but Lee Lake, the location where the derby was formerly held was short about 200 people and the event was called off.
February 28th
The Crowsnest Historical Society announced on February 15th its decision to close the Crowsnest Museum due to an unstable financial situation. The verdict was made after several key grant applications were not approved, shrinking the museums bank account to a critical minimum.
March 6th
The highly anticipated report from the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) regarding patient wait times and physician intimidation was released, confirming allegations made by several Alberta health care professionals. The report stated that emergent, acute and palliative care patients are waiting too long for hospital beds and physicians who advocate for their patients are being silenced and threatened with legal action by health region officials. Crowsnest Pass physician Dr. Allan Garbutt, who sat down with HQCA panel last fall for a 90-minute interview regarding his personal experiences with stonewalling and intimidation resulting from advocating for the Crowsnest Pass Health Centre to receive a specialized C-arm x-ray machine, as well as receiving a letter threatening legal action after being quoted in a Lethbridge Herald article on remarks critical of the health region’s handling of primary care networks, said he was not at all surprised by the report’s findings.
