City Notebook: What’s in store for Parker’s?

By Collin Gallant on November 3, 2018.

Ever since reporters rushed out of Court of Queens Bench headed to the Parker’s Countrywide outlet on May 3, it’s been a big unsolvable mystery what’s in store for the big, empty outlet.

On the date in question, court monitors approved a foreclosure sale to an out-of-town buyer, but with scant other details and little to go on besides the last name of “Kim.”

That surname is as common among Koreans as Smith is in the Western World.

Some answers will begin to surface on Monday when city council deliberates a potential sale of the neighbouring Chokecherry Parking lot to Kidea Kim and Deokki Kim.

The agenda item, included in the packet released late Friday, states the city-owned surface lot, at 403 Second St., is required for dedicated parking for their substantial redevelopment of their property next door (Parkers).

For the record, 57 parking spots comprise the lot, and the closing price is $459,000.

So, that’s some news for downtown, where big topics lately have been mushrooming over the number of pot retail store applications and the shut down of the Greyhound terminal… though we’ve heard some signs of a possible redevelopment.

Last week the rumour was that the now closed down Subway outlet on Sixth Avenue was a potential safe injection site. It’s almost certainly not, as such a use requires about 4,000 square feet.

Downtown boosters do that math and see good news, but it’s not particularly great news that a fastfood chain is pulling up stakes.

Coal!

Heard lately about how North America is being played for patsies, shutting down our coal industries while China expands theirs.

Well, two of the biggest operators in our area don’t think so and are cashing the cheques as proof.

During the current window for the release of third quarter financial reports, both Methanex and CF Industries are outlining higher profits from sales and demand as natural gas prices rise outside North America and production facilities in China that use coal are shuttered.

In another report of note locally, Capital Power also updated plans to refit its coal-burning power plants near Edmonton to burn, you guessed it, natural gas.

It also forecasts that general power prices in Alberta to level off about five cents per kilowatt hour after 2020.

If so, it will be paying — not receiving — about 25 per cent of its revenue from the Whitla Wind project into a fund that’s meant to keep contract prices to wind generators at about 3.7 cents.

Sad news

Two sad items were received at the News office this week with passings of Brandy Calvert, who was a real firecracker at the city hall communications office, and also Fred Mellen, who wrote the local history column for the Bow Island Commentator.

A look ahead

Council sits Monday evening to discuss the sale of a downtown parking lot (see above) as well as changes to off-leash dog rules near the Saamis Archaeological site.

Also, a potential name change for a major route in Medicine Hat will be discussed at Wednesday’s infrastructure committee meeting.

100 years ago

The Kaiser would be soon “shorn from power,” a late bulletin informed News readers on Oct. 30, 1918.

Crowds of socialists in Berlin called for a republic to be formed as the German forces retreated from Belgium and Flanders.

U.S. President Wilson declared he would only entertain “not peace negotiations, but surrender” in the conflict.

General voting by ratepayers in the city on spending measures for 1919 carried huge majorities for incitements to secure expansion for the Swan Coal Co. site south of Redcliff and to the Canada Cement Company.

Provincial health officials announced in order to battle the spread of Spanish Influenza, a fine of $50 would be levelled on any citizen not wearing a mask in public.

The civic relief board called for volunteers to relieve nurses and others who were responding to the outbreak of Spanish influenza in the city. Redcliff officials confirmed 20 cases in that town.

The News pages included a pattern for a “pneumonia jacket” suggested by the Red Cross.

British Parliament approved a resolution that would allow women to sit as MP in England, Ireland and Scotland.

The towns of Taber, Grassy Lake and their surrounding rural municipalities launched a plan to erect a hospital in Taber.