Politicians serving the Town of Cochrane and the provincial and federal riding areas reflect on this year and the coming one.
With two elections on the horizon (the next municipal is in 2020), a pipeline barricade that has the province on its knees and a big year for town council – who voted in on-demand transit, bringing the Tri-Site plans past its first steps and a budget that looks to year over year moderate tax hikes to ensure services keep up with demand – there is no shortage of campaign promises yet to reach fruition or new ideas in the works ...
Each of these questions are tailored individually.
Banff-Airdrie MP Blake Richards
As the Conservatives rev up for a fall 2019 election, what does the party have to focus on to achieve success?
The very future of our country may depend upon it. As Conservatives, our focus needs to be on demonstrating to all Canadians that elections, and the issues they are about, matter in our day-to-day lives. And that we have the right plan to clean up the mess left by the disastrous policies of the Trudeau government. The deficits of today, are the tax increases of tomorrow. Increased regulations and tax burden on small businesses today, are the job losses of tomorrow.
A government that wants to kill our energy industry threatens future investment in our country, and, frankly, risks the unity of this country. We will be putting forward a positive vision to get Canada back on the right track again.
What is the best course to remedy the energy crisis?
Pipelines, pipelines, pipelines.
Albertans don’t want government handouts, they want jobs. And that means building pipelines. Scrap the no-more-pipelines Bill C-69, the job-killing carbon tax, and end the foreign interference in our regulatory processes. In other words, get some pipelines built.
By getting pipelines built to tidewater, we can expand our market access and reduce the massive price differential for our oil that is making our industry unprofitable and driving investment out of this country. In so doing, we will create jobs and opportunity for those who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. We will bring investment back to this country where we produce the world’s most ethical and environmentally-responsible oil, thereby helping our economy and improving our environment.
But in order to do this, we need a change of government. Justin Trudeau just doesn’t get it, and, even worse, just doesn’t care. Bring on the 2019 election and a Conservative government that will fight for Canadians.
Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead
As polls continue to slide out of NDP favour, how will the party compete in the looming election?
Albertans will face a clear choice in the next election. On one hand, the UCP says “it’s going to hurt” if they form government. Jason Kenney’s making backroom deals with car salesmen to roll back workers’ rights and consumer protections. He threatens to lay off thousands of nurses and teachers, and is promising to gut environmental protections and liquidate public lands. He says he won’t get “bogged down” with consultations, and will move so quickly that Albertans won’t have time to stop him. Worse yet is that he's planning a $700-million tax giveaway to the wealthiest one per cent.
On the other hand, Rachel Notley and the NDP are fighting for what matters, and making sure Alberta’s economic recovery includes everyone. We are fighting for pipelines, jobs, progress on climate change, and improving our public healthcare and education systems. We’re taking action to enhance tourism and recreation by protecting Bighorn Country and investing in Kananaskis Country. We have taken a major step forward by indexing social benefits like Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and seniors benefits with inflation, and appointing an Advocate for Persons with Disabilities.
What do you feel have been your greatest personal successes in your time as MLA?
It is an honour to serve the constituents of Banff-Cochrane. I’m most proud of securing funding for the 1A/22 highway intersection, passing a motion to protect Alberta’s headwaters for the water security of future generations, co-chairing a Human-Wildlife Coexistence Roundtable to ensure we can live in harmony on this busy landscape, and being appointed as the Chair of Alberta’s Endangered Species Conservation Committee.
Mayor Jeff Genung
Biweekly garbage has been a contentious subject lately. It has been phrased by administration as being inevitable and you have spoken in favour of the push.
What can you say to those who feel it’s too rushed or unattainable?
Town administration is exploring opportunities to reduce the amount of waste being sent to Calgary landfills, particularly as the City of Calgary is set to begin charging extra or refusing waste that should have been diverted to compost or recycling. I believe that for bi-weekly pick-up to be successful for the community as a whole, more work needs to be done on understanding the concerns of residents who feel it is unattainable and exploring opportunities to address those concerns. Regardless of whether or not the town moves forward with bi-weekly pick-up, additional marketing and education is important for helping residents to understand how to properly sort their waste.
What do you feel are council's biggest accomplishments to date? Next focus?
On-Demand Transit: Cochrane will be the first Canadian community to offer a fully on-demand transit system. For just $2.50, users will be able to pre-schedule their trip, with bus stops ideally located within 400 metres of each residence. Beginning in September 2019, this important service will ensure that all residents have access to affordable transportation and will also provide a connection to the University of Calgary, SAIT and the Crowfoot C-train station.
Tri-Site: Cochrane has a unique opportunity to re-develop three parcels of land in our downtown core. The proposed concept plan includes: a ‘Cochrane Central Park’ at the 5th Avenue site, providing a publicly accessible outdoor space; a transit hub, makerspace and indoor/outdoor spillover space for visual and performing arts; and, an expanded library, performing arts theatre and innovation centre.
Greystone: Council approved this mixed-use community, providing new commercial and industrial development. Replacing the existing gravel pit on the south side of Griffin Road, Greystone will provide offsite levies to support critical Town infrastructure projects and an increase in commercial tax revenues and revitalize this ideally located property.
Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, we will continue work on improving community connectivity through upgrades to existing road networks. This will include the completion of the Bow River Bridge, the Sunset Ridge pathway connection to the RancheHouse and Cochrane Ranche and the Horse Creek Pedestrian Crossing. As well, we will continue to advocate for highway improvements within town boundaries.
Coun. Marni Fedeyko
How have you been able to navigate the potential conflicts of interest and public optics, given your dual role as a town councillor and a news reporter?
From my point of view and my employer’s point of view, absolutely. Being a reporter and a town councillor is a balance – one I take seriously – but is by no means breaking any laws. Information I hear as a councillor has never been contravened; in fact, I am extremely sensitive to my dual role. I am very careful and cautious in pursuing certain stories but thanks to a great team I feel I am able to wear separate hats. Having a news reporter ‘inquisitiveness’ I think helps me when it comes to hearing all sides of the story and asking questions that need to be answered. I think most people appreciate my ability to do both roles and those that don’t...maybe weren’t fans to begin with.
Increased public engagement has been a mandate for this council and one you have been supportive of. Do you feel the boosted engagement has been effective or does it result in clouding issues rather than illuminating them?
I think most people appreciate the fact that I am open and honest. While it would be 100 times easier to not post the truth, not respond to social media criticism, and to just not say anything, that isn’t why I ran. Voting no or yes is easy, but owning why you did is much more difficult. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to support my tactic but in the end I ran on being available, communicating the issues, and even when I am criticized, I am doing what I said I would do. The job is not easy and I have certainly faced my share of criticism, however, I love this town and will continue to share news that I believe is relevant for those that call this community home.
Coun. Susan Flowers
How do you remain objective and balanced as a voting member of council, given your 20-plus years as a manager of social services (FCSS)?
During my year on council, I have found that experience as a manager with the town has served me well. I know a great deal of the Cochrane history and how the internal departments operate. Also, I have great respect for how hard the staff work and the pressures they face. There is a constant learning curve on council as we see new issues and projects come our way. I am committed to listening until it is time to make a decision at a council meeting. There is always two sides to every story and I want to be open to all information and vote on what I believe is best for Cochrane as a whole. The decisions we make are not just for us today but impact generations to come.
Transit was clearly a big personal win for you. You ran on a campaign rooted in commitment to social infrastructure – what's next for you?
I am thrilled that Cochrane will see transit in 2019. This is life changing for many residents and will benefit all through fewer cars on the roads and in parking lots. Recently, the Tri-Site committee has made its recommendations to council about the development of three town-owned properties. I look forward to seeing how these develop over the rest of our term. There is the potential to fill many social/community infrastructure needs on these sites. We also have several road and pathway projects underway which will improve traffic and connectivity for Cochrane. It is an exciting time to be on Cochrane town council.
Coun. Tara McFadden
Switching to biweekly garbage pickup next year has been presented as inevitable, yet there are a lot of residents who feel they are being asked to do too much, too soon. Why are you supportive of making the switch and what can you say to those who are against it?
The timing of the switch is about saving residents money. By vendor contract, the cost for weekly pickup to continue is going up in 2019. If Cochrane moves to biweekly pickup of the black bin, which sorting waste correctly allows, and many are already doing, we can keep the costs at the 2018 rate and include a large item pickup service. By managing waste correctly, we can both increase the service and reduce household costs for everyone. The program includes free extra bins where necessary, such as families with kids in diapers, or medical needs. Extra bins can be ordered for a fee, so there are options. For those residents who are sorting correctly, continuing with weekly pickup is forcing them to pay for a service they do not need. Changing our habits, will save us all money.
As you are serving your fourth term on town council, what do you bring to the table and what do you feel you have yet to achieve?
Experience, a balanced perspective, a desire to ensure Cochrane is a community of choice, a proven ability to stay connected, a willingness to learn, and a sense of humour. It is an exciting time to be a part of Cochrane’s leadership and I am committed to being a champion for positive change. My goals for the rest of the term include; managing Cochrane’s growth through smart planning, creating more recreational opportunities including trails and playing fields, delivering on traffic management projects, and empowering residents to be part of the decision-making process.
Coun. Morgan Nagel
Do you feel your vie for provincial nomination under the UCP impacted your performance/public perception of you as a town councillor?
My team and I did quite well in Cochrane in the UCP nomination race, but we lost in Airdrie and Bearspaw. All told, I feel the experience made me a better representative for our community. During the UCP nomination I visited pretty much every home in Cochrane – if I missed you, chances are you weren’t home when I knocked. After speaking with thousands of families, I feel significantly more in tune with our town’s political pulse than ever before. I think meeting so many people, making countless personal connections and learning about the concerns of every neighbourhood has put me in a great position to serve Cochrane.
Much of what you advocated for this year was not met by majority support (lowering taxes, pausing transit, increasing elected officials salaries to make up for cut in federal tax exemption - resulting in same take-home pay). Where will you look to for common ground to gain some wins in 2019?
Even though a majority of my colleagues don’t agree with the movement to slow down residential growth and reduce government spending, I still feel that we had a number of wins in 2018. The best example is the new bridge. I was thrilled when we finally broke ground on construction of the project. We also saw many smaller, important successes over the year. Our track record is strong when it comes to standing up for our residents. One need look no further than the proposed Jones Estate development in Gleneagles. In that area we took a principled stand alongside the residents, even against the recommendation of our administration. We also similarly sided with our residents and maintained community park space in West Valley and Bow Meadows, rather than letting it grow wild. While our group may not always agree on all the issues, we still get important work done. I look forward to continuing that work in the new year and will continue voting against irresponsible residential growth and big government spending.
Coun. Alex Reed
You have pushed back on a lot of items that have been passed by council. Do you feel council is being fiscally responsible and what shifts would you like to see made in 2019?
I think our first term, as a town council, has been very productive. In fact, it has been much more productive than I had initially envisioned. Over this last year, I believe that we have developed a great working relationship with each other as council members and with the administration, which is critical for the success of any governing body. I also believe we have established effective relationships with our surrounding communities, and partners, particularly with Rocky View County. And I believe that town council has developed a culture, values, vision, and goals for the future, both within our term, and for years to come. We have been strategic about our expenditures and I believe for the most part, fiscally responsible. Admittedly, I thought we might find more cost saving measures and view this as a potential opportunity for 2019.
You have said you see the merits of transit yet voted no based on concerns that it will become a "boondoggle" to the taxpayer. If not now, when the capital funding is available, then when and what would need to see to support on-demand transit?
I have repeatedly said that I both clearly understand and sympathetically support all the merits of public transit. My concerns about transit are purely financial. I am concerned about the potential financial realities once all the government grants are spent and about the possible financial liability transit will place on the backs of Cochrane’s taxpayers. If you pardon the pun, transit has a lot of moving parts and unless ridership volume is high within the current pilot and costs and service don’t balloon, I am afraid that the ongoing associated costs of transit have the potential of outstripping the average taxpayer’s ability to pay and the tax burden will be too much to endure.
Coun. Pat Wilson
You chose early on during the transit debate to recuse yourself, based on perceived conflict of interest. Do you regret not being a part of that debate and how do you feel about the decision?
I did choose early to remove myself from transit debates, as the local taxi company I very proudly maintain - Taxi4u Cochrane - operates in a possibly overlapping consumer market. It did indeed pain me to remain sidelined on a debate that involves taxpayer-funded responsibility for operational – and eventually capital – costs incurred, likely for many years to come. With respect to our democratic process, however, I have no regrets regarding my recusal, as I would make the same decision today regardless of my opinion of the outcome.
You voted against the budget and are looking to change the process on how council votes on it in the future. What are you looking to achieve and what is your primary concern with how it is done at present?
I feel blessed to work with a truly outstanding mayor, council and administrative team and harbour no animosity other than a desire to tweak our procedure. I did, however, vote against our ultimately finalized budget as I was disappointed that our group was unwilling to make any necessary cuts to avoid our average three per cent tax increase yearly, over the next three years. While Cochrane should be excited about many amazing capital projects and services currently provided and soon to come - these have also forced council to make tough decisions or raise taxes to pay for associated costs. While I am against tax increases in general, I think our timing is particularly poor in our current economic climate. My proposed change in our future budget voting procedure, is designed to place greater accountability on our elected representatives, and give more accessible information to Cochrane residents.
