Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 24

EDMONTON JOURNAL, Friday. April 21, 1978 B8 Saudis get pur royal bird have an endangered falcons list, the Gyr falcon Is not on it CWS authorities say though the bird may be a rare winter visitor, it's still plentiful in the country. The bird given King Khaled was born and raised at the CWS's endangered falcon breeding facility at the Canadian Armed Forces Wainw-right base. A technician there said Thursday the two-year-old, which never received a name, is one of several which the station has successfully me-naged to breed and raise in captivity. He said the Gyr is a hunting bird of good size (about two pounds), and has speed and agility, qualities highly prized by Saudi falcon fanciers.

He said if the Saudis find the bird a good hunter despite its having been raised outside a natural habitat, CWS may want to implement a program whereby birds could be bred and trained in captivity. That would allow birds in the wild to remain free. Saudi Arabia'! royal houwhcld may have much of the world's oil under it palaces, but Alberta's got something the Saudi king wants. What the Saudis' blue-eyed cousins to the north have that Saudis don't are Gyr falcons, in particular, one immature two-year old male which yesterday winged its way half-way around the world courtesy of Air Canada. Just about now, the bird should be trying to bite off the finger of a Saudi customs agent In Riyadh.

Later, it should find its way onto the gloved hand of King JChaled Ibn Abdul Aziz. An external affairs department press officer in Ottawa said Thursday the bird was sent to King Khaled as a gift from Canada. He added the king had expressed a wish to have such a bird. Saudi Arabia's royalty has an avid passion for falconry, but the recent deple-' tion of hunting birds in the peninsula has forced fanciers to find birds in other countries. While the Canadian WildliTe Service does A JT 1.

mm i St. Albert seeks planning control The City of St Albert will be applying to the provincial government shortly seeking authorization to set up its own subdivision approving authority. mm mm mm mm City manager Bob Byron explained that an application was made in February but they were told to re-apply after the new olannina act came into effect April 1. WTT Under the new act municipalities which have a municipal planning commission, a planning department, a general pian and a land-use bylaw can apply to the minister of municipal affairs for their own locally controlled subdivision authority. "We meet all the criteria and we feel it's better to have control over our own matters," he said.

i By this time, this fellow's brother may be biting the finger Family fitness week in Yellowhead region 1 Under the old act and even the new one until they get the minister's go-ahead all subdivision matters have to be approved in the local municipality and then they're sent on to the regional planning commission (in the Edmonton area it's the Edmonton Regional Planning Commission) for its final say. Edmonton and Calgary are the only exceptions to the rule, with these cities having to go to their respective commissions only for zoning changes to their neighborhood outline plans. This change in planning regulations was made mainly for the other provincial cities which have been asking for independent control over their own subdivision planning. Mr. Byron said the city is going to make their application "in the immediate future." 1 4 I Family health and fitness fairs will be held in Wildwood, Edson, Hinton.

Grande Cache and Jasper where the whole family will receive information and testing on all aspects of basic health and fitness. Fitness testing clinics will be held in Evansburg, Edson, Hinton, Grande Cache and Jasper, the only programs which will charge for the tests, she said. It will cost $3 and all the proceeds from these tests will be going to the Alberta Heart Each town will be hosting a variety of other local events, she indicated. For more information, people can get in touch with their local recreation office. Family fitness is the main theme for the second annual fitness week beginning today in the Yellowhead region.

Bonnie Thompson, Yellowhead fitness co-ordinator with Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife, said only three towns in the region, Edson, Hinton and Grande Cache, were involved in the program last year. But this year there win be fitness projects running until Saturday, April 29 in these communities, as wefl as in Wildwood, Evansburg, Brule, Robb, Niton, Peers, En-twistle and Jasper. She the events planned for the week were set up In conjunction with the provincial department local recreation boards and directors, and people involved in fitness programs throughout the area A 0 i study in contrasts David Spittal dies at 74 Northward Developments Ltd. The complex will feature two highrise towers, a 96-suite walk-up apartment and 112 townhouses. Construction will be completed by mid-summer.

Some of the units are already occupied by Syncrude employees and their families. A startling contrast in lifestyles in Fort McMurray is evident between the old shack in the foreground and part of a new housing complex for Syncrude employees in the background. The highrise is part of a SOO-unit housing complex called River Park Glen being built by Home help group loses gov't funding The Community Home Help Services (CHHS) group in Ponoka will not be getting any funding from the provincial government in the near future. The group met with provincial social services department officials earlier this week but were told there is no money available for them this year. The CHHS program was funded by federal grants but those expired March 31.

CHHS provides services like light handyman repairs, housekeeping, transportation on short trips, meals on wheels and other services for ill, handicapped or elderly people in and around Ponoka. Users of the service pay a $1 per hour and $24 per year for the services provided. CHHS then pays part-time employees $3.45 an hour to do the work. The group currently has about 40 clients. Ruby Sheppard, a co-ordinator with CHHS, says they are the only group in the area providing such services.

She is concerned that if the group folds many of the clients will have to move into auxiliary hospitals or nursing homes, which she says are already full. The group has received much support from local citizens by way of donations and participation in various fund raising drives. CHHS has enough money left to keep operating until the end of June but without additional funding, it will be forced to close its doors. Mrs. Sheppard estimates it costs about $4,000 per month to operate the service.

Since the group is a non-profit society, all donations are tax deductible. Fair board from 1946 to 1967. He also served 22 years on the hospital board and was a Past Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus. He is survived by his wife Cecile, two daughter; Mary Irene Woodcox of Dawson Creek and Janet Vamplew of Fort Saint John; two sons David and Ronald; 16 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. A long time Dawson Creek resident and former Edmonton butcher David Spittal died recently at age 74.

Mr. Spittal emigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1923 and operated butcher stores in Edmonton, Grande Prairie and in Dawson Creek. Mr. Spittal was involved in community work, serving on the Dawson Creek Fall Second hearing okays community radio station Senior citizens9 home announced AHC will pay for construction, but the federal and provincial governments will share the operating subsidies. The residence will be built overlooking the Heart River in the town 177 kilometres northeast of Grande Prairie.

A 20-unit senior citizens' residence is to be built this summer in Peace River, Housing Minister Bill Yurko announced Thursday. The Alberta Housing Corporation has awarded a $609,766 contract to Nu-West Development Corpora tion Ltd. of Edmonton to build the residence by September. The 20 one-bedroom units will be self-contained. Two will be designed for the handicapped.

The residents will share common parking, lounge and laundry facilities. was looking at locations in the city for these offices, "likely on top of the river bank" to provide a microwave linkup with their transmitting tower, south of Edmonton. A group of Edmonton radio stations objected at both hearings. At the last one held in Edmonton Dec. 13, they contended that a St.

Albert station would only cut into the Edmonton market. Bui in the CRTC ruling it was pointed out that the station would be aimed at the St. Albert market which has no electronic media at the present time. It was also mentioned that the support from the major respresentative groups in St. Albert showed there was a need for such a radio station.

Mr. Russell feels the station will be able to function on revenues fromadvertising of the local business community, including a regional shopping centre scheduled to open in the fan of 1979. Programming will be middle-of-the-road with emphasis on local news and sports coverage, he said. Edmonton broadcaster Dick Mathers has been named general manager for the new station, Mr. Russell said.

St Albert residents will be able to turn to 1070 on their AM dials at the end of the year to listen to their own community radio station. After five years of planning and two hearings before the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTQ, St Albert Broadcasting Ltd. learned last week they were successful in their second try for a station aimed exclusively at the St Albert market Company president, Bob Russell said plans are to have the station on the air Nov. 1, but he added if there are equipment delays it could be no later than Jan. 1.

Mr. Russell indicated he was happy the CRTC had given the license for a five-year period ending in March, 1982. The usual practice is for a shorter term. This extension will give the company a good opportunity for consolidating its position, he said. No call letters have been chosen, although Mr.

Russell indicated they have narrowed the field down to two or three. Tne 24-hour-a-day station will initially employ 12 people in their St Albert offices. At the present time, he said, the company 3' Two men die in accidents i 1 i Thursday, a trailer fire in Fort McMurrayj claimed the life of a 32-year-old man. Lloyd Roderick Kidson of No. 3 9904 Tomlinson Street was removed from the rear bedroom of his trailer after fire destroyed the building.

The coroner has ordered an autopsy. Another man, Tony Hartlin, escaped from the trailer unharmed, Mr. Kidson's brother-in-law told The Journal. Two deaths occurred in the Fort McMur-ray-Lac La Biche area this week. On Wednesday, an 18-year-old Lac La Biche man died after he received an electric shock and feU into a septic tank.

RCMP say David Joseph Cloutier was re-, pairing a septic tank while standing on an aluminum ladder. Death was instantaneous. --v. mi. JJ), tr Militia engineers to celebrate Shopping centre Hears completion The first permanent Canadian Militia Engineer Force will celebrate its 75th anniversary in Edmonton April 28.

About 500 people are expected to attend the two-day event and activities will in He will review the parade Saturday which will be comprised of the 8th Field Engineers Regiment Base Section Construction Engineering, Army Engineers Cadets and former members of the engineers corps. clude a public parade, dinner and all-ranks dance. Major-Geneial R.E Ash-ton, chief of construction and properties for the Canadian Forces in Ottawa, will, be the guest of honor. pected in early July. The centre is partially open now.

When completed the two-storey structure will house about 50 stores and services. Work began on this $5 million addition to the Park Plaza shopping centre in Fort McMurray last summer. The centre's grand opening is ex-..