Red Deer County wants college

CHRIS BROWN MACLEOD GAZETTE WRITER

Red Deer County hopes when the final word comes down on the site selection for the $100-million Alberta Police and Peace Officer College, it lands in their neck of the woods.    Red Deer County's location, in the heart of central Alberta, is at the heart of their bid.    The county, and the city of Red Deer, is billed as a prime meeting place for people from all across Alberta and the western provinces.    Being located at the halfway point between two of Canada's biggest cities, Edmonton and Calgary, makes it the perfect place to meet halfway.    The facility is about two miles off Highway 2, located next to the Red Deer Regional Airport and the hamlet of Springbrook.    Another positive working in favour of the Red Deer County bid is that much of the facility and necessary infrastructure is already in place.    The college will be housed in the former Canadian Forces base at Penhold, a site which is currently used for training by both the Calgary and Edmonton police services and Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments. Bid organizers say the proposed site is isolated enough that shooting and driving ranges that will be a part of the college will not impact residents.    The site has water and sewer services already in place and railway services, which are provided to Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways, are close by.    The police college would be the second college to call Red Deer County home, with Red Deer College, which is fully behind the county's bid, already in the city.    Support has also come from the city of Red Deer, Innisfail and Sylvan Lake.    The county is home to nearly 20,000 people, while the city houses another 76,000.    County reeve Earl Kinsella promotes the city and the surrounding rural area as having lots to offer.    The recreational opportunities include the 6,000-seat Centrium, the home of the Red Deer Rebels, and five other arenas.    The newest addition is the Collicut Centre, which includes a water park with a wave pool, lazy river and water slide. There is also a four-lane track, a fitness and wellness centre and a field house available for wall climbing, basketball and tennis.    There are three other swimming pools as well as a curling club and four public golf courses.