Premier Alison Redford announced yesterday the date for the provincial election. She kicked off her campaign in Edmonton and stopped in Innisfail shortly after 2 p.m. for a quick meet and greet at Tim Hortons.
"We've got to make a lot of decisions right now about what growth looks like," said Redford of an expected population boom. She also highlighted concerns for education, healthcare and infrastructure.
The election will be held April 23, meaning candidates have just under four weeks to campaign.
In the Innisfail ñ Sylvan Lake riding, five candidates have stepped forward to campaign for this riding's Member of Legislative Assembly spot.
Incumbent Progressive Conservative Like Ouellette, Wildrose Kerry Towle, Alberta Party, Danielle Klooster, Liberal Les Vidok and NDP Patricia Norman are campaigning for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake.
"I'm old but I think young," said Ouellette during Redford's campaign stop. He said he'll be using the same platform as he did in 2001, with a focus on maintaining lots of opportunities for future generations. He's been the local MLA since 2001. He was Minister of Restructuring and Government Efficiency before becoming the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation in 2006 until 2011. He said his focus will be on roads, roads, education and getting an urgent care centre to Sylvan Lake. He opened his campaign office on 50 Street on March 24.
Kerry Towle, Wildrose Party candidate opened her office in Innisfail on 49th Avenue March 3.
"I think when people go to the polls it doesn't have to be just the way it was for the last 40 years. They will have a chance to make change," said Towle.
As part of the Wild rose campaign platform she said top concerns are on property rights and parents rights when it comes to their children's education. Locally, she supports getting an urgent care centre in Sylvan Lake.
Les Vidok, who works as an account representative with World Source Financial Management, lives in Sylvan Lake and is the Liberal candidate for the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding. His local concerns are getting an urgent care centre to Sylvan Lake and working on some of the road systems in the area.
"It's going to be interesting it' going to be anybody's guess," said Vidok of the upcoming election. "Really, what I think is going to happen, my own personal opinion, is the vote is going to get split off. ÖI'm hoping there'll be enough votes splitting off that our party will actually come in as the winner."
Danielle Klooster, current town councillor for Penhold and manager of policy, advocacy and communications, for the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce, is running for the Alberta Party. The party, which just announced it's first ever platform Thursday, which looks at healthcare, students, the economy, communities and democracy. Highlights from the platform include promising a public inquiry into all aspects of the health system, remove the age limit for funding for adults who wish to obtain their high school diploma and providing a zero per cent small business tax rate for the first three years for all new start-ups.
"For me, all of the issues feed into economic issues," said Klooster. "You hear people say well the PC are the only party that ware going to look after the economy so we need them to stay in power and yet, if you're going to make them responsible for the boom then the logic follows that they're responsible for the bust as well. I believe that the boom/bust is more related to government policy than the price of the barrel. it impacts everything."
Patricia Norman, lives east of Innisfail and is running for the NDP. She said she's lived in the area for 20 years and wants to run for the NDP because their platform is "near and dear to her heart." He top issues are on land owner rights and providing change.
"I'm also very interested in having a real change and fairness for all people not just corporations," she said.
For more information on each candidate and why they're running, please see "Five candidates line up for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake" on page 7 of the Mountain View Gazette.
