New frequency signals welcome change for Victory FM

Jason Kerr
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New frequency signals welcome change for Victory FM

It’s been a time of change for Victory FM, and the local Christian radio station isn’t done yet.

In 2016, the station expanded their operations to include a second transmitter, allowing the to broadcast on a second frequency, and now they’re looking to increase local content too.

Art Pederson, a volunteer and board member with Victory FM, said the improvements will give the station a greater reach in the community, and that’s something they’re looking to make the most of.

“It increases our listening audience for sure,” Pederson said. “There are a lot of church people that are in the nursing homes who have a radio by their beds, and they can listen to us now.”

Originally launched in 2008, Victory FM broadcast for years on FM frequency 100.1. However, the residents in Prince Albert struggled to receive clear transmissions when they weren’t in their vehicles. Residents in cars did receive better reception, although traffic lights in the city often caused interference.

After a fundraising campaign several years ago, a new transmitter has been set up to broadcast on 107.1 FM and the station is coming in clearer than ever.

For the rest of this story, please see the Feb. 2 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Increasing fines for changing times

Jason Kerr
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Increasing fines for changing times

Residents who leave their cars parked with the engine running could soon be facing a steep increase in fines.

On Monday, city councillors began debating a new bylaw amendment that would see residents fined $300 if they leave their car running without locking it. The fine would be reduced to $150 if paid early.

The new law is designed to help crack down on the number of car thefts in the city, which Prince Albert police say has increased this year.

“It’s something we can stop and stop quickly, so that’s why we’re going to take action,” Mayor Greg Dionne said during an interview on Tuesday. “It’s a dangerous practice.”

According to a report presented at Monday’s executive committee meeting, Police have noticed an overall trend where vehicles are stolen while unlocked and idling on the street. Between Jan. 20 and Jan. 22, a total of five such thefts occurred.

The report notes that tracking down these stolen vehicles is “taking up a significant amount of police resources each time they need to investigate a vehicle theft.”

For the rest of this story, please see the Feb. 1 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Ball rolling on Country Residential rates

Jason Kerr
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The wheels are starting to turn on a process to bring country residential tax rates to residents living north of the North Saskatchewan River.

On Jan. 23, city councilors commissioned the Financial Services and the Planning and Development departments to bring a report about the implementation of a Country Residential Tax Rate for all properties north of the river, excluding Hazeldell.

This isn’t the first time city council has considered the prospect of implementing the rate, and Mayor Greg Dionne said it was long past time they gave the proposal serious consideration.

“People are looking for acreages. They want to build acreages, and one of the hindrances is the tax model on the other side,” Dionne said. “When you go just a kilometre further and you’re in the R.M. of Buckland, your taxes decrease by a third.”

To read the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 28 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Discount deal back on the table

Jason Kerr
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Discount deal back on the table

The City of Prince Albert will continue a land sale discount incentive in hopes of boosting local development.

In January 2016, the city implemented a plan to help boost new housing starts, which were down two years in a row. In total, nine properties were sold out of 45 put up for sale at a discount as part of the incentive.

On Monday, Jan. 23, city councilors voted to extend the plan into February and March with the goal of further expanding growth.

“We were hoping that the economics of our society would turn around in 2016, but it’s actually worsened,” Mayor Greg Dionne said. “We have some contractors laying off staff, we have service industries laying off staff because there’s no work, so we’re concerned.”

In 2015, the city sold only two lots for development. They expected to sell more than nine in 2016, but Dionne said he was simply happy to see an increase. Out of the nine lots purchased last year, eight have already received building permits from the city.

To read the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 28 online or print editions of the Daily Herald.

Preparation year ahead

Jason Kerr
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Preparation year ahead

With Prince Albert slated host of series of provincial, national and international events in 2018, Mayor Greg Dionne says 2017 with be year of preparation.

Dionne made the comments after he his State of the City address at the Art Hauser Centre’s Ches Lounge on Thursday.

The list of events scheduled for next year includes the 2018 Junior Men’s World Softball Championships, and Hoopla, the Senior Boy’s high school provincial basketball championship.

Dionne said the events were a positive sign for the community, but said hosting them would require another round of repairs and upgrades.

“We’re probably going to do more work than ever, because in 2018 we’re going to have all these events,” he explained.

Sports infrastructure improvements, like Project Triple Play, will continue to be a major focus over the next year, but will upgrades to the city’s roadways and transit system.

Dionne vowed the city would continue with its $4 million paving program, during which 261 blocks have been upgraded over four years.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 27 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

From mills to medicine

Jason Kerr
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From mills to medicine

Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce CEO Larry Fladager wants to see the city focus on what it does best instead of chasing big industries.

The issue of attracting big businesses was one of several brought up after Mayor Greg Dionne’s State of the City address on Thursday.

In response to a question from the audience, Dionne said he wants to see the city focus on attracting several smaller businesses instead of one large one.

It’s a stance Fladager wants to see more of heading into the future.

“This community is really redefining itself in terms of the retail service sector,” Fladager said during an interview after the address. “We have lots of professional services, we have a large health region here, we have lots on the retail side, doctors, lawyers, etc.”

Fladager said it’s great if you can convince big industries to set up shop, but that’s a tough task to follow through on. Many companies, he explained, don’t consult with local organizations before deciding where to expand.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 27 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Pipeline approval brings benefits and concerns

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert’s right-leaning federal and provincial representatives say they’re pleased with a recent executive order from newly inaugurated President Donald Trump that officially jumpstarts the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects.

Trump signed the executive orders on Tuesday, according to a report from Reuters, which breathed new life into the project that was rejected by the Obama administration in 2015.

On Tuesday, Prince Albert conservative MP Randy Hoback called the decision a positive one, and expressed relief that the project was moving forward.

“We’d heard rumours of this ever since the election, and ever since President Trump was elected, that he was going to approve Keystone,” he said. “It’s nice to see the executive orders are now signed.”

Although the White House never released an official press briefing, Trump confirmed the decision with a tweet from his twitter account.

Hoback said he expects there will be a few minor issues left to resolve, especially in Nebraska where landowners fought off an unsuccessful lawsuit from pipeline constructors TransCanada. However, he said the biggest impediment to construction was now in the past.

“From what I understand, all the permits, all the processes that TransCanada had to go through have been met and are still in place,” Hoback explained. “There are no issues from what I can see as far as negotiations with the government or anything like that. The only issue I see is down in the states, in Nebraska.”

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 25 online or print edition of the Daily Herald

Savings for seniors

Jason Kerr
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Savings for seniors

Seniors is Prince Albert will have a little more cash to spend after city council voted to reduce the cost of monthly senior transportation passes during their meeting on Tuesday.

The motion, which passed unanimously, will see rates for seniors cut in half, down from $52.50 to $25. The changes will come into effect on Feb. 20, and will be offered to residents ages 60 and over.

Ward 7 Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky brought the motion forward on Monday. He said the decision was a positive step toward creating an age-friendly city.

“It’s (about) respect for that group of citizens,” he said during the council meeting.

Nowoselsky said many seniors in Prince Albert either cannot afford a vehicle or have health troubles which prevent them from driving. The bus pass is designed to help eliminate mobility issues, while potentially increasing ridership.

“I have no hesitation that if I was going to spend extra tax dollars, it would be to support and respect those 60 and over seniors today, and I think we’re going to have an enhanced use of (the city bus service,)” Nowoselsky explained.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 25 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Safety and security

Jason Kerr
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Safety and security

Ward 3 residents raise concern about everything from bylaw infractions to gang activity at neighbourhood meeting

A familiar topic reared it’s head again on Thursday as residents from across Ward 3 gathered for the city’s third neighbourhood meeting of the year.

Numerous attendees raised questions about crime levels in the area, a concern that included every from bylaw infractions to sex working and gang activity.

Prince Albert police chief Troy Cooper, who has attended all neighbourhood meetings so far, said they work hard to have a visible presence in the ward, but officers can’t be everywhere at once.

“We do have limited resources,” Cooper said during a question and answer session. “The world has finite resources, and we do the best we can with them.”

While a number of residents brought up problems with poorly maintained rental properties, the most serious concerns were related to prostitution and gangs.

One resident, who declined to give her name, said it wasn’t uncommon to run into gang members while out walking, and prostitution activity was becoming so common her neighbours were being propositioned on their front steps.

She commended the police for arriving on scene as quickly as possible, but said they’re often too late to do anything. She’d like to see a more efficient approach to the problem.

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 21 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald

Putting plans into action

Jason Kerr
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Putting plans into action

City planners say they’re pleased with the feedback they received at their Dec. 1 housing consultation, and that’s allowed them to begin the next step in developing a housing strategy.

The city plans to hold their second such consultation on Jan. 26, which ideally will help them form short, medium and long term housing plans.

City of Prince Albert planning manager Craig Guidinger said they’re looking at a number of policy changes around housing development and zoning bylaws, but they want more public communication before they move forward.

“The intention of the second open house is to gather all those comments and identify a dozen or so strategies, inform the public about what those strategies are and how we intend to move ahead with them.”

Guidinger said there is a genuine interest in housing in Prince Albert, and that’s reflected in the turnout. More than 100 people attended the December consultation at Gateway Mall, with roughly 60 completing the city’s housing survey.

For the rest of this story, please see the online or print editions of the Daily Herald.

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