It's been a quiet lead-up to nomination day, but town hall in Olds was less than quiet Monday morning, as two mayoral candidates and 13 councillor candidates put their names forward for the Oct. 16 municipal election.
It's been a quiet lead-up to nomination day, but town hall in Olds was less than quiet Monday morning, as two mayoral candidates and 13 councillor candidates put their names forward for the Oct. 16 municipal election.
All six current councillors and the mayor will stand for re-election, as previously announced, while a second mayoral candidate and seven new councillor candidates submitted nomination forms.
In Bowden, the mayoralty race remains between the two men who declared their intention to run earlier: Robb Stuart, who is running for a third term in that post; and challenger Earl Wilson, who is running for that position after serving as a councillor for six years.
Six people filed papers for council. Because there are six seats on council, they're all acclaimed, so there will be no election for that position. They are: newcomers Carol Pion, Kerry Kelm and Randy Brown, along with incumbent councillors Sandy Gamble, Paul Webb and Wayne Milaney.
This would be Gamble's fourth term on council, Webb's second, and Milaney's fourth.
Here's a brief look at the new candidates in Olds:
Olds native Michael Muzychka is the only additional candidate who will let his name stand for mayor. He was born and raised in Olds, spent 20 years in Calgary and moved back to the community five years ago.
He is an accountant and active in the business community. He says he wants to see a more pro-business stance and emphasis on expansion and growth.
"I've been in contact with a number of longtime business owners in Olds over the past several months and a lot of them have been wanting to see a bit of change in council overall – just some new blood, some fresh eyes."
Muzychka will host a meet-the-candidate event on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Cow Palace foyer.
Bishop has lived in Alberta for 27 years, including the last four in Olds. He holds a degree from Vanguard College, and is a consultant in the area of church management. He has served on the Alberta nurses association board, and has been involved with hospitals in several communities
Bishop's areas of interest include beautification of the town, and making the community as family friendly as possible,
"Anything we can do to enhance the younger families and help them, that's where my heart is for sure," he said. "I'm not running because something is terribly wrong – I feel I can make a contribution."
Blatz has been in Olds for almost 40 years, moving from Sundre in 1979. She has a background in banking, and is currently a bookkeeper. She worked for the Town of Olds for eight years, doing tax preparation, and has also previously served as board president for Olds Co-op.
Blatz's areas of interests are in communications, infrastructure and senior-friendly communities.
"I just feel that people encouraged me to do this and I think that I might be an asset," she said.
Bueckert lived in Disbury for 18 years and has been in Olds for three. He owns a small motorcycle maintenance business in town, and previously worked as a production supervisor at the penitentiary.
Bueckert's areas of interest include search and rescue, firefighting and town development. As a grandfather, he said he is family-oriented, wanting to make sure the town continues in that direction, but would also like to see new voices in local government.
"I just want to be a voice for the people, and I just want to make sure that council is held responsible for their decisions, and being able to say why," he said. "I feel it's important that you get new faces, new blood in the system to keep everything on tab."
Cadrin came to the area in 2013, after graduating from the University of Alberta with degrees in economics and finance. Originally from Lloydminster, he is currently a lender for Farm Credit Canada.
With his finance background, Cadrin's focus is on making sure that money is collected and being spent efficiently and appropriately. He says he is "a big fan of keeping more money in people's pockets."
"It's always something I have wanted to get into," he said. "I got involved in the community through Rotary and I see this as an extension of giving back and seeing how I can contribute to the town."
Ryan has lived in Olds for almost four years, and in Alberta for close to 30. She is a former journalist, having previously worked at the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Edmonton Sun and the Slave Lake Leader. She is currently a freelance writer, and also owns a small dog care business in Olds.
She has served as a volunteer on the Municipal Planning Commission for three years, and is interested in keeping taxes low, bringing some fresh eyes to the table and serving as a voice of the people.
"One of the big factors was that the council was acclaimed last time, and I wanted to make sure that there was going to be an election," she said, "because I am a big believer in democracy taking place."
Originally from Red Deer, Stade has lived in Olds for six years. He works in customer relations at Hildebrand Motors.
Stade's primary interest is in maintaining a family-friendly community, and making sure recent pushes that serve younger families, such as the splash park and athletic parks, continue.
"We need to get some young blood, younger people and families in the council," he said. "Seniors are very important to us, and we need to look after them, but we also need the younger base to come on board."
Terry was born in Olds and has lived in the town his entire life. He is a locksmith by trade, and also manages a local liquor store.
Terry will push a platform of smaller government, lowering crime, and upping local security to include video surveillance. He is looking for a 25 per cent cut for council wages.
"All of Alberta seems to be changing," he said. "Before, you could make the effort, (and) you would get ahead. Now it seems to be more stratifying, where if you don't have your proper i's dotted or t's crossed from whatever institution, suddenly you're left on the outside.
"But that's not what Alberta has always been," he said. "And that's what we want to bring back."
MORE: Municipal elections take place on Monday, Oct. 16 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m at the Royal Canadian Legion, Olds Branch.
