Mayors in the district have come together in an effort to have local issues and concerns addressed by government MLAs and others.
Made up of top elected officials from Olds, Didsbury, Innisfail, Sundre, Carstairs and elsewhere in the district, the Mayors of South Central Alberta group will provide a focused and region-specific way to bring about needed action, says Didsbury mayor Rhonda Hunter.
Key issues the group plans to tackle include the need for support of area infrastructure, hospitals, doctors, policing and long-term care, she said.
Whether the group will be successful in its laudable goals remains to be seen.
What is known is that like many smaller communities in Alberta, towns in this area are facing many, many challenges in the face of a provincial government struggling to fulfil its promises to guide Alberta forward.
For her part, Hunter says she is hopeful the new group will bring about concrete results, both now and over the longer term.
“We needed a group that will work on our issues and our action items as we want to move forward,” said Hunter. “As a united voice we will communicate better and have all of us involved in the discussions.
“The messages were are sending will have much more impact than picking away at it one by one. It is speaking as the voice of 12 (current membership) rather than one by one.”
The group plans to communicate with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, area MLAs, the provincial government, citizens, and others, she said.
Group members will be regularly reporting back to their respective councils, and plan to release bulletins outlining positions on issues facing the region, she said.
Having a united front to voice concerns and seek action may prove helpful as far as ensuring other levels of government are made aware of the many, many challenges facing this region.
Whether government MLAs in particular will be willing to act in addressing the concerns and issues raised by the group remains an open question.
Dan Singleton is an editor with The Albertan.
