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UPDATED: City council hopefuls enter election race

Jul 4, 2017 | 7:31 AM

Candidates are starting to throw their hat into the ring for this fall’s municipal election in Red Deer.

Brice Unland, a teacher at Notre Dame catholic high school, announced over the weekend he’ll be running for a seat on city council, saying his platform is based on community, safety, and dialogue.

“With that said, I am not of the belief that Red Deer City Council is broken or otherwise in dire need of major change,” he said in a release. “Rather, as a candidate I bring an open mind and a skill set that will be of great use to Council and the city as a whole. I look to apply my gifts and talents in a formal role for the betterment of our community.”

Doug Manderville announced Tuesday night he too is seeking a city council seat.

Manderville has lived with a disability for 23 years and has 18 years of experience in the not for profit sector advocating for persons with disabilities and reducing barriers.

“My platform is simple, reducing barriers for our citizens and increasing access to services,” he says. “Community development can be a slow process and it must be a collaborative effort, change doesn’t occur overnight. Realistically, we all will be affected by barriers at some point in our life.”

Jonathan Wieler is also vying for a seat on city council. He’s running for a second time after coming up short in his first bid in the 2013 election.

Matt Chapin is running for a council seat for a third time. He also ran for mayor in 2013. Jordy Smith, who works at Impact Life Church in Red Deer has also thrown his hat into the ring.

Current Red Deer city councillors Buck Buchanan, Ken Johnston, Tanya Handley, Lawrence Lee, Lynne Mulder and Dianne Wyntjes are all seeking re-election this fall. Frank Wong is undecided while Paul Harris says he’ll announce his decision in September.

Mayor Tara Veer has yet to announce her intentions.

Voters will head to the polls for the municipal election on October 16. Nomination day is September 18.