Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 31

EDMONTON JOURNAL ALBERTA THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2006 1 1 Fort Macs boomtown image has to go I he Canadian Press FORT MCMl'RRW Calgary group fights to bring Chinese political protester to Canada Caiman Herald CI nese prison for defacing Mao's image during China's 1989 pro-democracy protests. After he was released, he fled to Thailand where authorities tossed him into a detention centre. "I was worried. He could have been sent back to China," said Paul Cheng, a Calgary computer programmer who has been working with some friends to have the activist released. Calling themselves Friends of Chinese Refugees, the group has sponsored Lu, his wife and kids.

A few weeks ago, it appeared their work had succeeded. Lu was granted a Canadian visa and was to board a plane bound for Calgary on March 14. But "one day before he was going to fly here, the Thai (authorities) were told not to release him. This is so fnisnating," said Sam Hui, another of Lu's immigration sponsors. Lu's voyage was quashed because Thai authorities will not issue an exit visa if the individual is involved in a court case, said Calgary MP Jason Kenney, who has been working with Lu's advocates.

CanWest Service The man who splashed red ink on the famous portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square is languishing in a Thai jail as a group of Calgarians fight to bring him to Canada. Lu Decheng served nine years in a Chi The Infiniti SPORTING EVENT G35 Coupe Political leaders in Alberta's north-ern oil city are being told they need to put a scrub brush to its image as an overpopulated frontier boomtown. Don Reimer, director of Wood Buffalo's communications department, is urging council to approve $675,000 for a two-year campaign to "arrest and counter negative imaging" ofFortMc-Murray. "Compared to other marketing and branding exercises I've worked on elsewhere in the province, this is reasonably budgeted," he said. But at a meeting earlier this week, council voted to defer the motion until money for the campaign is secured from oilsands companies.

"My concern is related to the budget," said Mayor Melissa Blake. "I know that we requested contributions from oil companies that would benefit and I want to send this back to them to find out if there's support for it or not." Administration is recommending that a minimum of $275,000 be solicited from "campaign partners." Syncrude Canada spokesman Alain Moore said his company had not been approached for funding, but he agreed a better image of the community would help Syncrude attract and retain workers. Coun. Phil Meagher was skeptical. "No matter what we spend, the media will write what they want and what they see.

(In every news report) you always see the Boomtown Casino sign and the lights of the Oil Can (Tavern) That's what we have to work on." Coun. Jim Carbery disputed launching a campaign. "I believe there are some things we have to do first. Actions speak louder than words, and we need to act to change the negative attitude first," he said. The administration is urging high-level advertising, including broadcast production, advertising, marketing, media relations, public relations, merchandising and web-based information.

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