Paint Thrown on Truck During Night
Owner of this truck, Brett Trigg: “What a stupid thing to do” ©Provost News Photo.
‘People Are being Idiots’
The owner of a red show truck has “no idea” why someone would vandalize it by throwing greyish-blue paint on it Thursday night as it was parked across the street from the RCMP offices in Provost.
Print version of story in May 14 edition of The News.
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Support ‘Phenomenal’ But Camp Quality Leaving Area
Camp Quality Alberta is leaving the Provost area after five years of successful summer camp operations.
The camp was set up at Hills of Peace Campground south west of Provost to give a camping experience and a break to children with cancer.
New Camp Quality director Sheri Langen took over the camp’s operations last summer south of Capt. Ayre Lake.
She told The News in a telephone interview from Calgary that the camp’s move to Sylvan Lake is being done after research took place from October to the end of January. She says that the national board of Camp Quality in Toronto wanted to relocate the camp in Alberta for more growth and to where there would be a higher population and community support could be expanded to promote the organization better.
Langen says they had no problems at the camp over the years and acknowledged the supporters in the Provost and Wainwright areas and that the camp “would not have been in existence without them.” The move, she said was “strictly and purely” to advance the camp in scope. “Camp Quality appreciates every supporter in the community.”
Camp Quality is sending information to its supporters explaining its position. The letter being mailed in part states “In the past six months Camp Quality Alberta has done an extensive amount of research regarding pediatric oncology in Alberta, provincially organized programs, and how our organization best fits into the profile established by these programs to best serve the kids. It is important for the safety and well-being of the campers that Camp Quality Alberta meet the protocols set by the Canadian Cancer Society, Children’s Cancer Camp Guidelines (1996), Alberta Camping Association, and Children’s Oncology Camping Association International.
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This includes items such as the ‘risk management’ protocol for emergency response, requiring a major hospital or treatment centre to be within one hour by car, helicopter or air ambulance. Another guideline suggested is ‘accreditation’ meaning the program, as well as the facility should be accredited by the province’s camping association. And still another ‘affiliation’ where a camp must operate in formal association with a recognized pediatric oncology clinic, or have a formal association with a division of the Canadian Cancer Society. As Camp Quality Alberta had never met these and other guidelines in the past, the result was often negative publicity within the pediatric oncology community that directly impacted the growth and reputation of Camp Quality Alberta in this province.” Her letter also says that the Sylvan Lake “camp is within minutes of emergency response agencies and is less than one half hour from the Red Deer hospital. Children will continue to be bussed to the camp from several Alberta and Saskatchewan locations.”
Langen says that at the new location—Camp Kannawin, some activities will take place that can not be handled at a land camp. There will also be other kinds of field trips.
“We hope the supporters understand the reasons for the change and still choose to support Camp Quality.”
The key man who originally worked getting the camp off the ground in August 1998 (and who worked a year on it before that), Michael Coulson said that he found out about the move almost by accident and that “I’m very disappointed” to hear of the move. The level of support from the local area has been “phenomenal” and had he been still in charge the move would not have taken place.
Coulson says that they had no reservations about the use of the campground for children with cancer and had been told by a Provost doctor that in emergency a child could be airlifted to an Edmonton hospital within 90 minutes. “We were not about to handle or accept children with intravenous needs or others needing hospital care.”
The former director adds that they were continually battling a cancer centre and a children’s hospital in Alberta because they believed that the Hills of Peace camp was duplicating a program that was big enough to serve all the children in Alberta. The other camp being referred to was set up about 15 years ago, says Coulson by a woman that chose Camp Horizon at Bragg Creek. Not getting the co-operation he was seeking, Coulson says “finally we just went ahead and did our own thing.”
Camp Quality, at Hills of Peace Campground found users and family “very supportive” of the camp. In fact, says Coulson, the support was “embarrassingly overwhelming.” The camp had between 20 to 26 children with cancer at the nearly week-long annual stays.
The former director said that they owe the financial success of the camp to the community and recalled they had $25 in the bank before a large hockey game was staged in Provost to raise money for the camp. The proceeds “took us off in a completely different direction. It guaranteed the camp; then other money came and we knew then we had a base to work with . . we could work a year ahead without worry.”
During the years, Coulson says that 30 to 40 percent, of the money, “maybe higher”, came from the area. He said that the Wainwright military base was also extremely supportive of the camp.
Coulson and his wife Marie, (who like all others except two people in Canada) received no pay for their work with Camp Quality are now keeping busy working with handicapped children in Calgary.
He sums up: “we have no regrets whatsoever . . . and to say we were treated royally is an understatement.”
Full story and in May 14 edition of The Provost News.
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