The majority of voters in area municipalities say they would like to see Daylight Saving time maintained year-round, according to Oct. 18 referendum results released by area towns and villages and a county.
During the municipal election voters were asked: “Do you want Alberta to adopt year-year-round Daylight Saving time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?”
In Mountain View County, 1,946 said yes and 1,825 said no.
In Didsbury, 827 said yes and 753 said no.
In Carstairs, 683 said yes and 514 said no.
In Cremona, 77 said yes and 67 said no.
In Bowden, 211 said yes and 144 said no.
In Innisfail, 1,329 said yes and 1,117 said no.
In Sundre, 500 said yes an 364 said no.
Area voters also made their choices from among 13 candidates in the Alberta Senate nominee election race.
The candidates were Jeff Nielsen, Kelly Lorenz, Nadine Wellwood, Erika Barootes, Rick Bonnett, Pam Davidson, Doug A. Horner, Duncan Kinney, Mykhailo Martyniouk, Ann McCormack, Karina Pillay, Chad Jett Thunder Saunders, and Sunil Sookram.
The top three candidates provincewide will be recommended for future senate appointment.
In the Innisfail, Sundre, Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Cremona and Bowden the top three candidates selected in all cases were Barootes, Davidson and Martyniouk.
The results of the senate vote are not binding on Queen’s Privy Council of Canada, which appoints senators in Canada. The province is expected to release provincewide results this week.
Voters also cast ballots on the equalization question that read: “Should Section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 - Parliament and the government of Canada’s commitment to the principle of making equalization payments - be removed from the constitution?”
In Mountain View County, 3,076 said yes and 666 said no.
In Innisfail, 1,364 said yes and 944 said no.
In Cremona, 91 said yes and 53 said no.
In Carstairs, 939 said yes and 235 said no.
In Didsbury 1,120 said yes and 402 said no.
In Bowden, 277 said yes and 82 said no.
In Sundre, 638 said yes and 207 said no.
Returning officers in Olds and Red Deer County declined to provide The Albertan with the results of the senate, daylight saving and equalization polls, saying the results will be forwarded to the province.
“The province is responsible for releasing the results of the provincial referendum questions and senate election votes,” said Nancy Lougheed, returning officer for Red Deer County.
- With files from Johnnie Bachusky, Doug Collie and Simon Ducatel
