Thank you to everyone who donated to my campaign:

Wendy O.

Bill S.

George K.

Robert S.

Barb P.

Trent T.

Shawneen N.

Shanaley & Bruce G.

Randi & Harry G.

Dennis C.

Knud P.

Victoria C.

Elaine S.

Greg K.

Sherry S.

Suzanne L.

Frank K.

Stephen A.

All four pillars of my platform are interconnected, and they rely on each other and work together to build a bright future for our city. It’s only through connected and compassionate people, efficient services, and resilient businesses that we will have a stronger community.

People

During this election, most people are wondering what candidates, if elected, will do about:

• Those experiencing homelessness
• Those experiencing addictions
• Community safety

During this campaign, you may hear candidates claim that they have solutions for any or all these. If any one person tells you they have a solution, they don’t. These are bigger than any one person. These will require community solutions and will only be solved when we work on them together, as an entire community.

I’m committed to seeing a coordinated and integrated needs-based social services strategy that involves all sectors and service providers in engagement, land use development, and planning. It means all of us working together, not against each other or in siloed groups. It means municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government working together and holding each other accountable.

This includes determining where to locate services and recommendations on who will be running them. It will mean changing some procedures and ensuring Good Neighbour Plans are submitted with land rezoning or permitting applications. As part of this we may require an applicant to provide signed communications from each area neighbour, proof of engagement sessions and meeting schedules, and other communications with area neighbours.

Some of this work has started with the Community Wellness & Safety Strategy. However, I see gaps in employment skills and workforce development as well as in communication with the community.

Offering everyone a space to belong includes being able to help people find meaningful work, which I addressed in my post last week.

I cannot emphasize enough that meaningful engagement and communication must happen, and I see a huge gap in communication with the residents of our city, which is why I will commit to helping to create a communication strategy around these plans. If we as a city are going to implement plans to provide for the needs of people in our community, no matter the service, communication and engagement are key.

We all need to know and understand what’s going on, so that we can build better services for everyone in our community.

What does this mean for you? You will know what our community is planning to do, and you will have the opportunity for input and feedback.

Service

Related to the point above, I’m committed to supporting the Lethbridge Police Commission in their work of building and ensuring the safety of our city and exploring where changes and improvements may need to occur. This includes holding the Commission accountable for the oversight of the Lethbridge Police Service and its budget.

Lethbridge City Council does not manage police services in our city. That’s the role of the Police Commission. City Council determines how much funding to provide the Lethbridge Police Commission, and the Commission allocates dollars based on the Service’s need. I support providing police services with the resources necessary to deliver the services we are asking them to provide.

An Action Plan has recently been submitted by the Lethbridge Police Services to the Provincial Government. I will commit to holding the Lethbridge Police Commission accountable and reporting back on that Action Plan.

I would also encourage each member of the Commission and each member of Council go on a ride along with first responder groups.

What does this mean for you? You’ll know that our police services is moving forward in ensuring the safety of all areas of our city, and that the Lethbridge Police Commission is being held accountable for policing services in our city.

I would also encourage residents and businesses to speak with Lethbridge Police Services regarding Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Downtown BRZ recently posted information about a CPTED grant available to businesses and property owners in our downtown.

Business

Focussing on economic development and recovery is important to our city’s future. Economic development is business investment attraction, business retention and expansion, and entrepreneurship and innovation, all of which lead to job creation. Economic development helps pay for City services and creates a vibrant community.

Our Economic Development Lethbridge Team works hard for our city and region and needs Lethbridge City Council’s support. I’m committed to supporting and furthering the current efforts and plans to become the western trade corridor in Canada, Canada’s agricultural and agri-food corridor, a logistics corridor, and a regional tourism hub.

What does this mean for you? It means attraction and investment in our city, jobs, and increased economic development pays for services that create a vibrant community.

Community

I’m committed to ensuring that we’re taking care of Lethbridge’s new and established neighbourhoods equally. This includes supporting:

• The creation of neighbourhood associations and groups
• The creation of Area Structure Plans for all neighbourhoods in our city

What does this mean for you? You will have a local, neighbourhood group to connect with and support you when it comes to:

• Becoming part of or being part of a neighbourhood
• Collaborating with other city neighbourhoods
• Liaising with the City of Lethbridge and other service organizations such as Lethbridge Police Services
• Advocating on behalf of your neighbourhood
• Planning for the future of your neighbourhood

Vote for me to be your elected representative and your voice on Lethbridge City Council. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I will represent you and our city. I will ask questions and listen because I also want to learn.

I want to hear from you. I want to know what services you use and how you believe we could make services more efficient and build a better city.

I believe in exchanging information and building relationships. If there is something in my campaign you would like to provide feedback on, or talk about, I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Watch for more to be released in 2 weeks.

All four pillars of my platform are interconnected, rely on each other, and work together to build a bright future for our city. Our community will only be stronger through connected and compassionate people, efficient services, and resilient businesses.

People

Offering everyone a space to belong includes creating opportunities for people to find meaningful work and connecting local employers with skilled and qualified employees.

Developing and retaining our local workforce is key to our city’s economic recovery. I’m committed to exploring and supporting ways to develop and retain our local workforce. I want to keep our talent in Lethbridge. This includes:

• Working with community organizations, educational institutions, and businesses to identify what career opportunities are available in our community and how to access them. This includes an information-sharing strategy about employment and skills-building opportunities.
• Advocating for and finding creative ways to promote local practicum placements, internships, co-ops, and applied studies in sectors throughout our community.
• Connecting graduates and job seekers to local opportunities by supporting the organizations that are already making those connections, and working with existing and new businesses that are making commitments to support our post-secondary graduates in Lethbridge.

What does this mean for you? I want to make it easier for job seekers and employers to connect in our city and region. I don’t want you to relocate to advance in your career. I want employers to find the employees they need right here in Lethbridge.

We are well-positioned to get moving on these connections. In a recent Southwest Alberta Regional Skills study:

• There is a willingness from both businesses and educational institutions to work together to better align training with opportunities.
• Employers in the region report having trouble finding the right people for the jobs they are providing while many job seekers cannot find employment in the industry they are trained for.

As a result, Economic Development Lethbridge and other regional partner organizations are:

• Developing labour market information to support decision making.
• Pursuing programs that attract top talent and increase talent retention.
• Increasing efforts to align training and skills with demand.
• Creating expanded work-integrated learning opportunities.

We can support Economic Development Lethbridge and our other regional partner organizations with these initiatives.

Service

To develop and retain our local work force, I’m committed to supporting and advocating for our post-secondary and other educational and skills-building institutions as places for investment. A commitment to supporting this industry in Lethbridge will provide for future opportunities in economic development, and in educating future generations.

Their innovative approaches to program offerings and skills development, and their willingness to work with business to better align training with opportunities are what will help us recover and drive our economy forward.

We’re fortunate to have 4 post-secondary institutions in our city:

• University of Lethbridge
• Lethbridge College
• Reeves College
• Red Crow College

We are also fortunate to have other skills-building institutions in our community that can assist with career development and skills training. These include everything from learning English and improving basic computer skills to upgrading for specific industries.

What does this mean for you? Whether it is a first diploma or degree, skills upgrading, or changing your career, these institutions are here for everyone in our community. We are able to do our own skills development right here at home. Our city boasts some of the highest rated post-secondary institutions in the country, and all of these institutions are here to fulfill our educational and career needs.

Business

I’m committed to focussing on regional partnerships and working co-operatively towards intermunicipal planning initiatives to build our region. It’s time we started looking at the bigger picture and planning as a region. This includes working with our neighbouring municipalities to unite provincially and federally as a region.

Lethbridge is a regional hub in Southern Alberta for trucking and trade, agriculture and agri-food, logistics, health care services, culture, and tourism. What’s good for our region is good for our city.

What does this mean for you? Presenting as a united region offers our city strategic opportunities to work with the provincial and federal governments. It highlights our unique regional strengths and ensures we’re as competitive and as attractive as markets such as the Calgary and Edmonton regions.

It means business investment attraction, business retention and expansion, and entrepreneurship and innovation for our region, all of which lead to job creation. It will pay for services and build a vibrant Southern Alberta community.

Community

We have so many great spaces to explore in this city including our downtown core. Just as Lethbridge is a hub for our region, our downtown core should be a vibrant hub for our community.

I’m committed to helping support and create a vibrant downtown that becomes a hub for:

• Business
• Employment
• Safe, secure, and diverse housing opportunities
• Entertainment
• Arts
• Culture
• Events

This would include supporting current and new strategies for investment and attraction to our downtown.

This also includes a commitment to supporting strategies for those experiencing homelessness, those experiencing addictions, and safety in our community – I will be talking more about these in next week’s post.

What does this mean for you? You’ll be able to enjoy a vibrant and active downtown space.

Vote for me to be your elected representative and your voice on Lethbridge City Council. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I will represent you and our city. I will ask questions and listen because I also want to learn.

I want to hear from you. I want to know what services you use and how you believe we could make services more efficient and build a better city.

I believe in exchanging information and building relationships. If there is something in my campaign you would like to provide feedback on, or talk about, I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Watch for more to be released next week.

All four pillars of my platform are interconnected, rely on each other, and work together to build a bright future for our city. Our community will only be stronger through connected and compassionate people, efficient services, and resilient businesses.

People

I’m committed to working on the tasks outlined by Age Friendly Lethbridge, a designation that recognizes age-friendly cities and communities that promote healthy and active aging. That includes helping our city to move forward in the areas of:

• Respect and social inclusion
• Communication and information
• Community support and health services
• Accessible outdoor spaces and buildings
• Affordable housing
• Transportation
• Civic participation and employment
• Social participation

What does this mean for you? Don’t let the name fool you. An Age Friendly Lethbridge is about everyone in our community. An age-friendly community is friendly for all its citizens, and addresses many of the concerns we are all voicing about our community, including:

• Safety
• Accessibility
• Employment opportunities
• Current transit structure
• Parks and pathways
• Affordable housing
• Sharing information about what’s available in our community and how to access it

Service

I’m committed to advocating for health care and mental health care services and supports for all people in our city. This includes:

• Holding our provincial and federal governments accountable and ensuring that our city and region are getting appropriate and necessary funding and supports for all health care services.
• Working with local AHS teams on a recruitment strategy to attract medical professionals in all areas of specialization to our city, so that everyone has a family doctor.
• Working with community organizations to assist them in securing funding and support from provincial and federal governments. This includes ensuring they’re able to provide the services necessary, so people don’t fall into crisis.

What does this mean for you? The health service professionals in our area do a tremendous job. Lethbridge City Council needs to do more to support them. For too long our area has been short many healthcare related services. Residents shouldn’t have to drive to Calgary or Edmonton for services. Residents shouldn’t fall into crisis because they can’t get the services needed here or because there’s a delay in receiving/accessing service that’s not available in the immediate area. Lethbridge is a regional hub and should be seeing the funding and supports of a regional hub.

Business

Focussing on economic recovery and development is key to our city’s future. Economic development is business investment attraction, business retention and expansion, and entrepreneurship and innovation, all of which lead to job creation. It pays for services and creates a vibrant community.

I’m committed to helping Economic Development Lethbridge do its job for our city by:

• Promoting the benefits of doing business in Lethbridge.
• Cutting red tape to make it easier to do business in our city.
• Updating and reviewing policies that create artificial barriers to growth.
• Exploring private business opportunities to enhance public services options.
• Working with local businesses to achieve their goals for recovery, retention, and expansion.

What does this mean for you? Economic Development Lethbridge returns $104 dollars to our community for every $1 in City funding it receives. This means jobs, a vibrant community, and increased economic development pays for services that create a vibrant community.

Community

We have so many great spaces to explore in this city. I’m committed to preserving and enhancing our natural spaces and areas, and the interconnectivity of our river valley, parks, recreational areas, and open spaces. This includes:

• Ensuring we’re caring for our urban forest, much like I did when I helped community groups advocate for the treatment of elm scale.
• Ensuring accessibility and future interconnectivity as we improve and build parks, pathways, and recreational areas, and consider year-round outdoor activity development for these areas.
• Asking that we build and plan for future sustainability and for our geography.

What does this mean for you? That we’ll all be able to get out and enjoy our green spaces year-round and know that the City is planning, planting, and building for our environment.

Vote for me to be your elected representative and your voice on Lethbridge City Council. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I will represent you and our city. I will ask questions and listen because I also want to learn.

I believe in exchanging information and building relationships. I want to hear from you. I want to know what services you use and how you believe we could make services more efficient and build a better city.

If there is something in my campaign you would like to provide feedback on, or talk about, I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Watch for more to be released next week.

I received this question on Facebook:

“I’m interested in what you have to say. I am noticing candidates are using a lot of the same broad stroke wording in their platforms and communication, and I’m interested in specifics. In your pillars you mentioned asking hard questions. What are some examples of the hard questions you think need to be asked and answered?”

It’s a great question. Here’s my response:

Some of what I see on the horizon will need to be some honest conversations that come as a result of the changes to the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI). This is funding from the provincial government that helps support local infrastructure priorities and build strong, staff and resilient communities. Launched in 2007, this funding has helped us do things such as renovate Fire Hall #1 to become the Multicultural Centre, extend the service life of our Public Operations building by another 25 years, the 3rd Ave. S. redesign and reconstruction project, renovate the airport terminal building, the Legacy Park pavilion and plaza, just to name a few. The MSI program is being extended until 2023 – 2024, after which it will be replaced with the Local Government Fiscal Framework, at which point we don’t know what these grants will look like.

If we see further reductions in grant funding, or even if we see increases in funding, then we will need to have what could be some challenging conversations around project selection and prioritization, and we will need to evaluate our community’s immediate priorities based on funds available and community need. This may or may not include a performing arts centre or a third bridge in the next 10 years. This is why it’s important to have projects such as the performing arts centre included in the City of Lethbridge’s Capital Improvement Program, which encompasses the capital projects we will be undertaking over the next four years (2022 – 2025), as well as identifying projects, between 2026 – 2031 that may occur depending on funding, community desire, and infrastructure requirements – this is where the performing arts centre is currently sitting. 2026 – 2031 projects are not approved.

We are also going to need to have some honest conversations in the immediate future around level of service, because funds are tight. For instance, while we are running a Green Box pilot project, after the pilot, we may find we cannot sustain the program. However, we need to see that data, do the research, and ask what we’re trying to achieve and why before implementation.

I also believe we will see some challenging discussions around land development. We’ve already seen some of that with the new Municipal Development Plan and the concerns with new housing developments in the city starting before previous developments were filled in, and prescribing areas that need to be filled in first before new developments can start. Restrictions such as these can negatively impact investment and the future growth of our city, and we need to ensure we’re finding a balance between our investors and land use development requirements to ensure Lethbridge is an attractive place for investment.

I also see that we’re going to have to ask and answer some honest and open questions around social housing and social support projects, and the future direction of our city when it comes to supporting the recommendations that come out of our Community Wellbeing and Safety Strategy. Where will we locate the health and wellness supports that go with that? And how will we work with all residents in this city to ensure that we are creating a space for everyone to belong.

These are only a few examples of the conversations I foresee us needing to have.

I also want to hear from you. I want to know what services you use, and where you believe things could change to make those services more efficient.

I believe in exchanging information and building relationships. If there is something in my campaign you would like to provide feedback on, or talk about, I welcome the opportunity to hear from you. The more conversations we have, the more opportunity we have to learn.

When I was building my campaign platform last fall, I considered the things that need to work together for us to have a strong and healthy Lethbridge. My volunteer and work experiences through organizations such as Economic Development Lethbridge, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lethbridge living magazine, and my current work at the public library, have all helped to prepare me to create a balanced platform. (Learn more about my skills and experience in the About section of my website.)

I’m running for Lethbridge City Council because I believe that this city we call home will have a bright future only when our people, our services, our businesses, and our community are all healthy and working together.

My campaign platform is built on 4 pillars:

People

Our city’s success relies on how we support the experiences of our people through community spaces, services, and business. I’m committed to ensuring we offer a space for everyone who lives here to belong. That means taking care of and committing to everyone who lives here, and finding cost-effective, citizen-involved, needs-based ways to do that.

Service

The City of Lethbridge is facing some immediate challenges, and we are going to need to have some difficult conversations around level of service and fiscal management. I am not afraid to have those conversations. With my skills, knowledge, and experience, I am the best candidate to ask the uncomfortable and difficult questions. I am committed to finding cost-effective ways to manage, support, and advocate for the services our physical community, people, and businesses need.

Business

Our community, people, and services all rely on robust and thriving business. I am committed to continuing to make our city an attractive place to do business by supporting current businesses and working on business attraction and retention activities with out-of-the-box and flexible thinking. Lethbridge is poised to lead Alberta in economic growth because of the strategies we have in place and planning we have done. We’ve done some good work, but more still needs to be done, and I’m committed to doing that.

Community

We all want what’s best for Lethbridge. I’m committed to ensuring that our city is an attractive and healthy place for people to live, play, work, and visit. This includes committing to our physical community spaces, and examining how we approach land development, which is inherently linked to people, service, and business.

It’s only through connected and compassionate people, efficient services, and resilient businesses that we will have a strong community.

My ability to build, bridge, and balance different perspectives – to connect the economic with the social, to balance business needs with social spending – means that I am prepared to have the difficult conversations we must have and make decisions about level of service and fiscal management. My experience means I have a unique skill set that enables me to consider different perspectives, to anticipate unintended consequences, and to make balanced decisions. I can objectively evaluate each issue in the context of community needs.

What does this mean for you?

Vote for me to be your elected representative and your voice on Lethbridge City Council. I won’t claim to have all the answers, but I will represent you and our city, and I will ask questions and listen because I’m not afraid to learn.

I also want to hear from you. I want to know what services you use, and where you believe things could change to make those services more efficient.

I believe in exchanging information and building relationships. If there is something in my campaign you would like to provide feedback on, or talk about, I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Our people, our services, our businesses, and our community all need to be healthy and working together to build a bright future for our city.

I’m excited to share that on Thursday, June 3, 10 a.m. I launched my campaign to run for Lethbridge City Council.

It’s no secret that I’m a passionate representative and advocate for our city and local area, and I understand the need for Lethbridge to connect and work with our surrounding communities. I want to strengthen those local, provincial, and national connections, and help see our city into the bright future I know we have.

My full platform, which will be rolled out over the coming months, has 4 pillars:

People: Our city’s success relies on how we support the experiences of our people through community spaces, services, and businesses. We need to ensure we offer everyone who lives here a space to belong.

Service: The City of Lethbridge is facing some immediate challenges, and we’re going to need to have some difficult conversations around level of service and fiscal management. I am not afraid to have those conversations. With my skills, knowledge, and abilities, I am the best candidate to ask the uncomfortable and difficult questions.

Business: Our community, people, and services all rely on the businesses that call Lethbridge home. We need to continue to make our city an attractive place to do business by supporting current businesses and committing to business attraction and retention with out-of-the box thinking.

Community: We all want what’s best for this city we call home, as we continue to ensure that it is an attractive and healthy place for people to live, work, and play. Our physical community spaces, and how we approach land use and development is inherently linked to our people, services, and businesses.

Through connected and compassionate people, efficient services, and resilient businesses, we will have a strong community.

I have the experience and I am engaged in our community. I currently serve on the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the City of Lethbridge’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, and as a Patient/Family Advisor in the South Zone for Alberta Health Services. I’ve represented this city on six successful Team Lethbridge missions, served as board chair for Economic Development Lethbridge and the Allied Arts Council, and also served on the Covenant Health Community Board. I was the owner, publisher, and editor of Lethbridge living magazine, until we sold that business in 2017, and I now work at the Lethbridge Public Library as the Manager of Marketing and Social Media. 

Watch here for updates about my platform.