Woodlands County councillors for the Blue Ridge, Goose Lake and Fort Assiniboine communities are all standing for re-election, Oct. 16.
First elected in 2004, Blue Ridge Coun. Daniel Pritchard said he will stand for re-election for his fifth-straight term, stating there are a number of issues he would like to see resolved.
At the top of the list is the repaving of the old Blue Ridge Highway that connects the hamlet to Whitecourt — a project the county has been working on for a number of years.
“We also need to keep lobbying the government [provincial] about widening Highway 658,” Pritchard said, adding over the years the roadway has been resurfaced a number of times and as a result there is practically no shoulder. “Which is a safety concern, especially in winter.”
Like his colleague, Fort Assiniboine Coun. Dale Kluin notes unfinished business as the main reason why he will run again. Kluin was first elected in 2004 and served two consecutive terms before being defeated by Olaf Nieslony in 2010. In 2013, he returned to council.
First and foremost is the issue of cellular and Internet connectivity, especially in Fort Assiniboine, Timeu, Goose Lake and Anselmo. This is something the county has been trying to solve for years.
“We’ve been working with Telus and a number of other companies in an effort to solve the problem and they tell us it is getting better, but in our opinion it’s not. It doesn’t take rocket science, just come and try to use a cellphone or get on the Internet,” he said. “In this day and age it is something everyone should have and I don’t understand why they [service providers] don’t want to change things.”
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) agrees and in late 2016 declared that broadband Internet and basic telecommunications i.e. cellular coverage are essential services.
Almost-hand-in hand with connectivity Kluin said is the issue of firefighter training. About three weeks ago, the Fort Assiniboine Fire Department took ownership of a new medical unit [more information in our Aug. 22 issue].
“We have a new ambulance. We have people who are trained as EMRs, EMTs and even have a nurse on staff, but we are only allowed to do certain things because AHS [Alberta Health Services] doesn’t think we are qualified to do it,” he said, adding as a result people have had to wait, sometimes, an inordinate amount of time before receiving medical treatment. “If we have to sit here and wait for ambulances to come from Westlock or Mayerthorpe, people are going to die. Somehow we have to convince the government [province] to allow our people to do what they are trained and capable of doing.”
The other issue on Kluin’s list are the delays in the start of the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association’s (BDSHA) plan to spend an estimated $22 million to renovate Hillcrest Lodge.
“Working with this government and all the delays have been very frustrating, but we have to keep pushing them,” he said.
Emergency services is Goose Lake Coun. Dale McQueen’s top issue and the reason why he has decided to run again. McQueen has been a councillor since 2007 and first decided to run because at the time he was opposed to a proposed nuclear power plant being built in Fort Assiniboine.
“Actually, up until a few months ago I thought I wasn’t going to run again, but what made me change my mind is being able to see some of the things we have started for our first responders, especially here in Goose Lake, come to completion,” he said.
For years, he said the Goose Lake Fire Department has lacked resources and at one time was in danger of dissolution, in large part, because of lack of volunteers.
“I’ve got to say they [Goose Lake firefighters] are the best volunteers that you can ever have because they stood by and watched everyone else get new equipment and upgrades to their facilities. Meanwhile, the guys here were working with vintage stuff from the 1970s,” McQueen said, adding he couldn’t blame the department for not being able to recruit new members. “They would jump in an old pumper truck and wonder if they would have enough fuel to get back because someone had stolen the gas cap and siphoned it because it had to be stored outside.”
However, McQueen said that is all changing because the county approached the community, saying if they could get enough volunteers they would keep the fire department open and upgrade the equipment and hall.
In May, council approved the purchase of a new combination pumper/tender truck and plans are in the works to expand the fire hall.
McQueen also echoed Kluin’s concern regarding Internet and cellular coverage, saying not enough has been done to eliminate dead spots.
“And that is also a safety concern because our first responders rely on their cellphones and the radio systems, which also need improvement,” he said.
