MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - More candidates in the upcoming election have outlined some of their plans.
Carstairs councillor and deputy mayor Rick Blair is running again. Blair has been on council for 16 years and said they have accomplished a great deal in that time.
"We've got the new school gymnasium which was spearheaded by the town, the skate park that we just finished and opened," said Blair. "The town has experienced such large growth in the last seven to 10 years. So there's been a lot that has been accomplished."
Blair said council and the town are continuing to work on a number of large projects to accommodate the community's growing needs.
"With that growth comes a number of challenges to our infrastructure such as roads, water, sewers, as well as recreation facilities and emergency services," he said.
Several school board trustees are running again. The Chinook's Edge School Division board of education is made up of nine elected trustees representing nine different wards.
Board chair Colleen Butler, who represents Ward 3 - Delburne-Elnora, is running again. She has been board chair for the past seven years and is very proud of how well the board works together for the benefit of the students and staff.
"We truly live our motto - where students come first," said Butler. "As well, we have established ëmatters' committees through which we hear first-hand concerns from our teachers, support staff and students. This has enabled us to build positive relationships with our staff and students."
Butler would like to see the board keep government's focus on the importance of rural Alberta and particularly the unique needs of rural education.
"Our transportation funding formula must be revamped to address the sparse populations and long distances," she said. "As well, support for small schools that are long distances from larger centres must be a priority."
Gord Kerr, trustee for Ward 8 - Didsbury, will be running once again. Kerr has been involved with the facilities and maintenance committee and was involved in putting together a matrix to help the board in the future as it builds its list for capital projects and new schools.
"As a board, we went through a process with the Carstairs community school leaders and the town that was instrumental in building the Capital Project Matrix," he said. "Our board has also supported our technology department, which is recognized as a leader in the province."
Kerr said there's a real challenge around funding, not just for the classroom but also in transportation and facility upkeep.
"Chinook's Edge has been at the table from the start with other boards advocating for a solution in these areas, and it is not always about more money," he said.
Trudy James from Ward 7 - Olds-Reed Ranch will be running again for trustee. James was first elected in 2004 and has served three terms.
James said the board has accomplished a number of tasks in the last number of years.
"We've dealt with some of the infrastructure pressures we've had in my area," said James. "We added a school, and added more learning spaces to a couple of our existing schools. We've also had great growth."
James said she's a strong advocate for her area with the provincial government.
"It's important to have local representation to make sure our story gets to Edmonton is an important one," she said."
Sheldon Ball, the trustee for Ward 9 - Carstairs-Cremona, is running again. Ball is wrapping up his first term as a trustee; before that he served four terms on council with the Town of Carstairs.
Ball said he has worked hard to gain the trust and respect of his fellow trustees and was awarded thusly by being elected to serve as second vice-chair, as well as to chair several committees including transportation, facilities, technology and negotiations.
"I worked on the facilities and maintenance committee to develop a new matrix to evaluate facility needs in all of our communities," said Ball. "This matrix is designed to assist the board in establishing the capital priorities for the division based on statistical data that supports the project needs."
Ball said that the matrix has revealed that the expansion of Carstairs Elementary School should be the number 1 capital project for the division.
"The request has been submitted to the Alberta government and the board is now advocating for the project and waiting for approval from the Alberta government," he said.
Ball said he would like to see the board maintain focus on achieving excellence across all of the schools in the division, ensuring that students always come first in everything the board does.
Holly Bilton of Ward 4 - Innisfail has told the Gazette she will be running again. Bilton is also a first-term trustee. She has been chair of the Parents Matter, public consultation and technology committees, and has sat on various other committees, including audit and finance.
"I have been selected to be our Alberta School Boards Association Zone 4 representative where multiple divisions come together to discuss zone and provincial issues," said Bilton. "One of my areas of key interest is around career readiness and dual credit. Because of this interest I have been very involved with School Within a College (SWAC) and other dual credit initiatives through both of our local colleges."
Bilton said in the upcoming term she expects the board will continue focusing on issues around transportation and special needs funding.
A reminder of important dates:
Didsbury - Nomination day is Sept. 18 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the town office. Advanced polling goes Oct. 6 from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., both at the town office. Election day is Oct. 16 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Carstairs - Nomination day is Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the town administration building. Advance polling takes place on Oct. 2 at the Chinook Winds Lodge (1401 Gough Road); and election day is Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Carstairs Community Hall (1100 Lackner Way).
Cremona - Nomination day is Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the village office. Advance polling goes Oct. 7 from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Cremona United Church Hall (105 1st Ave.); and election day is Oct. 16 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cremona United Church Hall.
