(Alberta NDP)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Dave Dale, of Mirror, AB

Alberta NDP announce Lacombe-Ponoka candidate for upcoming provincial election

Feb 21, 2023 | 2:42 PM

The Alberta NDP Lacombe-Ponoka Constituency Association has announced Dave Dale as its candidate for the upcoming provincial election on May 29.

Party officials say Dale has been an educator in Alberta for the last 25 years. They say he has worked in public, private, Indigenous schools, and in special education. He now teaches Grade 6 at a rural school.

Officials say Dave Dale is a born and raised Albertan and lives in the constituency. Since 2006 he and his wife Heather have lived in the hamlet of Mirror, AB.

Before teaching, Dale worked in Child and Youth Care and earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary.

Some key concerns to Dave Dale in the upcoming election are said to be:

SEPT. 21, 2021 INCIDENT

ASIRT finds Red Deer RCMP officer's use of firearm to be proportionate

1h ago

"WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY"

Jody Wilson-Raybould speaks on truth and reconciliation and partisanship in RDP series

1h ago

Tackling Poverty

Action for Prosperity community forum set for early November

3h ago

• Healthcare
• Education
• Diversifying the economy
• A government that works for the people
• Sustaining rural communities
• Making life more affordable for individuals and families

“I am so honoured that the members of this community have placed their trust in me to represent them in the coming election. The current government’s reckless disregard for our healthcare system, their defunding of our world-renowned education system and its dedicated teachers have weakened the social fabric of our communities. I can no longer watch the Alberta I grew up in be systematically dismantled, so I am proud to join Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP in their vision to build a better future for Alberta,” says Dale.

“I am running to be the MLA for this region because I know the issues my neighbours struggle with, and can see the solutions in the proposals and policies being put forward by the NDP. We are losing doctors, nurses, and teachers at alarming rates because of the current government, and enough is enough. I am ready to rebuild trust with Albertans and focus on the issues that matter around the kitchen table,” adds Dale.

Before he was a teacher, party officials say Dale worked in Child and Youth Care in Calgary. Dale has been working with children since he was 16 as a camp counselor. He has also worked in retail, restaurants, and in middle management at NGOs.

The Alberta NDP says Dave Dale has experience serving on boards and committees. Dale is also said to be an active member of the Alberta Teachers Association, serving as a local Vice President and Chair of the Negotiating Subcommittee. Dale was also a member of the Education Undergraduate Society while earning his Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Calgary and was elected to several positions on their executive.

The party says Dale believes that the MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka must be a resident of the constituency. Born and raised in Calgary, Dale has also lived in Bragg Creek and Nordegg prior to settling in Mirror, Alberta in 2006. Officials say Dale’s family still lives in Calgary and area.

“In this election, the big issues will be healthcare, education, and the cost of living but, there are other issues as well:

• The civility of government and social discourse
• The responsibility of government to listen to the public
• The responsibility of government to do what is best for the people who elected them
• How we look after the elderly and disadvantaged

We may disagree on how to solve or address these issues, but all of these issues, and more, need to be discussed in public,” says Dale. “We need our elected leaders to discuss, lead, and solve these issues. We, as the people who elected the members of government should expect more from them.”

“We should expect our government to be responsible to the people who elected them, not just small minorities that have particular interests, but all of the people of Alberta and to do what is best for all of them,” adds Dale. “Those are my expectations of the government. Those are the ideals I strive to achieve myself. That is the kind of MLA I will strive to be every day.”

Bentley-area farmer and former nurse Jennifer Johnson won the UCP nomination for the Lacombe-Ponoka riding.

Current UCP MLA Ron Orr is not seeking re-election.

Related: Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ron Orr won’t seek re-election in spring 2023

Johnson defeated flight paramedic Dusty Myshrall and Lacombe city councillor Chris Ross in the nomination contest, which closed on Friday.