In regards to the article in the Dec. 26 issue of the Innisfail Province and to being considered a Newsmaker of 2017, I would like to thank editor Johnnie Bachusky and the Province for bestowing such a distinction.
It’s a humbling honour. I stand in good company with Mary Flemming, Christa Lamboo, Todd Becker and Jim Romane.
However, I would like to clarify one point.
While there is nothing particularly inaccurate in the article, it’s conceivable that some may construe that I was instrumental in some way in the fire department receiving a new remuneration policy. I was not.
I was a co-founder of Citizens for Innisfail (CFI), along with Mary and Christa (and others), and together sought betterment for the town on a number of issues.
I left the group in April, but at no time did I, nor the CFI group, question or protest any remuneration policy, nor seek a revised one for our fire department.
The impetus for that was solely from the fire department itself, spearheaded by Chief Gary Leith, Deputy Chief Dennis Fehr, assistant deputy chiefs Tim Ainscough and Clark Maldaner, and the other senior officers in their attempts to be dealt with openly and respectfully.
Kudos to them and to our new CAO, Todd Becker, for working together on this and for reforging a critical relationship.
May it be a harbinger of a healthy, prosperous, and less contentious 2018 for our town. Happy New Year to all.
Jim Carroll
Innisfail
