INNISFAIL – Devin Dreeshen knows all the credentials Jason Heistad will bring to the expected provincial election this spring and he promises to be ready for the challenge.
Dreeshen, who was first elected almost five years ago as MLA for the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding under the UCP banner, said he takes all challengers seriously, including the ones he faced in the 2018 byelection and 2019 general provincial election.
In 2018, Dreeshen, then a newcomer, won a byelection by a landslide. He grabbed almost 82 per cent of the vote, compared to just over nine per cent by the NDP’s Nicole Mooney and more than seven per cent by Abigail Douglass of the Alberta Party.
A year later in the provincial general election Dreeshen retained his seat by earning more than 70 per cent of the total vote while the NDP’s Robyn O’Brien came in second with 14.6 per cent and the Alberta Party’s Danielle Klooster came third with 10.5 per cent.
“All the NDP candidates that have run against me in 2018 and 2019 have been serious candidates in my mind. I've respected all of them on a personal level,” said Dreeshen. “But I do know with Jason Heistad and his involvement with AUPE and being on the executive, he is going to bring a different dynamic to the campaign.
“But campaigns matter,” he said, adding his preliminary campaign work has begun to recruit volunteers. “I'm looking forward to putting my best team on the United Conservative side up against the NDP, and whatever other groups that they have joining forces with them. I am looking forward to the May campaign.”
As for Heistad, he won his fourth Innisfail town councillor seat in the 2021 general municipal election after an eight-year absence on council. He had won three consecutive terms.
In his 2021 municipal election Heistad grabbed the most votes of all 14 councillor candidates.
Fifteen months later at Innisfail town council on Jan. 23 Heistad publicly announced he was seeking to challenge Dreeshen to become the new NDP representative for the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding.
He asked council to grant him a leave of absence from Jan. 23 to the end of May, when the provincial election is expected to be concluded.
“I just couldn't see myself sitting here for four months and being paid by the taxpayers,” Heistad told council, adding he was returning his councillor computer to administration to ensure council, staff and the public are all satisfied he’s not receiving any “inside correspondence.”
“I just want all of you to know that it was a really hard decision because we spent 15 months doing a lot of great work.”
Under section 174 (1) (c) of the provincial Municipal Government Act, Heistad was legally able to continue as an active town councillor right up to the end of the provincial election campaign.
The legislation states a councillor is disqualified from serving on council when he or she becomes a judge of a court or a member of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada or the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
Heistad’s leave of absence request was unanimously approved by council.
All members wished Heistad well in his pursuit to serve constituents in the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding.
“Thank you, councillor Heistad, for this. I think it really speaks to your integrity in this situation,” said mayor Jean Barclay. “We're fully aware that you don't have to leave at this point in time. You could have stayed. I think by doing that now it makes a clean break and it also shows how committed you are to this process.”
