Election Voting: Monday, October 18, 2010
* Advance Poll #1 – Friday, October 15, 2010, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Council Chambers
* Advance Poll #2 – Saturday, October 16, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Council Chambers
* Election Day – Monday, October 18, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Innisfail Alliance Church.

Candidates for Mayor

Jim Romane
Patt Churchill

Candidates for Councillor

Barbara Dixon
Marcel Keays
Heather Taylor
Jack Zenert
Sarah Strauss (Emrich)
Jason Heistad
Brian Spiller
Tracey Walker
Derek Baird
Mark Kemball

For Councilor – there are three past Councilors running again – Derek Baird, Tracy Walker and Jason Heistad – again I wish them all the luck. With three open vacancies and no guarantee that a sitting Councilor will win again – this leaves the race wide open.

At this time I would like to let you know that I – Jack Zenert - will be running for Innisfail Town Council. I have always been passionate about local government. In the past I have been very busy with coaching hockey as well as working on the Innisfail Library board. I will not be coaching this year, so I will have the time to work for you on the Innisfail Town Council. I hope that I can count on your support.

Stay tuned to this site for more updates on the election and what is happening around the town of Innisfail.

I also just put up a Innisfail Business Phone list – so you can quickly get the phone number you need – click here for the Innisfail Business Phone list.

Another Innisfail phone directory is located at ZedBiz.

Back to the main InnisfailOnline Business Directory.  As I said it is free to list your business.  You can either ask us to put it up there, or you can do it yourself.  And it is not hard.  Simply go to the Innisfail Business Directory and click on ‘Add Entry’.  It will need you to log in and/or create an account – but that is simple to do.

Once you create your business listing – be sure to upload your logo or a picture of your business.  Also add a description of your business.  The better and more attractive you make it, the more customers you will get.

The weather has been good to get the crops in the area into the ground – but emergence has been slow due to cool temperatures and cold ground.  Frost has barely left the ground in some places around Innisfail.

I myself got finished seeding about 10 days ago – back home in Saskatchewan.  Put in Canola, Wheat and tried about 50 acres of peas this year.  I will have to be heading back to get some spraying done pretty soon.

Spring sports are well underway as I see the ball diamonds busy in the evenings as well as the soccer fields cluttered with kids.  My boys turn to skiing in spring – we headed to the slopes in April and early May – but now the snow is gone until next winter.  Just have to settle for water now.

The Innisfail farmer’s market is back up and running on Thursdays at the arena – head over and check out the excellent offerings by local growers and Crafters.

Construction around Innisfail is still booming by all accounts.  My contractor friends say things have not slowed down a bit.  And with the two new projects – The Innisfail Library and the New Co-op – everyone should stay busy.

Lots of garage sales around Innisfail on the weekends – check out the local signs and go get yourself a bargain.  Hey – why not advertise your garage sale on Innisfailonline.com buy and sell area – go there now by clicking the link!

Have a great time this spring!

I really like getting out around Innisfail, as they have an excellent walking trail system.  My hats off to the town of Innisfail employees who keep the trails cleaned so that those of us who enjoying walking can do so safely.  Good Job!

Out walking, I see the large piles of snow beside all the driveways from the recent snow storm.  I am sure that many are not happy with all the snow.  I know my boys were grumbling about shoveling.

But I am happy it snowed.  Being a farmer all my life – I never want to say no to moisture.  Especially as I farm out in Saskatchewan where we are not quite as blessed with summer rainfall as the farmers around Innisfail.  And these types of snows at this time of year are excellent for the farmers (unless you are calving).  The fresh snow seems to slow down the regular melt allowing more water to seep into the soil, as well as the new snow itself melts right where it lands, not all blown away in trees, fence lines and sloughs like the regular winter snow.  So the tops of the hills get some well-deserved moisture.  And this snow hit a good portion of the prairies, so I am sure farmers in places like Oyen, Compeer, Macklin and Kindersley are very happy with the extra moisture.

Around town a few activities happening.  Big news was the fire at Bigfoot sports on the corner of main street.  The fire wiped out the building leaving a regrettable whole in our classic looking main street.  More information on the history of that building can be found at the Innisfail Province in this excellent article.

The Innisfail Minor Hockey Association held their wind-up banquets this week.  On Tuesday night the young kids – from Tyke to Atom enjoyed pizza and some end of year reminiscing.  And then on Wednesday night the Peewees, Bantams and Midgets had their chance for Pizza, awards and horse play.

On a final note, I was at our regular monthly Library Trustees meeting last week.  Things at the Innisfail Library our going well, Colleen our librarian does an excellent job.  The library will be having a booth at the Innisfail Trade show coming up in April, an InnisfailOnline.com will be sponsoring the library booth.  So make plans to come down on April 17-18 to check out the library booth.  As for the new library that we are planning on building, the town has applied for funding through both the provincial and federal governments, so now we are hoping that things go well and we are able to move ahead with buidling a new – and desparately needed – Library.

Here at InnisfailOnline we are looking for volunteers to help make the site better.  We want this to be your home on the net.  So let us know if you can help us out by contributing a story, reporting the news, or any other ideas you have.

Thanks,   Jack Zenert

All around the town of Innisfail Alberta

“The province has approved $32 million toward the first phase of a wastewater line for central Alberta.

Innisfail Mayor Ken Graham said the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Commission recently got confirmation from Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette that the province would back construction of a wastewater line from Innisfail to Springbrook.

That line ties into an existing line that connects the area to Red Deer’s wastewater treatment plant. Graham said the funding was expected but he was glad to get official word.

The first section of pipeline is expected to be completed next year.

The entire project is expected to cost $400 million and includes three lines – one south to Olds, another north to the Lacombe area, and west to Sylvan Lake. (The Canadian Press, Red Deer Advocate, ccg)”

With the snow it got me wondering about what the mountain conditions are doing. Sunshine has a base of 72 cm and has had 19 centimetres of new snow in the past 2 days.  It has 5 of the 12 lifts open for business.  Lake Louise has had 15 cm recently and has 2 of its lifts in operations.  So the season has begun.  I know my boys are very anxious to get out and snow boarding this winter.

One thing about having boys snowboarding is having to get geared up.  Boards, bindings, boots, and of course the brand name snowboarding jackets to look very cool on the hill.  I try to find deals, buy off season, etc but certain items are hard to get.  Especially with boots – never know what size they will be when the time comes – they grow so fast.

I would like to try to actively get the buy and sell area going and I think skiing and snowboarding gear may be just the ticket.  So if you have anything to sell – items you are not using, boots or boards your kids have grown out of – list them on our Innisfail Online Buy and Sell classified ad section.