(Town of Blackfalds)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Broadening The Spectrum

New Blackfalds committee encourages women and minorities to run for local government

Apr 23, 2021 | 2:10 PM

The Town of Blackfalds has launched an initiative aimed at encouraging women and minorities to become involved in Alberta politics.

Just in time for the upcoming municipal elections in October, the Town has announced the formation of the Women and Minorities in Politics Committee (WMP).

Town officials say the committee is dedicated to providing multiple engagement and education opportunities to help the process.

Committee members met for the first time on Apr. 19, where chairperson and Blackfalds councilor Rebecca Stendie is said to have shared that she is proud of the deliverables the committee has recommended and looks forward to working in partnership with other communities.

“I am very excited that the committee had so many suggestions for presenters for this initiative – we are very lucky to have a wonderful variety of leaders to choose from and we hope that this committee will encourage more people with diverse backgrounds and cultures to run in the upcoming election or join a board,” said Stendie, in a press release.

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In the future, the WMP Committee is anticipated to bring diverse and experienced communities and central Alberta leaders together for educational sessions to discuss the current barriers that are present when running for office or being involved in any role in local government.

Officials say the committee is hopeful they will be able to provide a session in the daytime, evening, and on the weekend while offering valuable information on running as a candidate and the role of an elected official and the role of governance.

Other initiatives being put forward by the committee are expected to include a survey to get feedback on the current obstacles to running for office and how to create a mentor support program.

Mayor Richard Poole, who has been a member of council for over 20 years, noted he was proud of Blackfalds’ long history of female elected officials.

“For 10 years, Blackfalds had the privilege of being led by Mayor Melodie Stol, and in the past three terms we have been fortunate that we have had strong representation by having three out of seven Councillors chosen by our community being women,” said Poole. “I hope that you will be encouraged by this success rate and even more women will choose to put their name forward in the upcoming election.”

Town officials say leadership groups that are built with different opinions, backgrounds, and lived experiences help to make better decisions, as explained by the AUMA Women in Government Hub. Specifically, “having women on council means more perspectives will be debated, and by hearing different voices and adopting different approaches, we can have innovative decision-making.”

Anyone interested in becoming involved with WMP or who would like to learn more about Blackfalds politics in anticipation of the 2021 Municipal Elections, visit the WMP webpage.