The Red Deer Downtown Business Association is pleased to announce that Graham Barclay has joined the DBA as the new Executive Director.

Graham has a broad range of experience in sales, marketing and building business relationships.
Before joining the DBA, Graham spent four years as the Business Development Manager for Prairie Office Plus. His role encompassed sales and sales management, electronic marketing and business retention. He has many strong relationships throughout many business sectors in Red Deer and has worked extensively with the City of Red Deer and social agencies.

The City of Red Deer will kick off the third annual Christmas Light Exchange program on Monday, October 24, 2011 at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. This program, offered in partnership by The City of Red Deer and Kerry Wood Nature Centre, helps Red Deerians to save energy and money over the holiday season.

Every year the Harris-Warke Gallery hosts an entertaining and edgy evening of art. The annual fundraiser event has become quite a popular evening, where patrons jostle for position, to be in line to snap up their coveted choices.

Each year brings a new theme that artists interpret in eclectic, unusual and quirky ways. All the work is sold at the reception for $40.00 a piece, with all funds raised going toward the operation of the gallery.

This year, our 8th Annual Fundraiser, “Art is Dangerous” is now in preparations. We invite all artists to donate an original piece of art based on this treacherous theme. Each contributed piece will be sold for $40 at the fundraiser. As in past years, the proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to assist Gallery operations. The 8th Annual Fundraiser will run from November 4 to November 12. The Grand Opening will be on Friday, November 4 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Contributions should be delivered to the Gallery (4924 Ross Street, in Sunworks) on Wednesday, November 2 between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm or Thursday, November 3 between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

For more information, email the Gallery: harriswarke@gmail.com
 

Happening This Week

• Paving stones for the island portion of the sidewalk have arrived. The contractor will start installation between 51 Street and Ross Street this week, and move south along Gaetz Avenue until all three blocks are complete.
• Once all the paving stones are installed, bollards and light columns will be installed on all three blocks.
• The south lane of 49 Street will close to traffic October 22, 23 and 24. Arrow boards will be in place to direct around the work area.
• On Monday, October 24 the intersection of 48 Street and Gaetz will close to traffic.
• Architectural street markers will be complete for all three blocks today.
• If you have questions, comments or concerns, please contact the project team at 403-342-8750, as we work to make your downtown on Gaetz a more vibrant and walkable historic downtown.

One of Red Deer’s cultural hot spots will be closing at the end of the year. Gallery I.S., voted as Red Deer’s best gallery multiple times, will be closing its doors for the last time on Boxing Day. Gallery I.S. will be missed in the downtown. Good luck to owners Jeri-Lyn Ing and Erika Schulz in all future initiatives.

Visit the Gallery I.S. website to read comments from the gallery owners, and make sure to stop in and get one last look at this beautiful gallery.

Attention Downtown Champions!

It’s time once again to invite individuals to actively participate in the work of the Red Deer Downtown Business Association.

Opportunity to Get Involved

The Downtown Business Association seeks individuals who have an interest in the future of downtown and are willing to make the commitment to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for a three-year term - January 2012 through December 2014.

The City of Red Deer passed the Riverlands redevelopment plan, as recommended by the Red Deer Greater Downtown Action Plan committee.  The purpose of the redevelopment plan is to guide future growth and redevelopment of the Riverlands area.

Riverlands plans include redevelopment as a vibrant mixed use community, including new areas for medium density housing, major civic gathering spaces and arts and cluture spaces.  The plan also addresses the need for improved pedestrian and vehicular connections between Riverlands and the rest of the Greater Downtown.

To see the full Riverlands redevelopment plan, click here.

The City of Red Deer has launched the Integrated Movement Study to look at how Red Deerians move in the city today, and how we want to move and live as we continue to grow. The City will engage residents, community groups and key stakeholders to understand what you think about bicycling, taking transit, walking and driving in the city today and how we plan for what will move us in the future.

The Red Deer & District Community Foundation is pleased to present the 5th Vital Signs report in 2011. The Vital Signs report demonstrates the Foundation’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate of being a community catalyst. It is designed to engage the community by showing interesting and relevant data with the intention of sparking interesting conversations on issues that matter the most. This year, Red Deer’s greatest strengths have been identified as Green Spaces and Parks, Recreation, Sport and Active Living, and the economy. Its most important issues have been identified as crime, poverty and homelessness and human services and social programs.

For more information on the Vital Signs survey and its results, click here.

Tourism Red Deer’s Red Hat Awards Gala was held at the Black Knight Inn last night. The Red Hat Awards recognizes the unsung heros of the local hospitality and tourism industry. The Downtown Business Association is would like to congratulate our downtown winners, Toni Gardner-Johnston from O’Malley’s Irish Pub, who won in the server in a Lounge, Nightclub & Pub category, the Redstone Grill and Wine Bar's Lisa Pencer-Cook, who was recognized in the Customer Service Leadership category, and Melissa Carritt from The Bra Lounge in the Guest Services: Retail category.  Congratulations to three shining stars of downtown Red Deer!