Budget shuffle for new grader
The municipality’s grader—its key instrument for snow removal—has broken down three times since the end of November, forcing the operations department to seek council approval to purchase of a new unit.
During the Dec. 16 meeting of council, Bruce Thompson, operations director, requested that council approve a reallocation of 2014 budget funds into next year’s capital budget, so the department will have adequate funds to purchase a new grader.
His request was unanimously approved.
That means that instead of purchasing a tandem truck this year and a new refuse truck next year, the municipality will purchase a grader in 2015, a refuse truck in 2016 and a tandem truck in 2017.
“A grader is an emergent item for us to purchase,” explained Thompson. “We’ve had two electrical failures with the unit and a structural one. It’s a 1997 unit that we acquired secondhand and it’s houred out at over 12,300 hours.”
Thompson said it’s possible that a new grader could arrive in Jasper before the end of the winter season.
While the municipality waits for a new tandem truck, Thompson said it can rent one when needed.
“The problem is where trucks are available, graders are not.
“In this region when everyone needs their grader, everyone needs it, there’s no borrowing, there’s no opportunity to share.”
2015 Oilers camp cancelled
The Edmonton Oilers prospects camp for 2015 won’t take place in Jasper, despite a three-year contract between the NHL hockey team and the municipality.
It was cancelled because there is a chance renovations to the Zamboni room in the the Jasper Arena might not be completed, which means arena staff can’t guarantee an adequate ice surface.
“It’s bittersweet in a sense,” said Yvonne McNabb, director of culture and recreation, during the Dec. 16 council meeting. “We know we’re going to be getting a new Zamboni and we’re all excited that that’s going to occur, but because of that we have to redo the Zamboni room.
“And we didn’t want to take the chance that we would not be up and running with hot water when the Oilers arrived and not be able to produce good ice for them, or any ice for them.”
McNabb said she doesn’t know what will become of the three-year contract, which started in 2014, but she assumes the team will be in Jasper in 2016.
“I do know that they liked it [here]; they enjoyed it and they wanted to come back,” she said.
Turkey dinner for all
With people from all over the world calling Jasper home during the holidays, the community is teaming with Christmas orphans who are great distances from their loved ones and the comforts of home.
To ensure everyone gets a proper Christmas dinner with turkey and all the fixings, the Jasper Food Bank and the local Teamsters Union have yet again joined forces to put on a free dinner at the Jasper Legion.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Dinner begins at 5 p.m. Christmas day.
