Roughly 300 Red Deerians attend first byelection forum for new city councillor

ECONOMY

The candidates were asked about economic development and how they would retain and attract businesses.

Many responded with increasing a sense of safety, keeping property taxes low, and increasing housing. Krahn, having previously run for city councillor in 2021 ranking ninth with nearly 4,900 votes, suggested the creation of a Team Red Deer, mimicking the economic development group in the City of Lethbridge which gathers community leaders to raise awareness of the City’s contribution to the province.

“One of the things I want to focus on is incremental improvement. Asking everyone, ‘what’s the next simple thing we can do to make our city better?’,” he said.

Yzerman, Red Deer resident for over 60 years, pointed to capitalizing on the city’s location within the province.

“The expansion at the [Red Deer] Regional Airport can help to drive the economy as well as promotion of our city and area to other parts of the world,” he said.

Tweedle, former Alberta NDP-North candidate this past election, suggested expanding the City’s Vacant Spaces Grant to existing businesses as an incentive to stay.

CRIME AND SOCIAL DISORDER

The candidates were then asked about their strategies to address ongoing issues in crime and social disorder.

Living in the downtown, Milaney suggested consolidating resources into one location or area to be properly supervised.

“Right now, we have Safe Harbour, Turning Point, the John Howard Society, Potters Hands, the soup kitchen, and Shining Mountains, they’re all spread out amongst our downtown and it creates a corridor for the homeless and transient population to travel,” he said.

Krahn said there is a discrepancy between what councillors are hearing, what citizens are feeling, and what RCMP are reporting. He claims officers believe there is a small group of roughly 20 individuals responsible for half of the city’s crime.

Chilibeck said it is instead strong communities that will increase safety among locals, as well as phoning RCMP when something suspicious is seen.

“Being visible, knowing your neighbours, taking ownership of the area you live in, are all positive attributes of a strong community. Several years ago, Red Deer Neighborhood Watch had a pamphlet about knowing the nine neighbours surrounding your home. The information explained how when neighbours know each other and look out for one another, there’s less opportunity for crime to happen,” he said.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS

Five questions submitted by the public were then asked, the first regarding if the province should have the right to veto federal grants to municipalities.

With mixed responses, Huizing, Principal of Red Deer’s Vista Grande school, said they should not have the right as municipal politics pertain to local issues.

“Things happen here, we know about here, we know where we can get grants for things that will affect us here in Red Deer. Someone in a political party in Edmonton will not have the same priorities as the citizens of Red Deer and we see that time and time again,” he said.

Another question regarded how they would increase partnership with local school boards.

Tweedle said city council should meet with the boards more than their current frequency of once per year.

“In schools, these are people that have sometimes the best bird’s eye view of what family conditions are like in Red Deer, what needs are for families. They’re seeing their students coming, they know the struggles that exist,” she said.

Apart from a question on this year’s Overdose Prevention Site decision, candidates also shared some of their qualifications and their visions for Red Deer’s future.

Buchanan pointed to not only his 28 years working for the RCMP and 14 years as a Red Deer city councillor, but also his passion for mental health and addictions.

“I’ve sat on provincial mental health boards for the past four or five years and I’ve learnt an awful lot about mental health through the province,” he said.

Milaney shared his experience in the construction industry with his family business, learning fiscal responsibility, project and maintenance management to complete things on time and under budget, and a desire to preserve the city’s historical landmarks.

Collings shared his strengths in negotiations, particularly with various levels of governments and groups while filming during the pandemic.

“I’m really good with people, I know a lot of people, and I have the resources to resolve problems and conflicts,” he said.

MacDonald, former Alberta Green Party candidate, said he wants to see an accepting Red Deer.

“Acceptance of people’s differences, acceptance of change that is happening in the world. We’ve become the battleground for so many culture wars that are happening throughout North America, throughout western civilization if you will, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we’re scared. People are scared of change, of what they don’t understand, of what they don’t know,” he said.

Cullen-Saik echoed a similar sentiment.

“I think we can work shoulder to shoulder and we can achieve more together than we can in adversarial relationships with one another,” she said.

Red Deerians can vote on April 22.

READ: Nominations are in for the 2024 byelection

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by Alessia Proietti

Roughly 300 Red Deerians attend first byelection forum for new city councillor

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