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.