Heart of Alberta

Residents in both Donalda and Gadsby voted overwhelmingly in favour of saving their communities from dissolution last week, but the whole issue has left many questioning the province’s motives behind ordering dissolution studies and whether or not their communities will actually be spared.

Although 85 Donalda residents voted against dissolution in a non-binding plebiscite last week compared to 29 in favour, the village will not learn of its future until Municipal Affairs Minister Hector Goudreau announces his final decision in a couple of months.

Donalda Mayor Terry Nordahl expressed delight in the outcome of the plebiscite, but says she is frustrated the province felt the need to order the dissolution study in the first place.

“I truly believe that most people here love the village,” she said. “They love it here because it is a good place to live. We work hard to keep it up and running and growing ... But there has to be simpler, less expensive and more effective ways of getting problems fixed than dissolution.”

The future of Donalda and Gadsby is essentially in the hands of their respective residents after separate public information meetings were held last week to discuss the prospect of dissolving both communities.

Representatives from Alberta Municipal Affairs hosted meetings to gauge the public’s opinion on the course of action that could mean the end of the villages forever. Comments were collected on behalf of Minister Hector Goudreau who will ultimately decide whether to dissolve the communities after non-binding plebiscites scheduled for early this week.

Scarla Maim is circling the cement floor of the Big Four building at the Stampede Grounds in Calgary in fine fluorescent form. Her bleached hair is reflecting in the light as she bites down on the neon green mouth guard and makes a turn that she's made hundreds of times in her two years in the roller derby league.

The little girl who once dazzled her family with figure skating flair is now being chased by a vicious group of women on roller skates dressed in fishnet stockings and short skirts, some even sporting war paint, intent on maiming her. Girls with names like Bamm Bamm, Loriville Slugger, Trailer Trish, Whiskey Girl and Topp Gunns. But Scarla is cruising the cement, taped-on track with great efficiency. Those pink and white wheels are rolling fast around corners just brushing past a screaming crowd cheering for a hit, a take-down, an errant elbow to the jaw; anything that might send Scarla to the floor and sliding into their raucous arms, only six feet away.