Mary Anne Overwater announces bid for Olds council

Another contender has entered the ring in the race for a councillor’s seat in Olds this fall.

Mary Anne Overwater, who has lived in Olds for 21 years, officially announced her intention to run to the Olds Albertan on July 13.

"It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do but I just never really felt that I could dedicate my time while I was working," she said, adding she is now retired and enjoying time with her husband Joe after careers in banking and special needs education.

Overwater said her inspiration for entering politics comes from her father, who served in northern Alberta for 35 years, and her sister, who is currently a politician in northern Alberta.

Since coming to Olds when her late husband was transferred here in the early 1990s, Overwater has worked at the Bank of Montreal and the Horizon School and she said she has no political experience.

But she said it’s her volunteer work with Olds Minor Hockey and the Olds Figure Skating Club that has prepared her for an opportunity to serve the town as a councillor.

"With that, you deal with a large, diverse group of people. Everybody has a concern that wants to be addressed. I feel that my integrity is strong, I have honesty, open communication, common sense and a dedication that I feel I would pledge to the town of Olds."

As for what she would like to accomplish should she find herself elected to office in October, Overwater said she doesn’t have any concrete plans but wants to connect with the community to set goals.

"Our town is going to grow and in the next four years I think it’s going to grow a lot and I think the decisions that we make in the next four years, they have to be the right decisions for long-term growth," she said.

So far, at least one current councillor, Arvin Bull, is not seeking reelection in the fall.

Municipal elections take place Oct. 21.

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