Candidates for Innisfail council have given their take on the most important issues concerning town citizens -- and the replacement of the Autumn Glen Lodge for seniors, increasing the supply of industrial land and engaging youth were ones that decidedly stirred the most passion.
For almost 90 minutes on Oct. 8, the candidates fielded questions from the public at the Learning Centre during the first and only all candidates forum.
Last month, current councillor Brian Spiller was acclaimed mayor, as he was the only candidate to officially seek the town's highest elected position on nomination day. There are nine candidates challenging for the six town councillor seats, including incumbents Heather Taylor and Mark Kemball. The rest of the councillor candidates are Danny Rieberger, Jodi Desjardins, Jim Humble, Doug Bos, Gavin Bates, Jack Kline and Patt Churchill. Eight of the nine candidates were at the Oct. 8 forum. Kline did not attend.
Spiller, who addressed the audience at the start of the forum, set the tone for the forum by stating the town's industrial land shortage and the replacement of Autumn Glen were two of the most important issues facing the community. He added after the forum that the increasing cost of water and sewer utility bills was also a high priority with citizens but did not offer hope there would be immediate relief.
“Truthfully over the next two years they will probably go up 15 per cent each year as we increase the amount of sewer we send into the regional sewer line, which will increase our cost again,” said Spiller after the forum. “It is going to be a never-ending problem.”
During the forum candidates also fielded questions on property taxes, public safety, economic development, accountability, tourism, library funding and train noise, the latter producing a roar of laughter from the audience. But the most passionate responses centred on issues involving the town's youth and seniors.
“Teens are the second-largest demographic we have in town and we have a lot of kids falling into the cracks,” said Kemball, adding the community is being shortchanged by the Alberta government's unwillingness to provide the necessary funding to replace the aging Autumn Glen Lodge. The province is not stepping up and is downloading this issue to the communities.”
While some candidates suggested bringing in more programs and recreational facilities for youth, Desjardins said it was not the answer. She said the best way to help youth in town is to ensure they are working, adding there are not enough job opportunities in Innisfail.
“Young people have no jobs to go to here in Innisfail. They need to work. I don't think a youth centre is going to work at all. It is not the solution,” said Desjardins, who wants the town to provide transit to Red Deer for youth to get to jobs. “Holding dances and activities for these young kids is not going to do it. You need to give them something more to do. A troubled youth needs a job. They need a focus, and a reality check.”
However, some candidates told the audience there are plenty of job opportunities in town for young adults and that the best way to help them was for the community to regularly engage them by hosting community events and programs, in partnerships with the schools.
“I really do believe there is no such thing as bad kids, they just do bad things,” said Churchill. I think as a council we can facilitate to help the community be better for youth.
“School resource officers can find these children that are having issues and help them,” she added. “Another thing is to encourage programs at the library. Come in and use it. It is yours and it is free.”
In promoting increased economic development for the town, some candidates noted their experience in business and management, notably Bates, Humble and Bos, with the latter suggesting a stronger local economy would create better employment opportunities for youth.
“By making it a stronger, economically viable town there is more money for everybody to put into those things and concentrate on them,” said Bos.
Several candidates acknowledged that to improve the economic future for the town there needs to be more industrial land available to market and attract businesses.
“The industrial land bank is used up,” said Bates. Others, including Bos and Kemball, said it just wasn't enough to acquire more land but essential it is quickly developed.
“When we do develop land for sale in town we are going to have to make sure we are able to market it and get it sold,” said Bos. “There are a number of communities that have sat on land for 20 years so it is a huge investment to sit on.”
