A magic wand lost near City Hall had nothing to do with any Harry Potter movie.
Rather, the “lost” ad placed in Friday’s Red Deer Advocate likely had something to do with Mayor Morris Flewwelling’s comments about what he could do about reopening an outdoor rink.
The ad read: “Lost — Magic Wand. If found, please return to council chambers.”
Woodlea resident Bev Blades made a passionate plea to council to have the city reopen the Woodlea/Waskasoo outdoor snowbank rink after it was shut down in 2011.
She mentioned how she had talked to Flewwelling on the phone on why the rink should stay open. So she was shocked to find out council later decided, on Aug. 20, not to reinstate the rink and three others for this winter season. A fifth rink, in Fairview, was approved to reopen.
Blades couldn’t believe she wasn’t informed that the matter was up for discussion back then.
So she got in touch with the mayor again and said, “I thought you were in my corner.”
Blades, speaking in front of council later, said the mayor then told: “Mrs. Blades, did you think that I could wave my magic wand and your rink would reappear?”
“And I guess I did,” said Blades in front of council.
Blades would later say that she thought “the mayor and the magic wand story was over.”
However, she sent an email to the city on Nov. 7, saying she wanted to talk about the rink at the next council meeting.
Her appeal was enough to get the attention of council, which voted in favour of reopening the rink.
No word, though, if she was the mysterious author of the ad. Blades couldn’t be reached for comment.
Legislative and Governance Services Department manager Elaine Vincent said she’s not sure who placed the ad, but she figured the ad had something to do with the outdoor rink reconsideration.
“We thought it was funny, but I’m not sure what the intent was,” said Vincent.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com