ATHABASCA — Doris Splane is leaving local politics to focus on the future.
For 20 years, Splane has been a familiar face on Athabasca County council, representing Div.3, and serving as councillor, deputy reeve and reeve. She first ran to make things better for the future and now she’s leaving so others can do the same.
“I really didn't want to get into (politics), I have a friend who encouraged me that I should try and run when the local councillor retired,” she said in a recent interview. “I thought about it quite a bit and then said, you know what, if I don't try then I’ll never know if it was for me, so I've been there 20 years.”
Splane’s life devoted to the public started long before then however. Her first career was as a nurse, then when she became a mother, she was heavily involved with saving the then Athabasca County-run Boyle School, she sat on the hospital board, then the Aspen Regional Health Authority before throwing her hat in the political ring.
“I was on the Boyle hospital board and then when regional health came in, I was put on that board for seven years,” said Splane. “I drove back and forth to Westlock with the inaugural board of the Aspen Regional Health Authority and then this opportunity came up after that.”
Splane was raised on a farm near Dapp, and knew her husband, Fred and his family growing up, but it wasn’t until they grew up a bit more the spark between them ignited and as was expected at the time, there was no living together before the wedding.
“Fred and I were engaged when I came to Boyle in August 1975, I lived in the Boyle hospital residence, which is now the Alberta Health Services wing, until June when we were married 45 years ago,” said Splane. “I’ve been a farm wife ever since and loving it.”
In 2014, Splane was re-elected and served as reeve until 2017.
“And then with a lot of circumstances, outside family responsibilities, I said no, I couldn't do a good job and so I stepped back (from being reeve),” she said.
She recalls several large projects over her career like the regional waterline, improving the airport, the fire training centre and more. But one project will always remain near and dear to her heart.
“Greater North (Foundation) is a passion of mine, and of course seeing the facilities in Lac la Biche, LacAlta (Lodge), and PVL (Pleasant Valley Lodge in Athabasca) and then my pet project of course is the (Wildrose) Villa in Boyle,” said Splane. “Those are some major ones.”
Splane worked on the project to get the Wildrose Villa in Boyle with Elmer Kennedy even as he was fighting cancer, and had been for 15 years. When the time came to turn the sod however he was too sick so arrangements were made to bring in a big tub of dirt, some small garden shovels, the MP, MLA, and other dignitaries so Kennedy could be part of the last step from his hospital bed.
“He was in palliative care in Boyle and to give him that privilege because he had been so instrumental in helping me keep that community together and get the results that we got,” she said, her voice cracking a bit at the memory.
The project taken on by her and Kennedy was to ensure communities stayed viable and strong, a place to be born, grow up, work, and retire.
“I saw seniors just needed to have a place here. They were leaving our community simply because they had no housing and their families weren’t here, particularly when one spouse ended up in a facility in Athabasca or Smoky Lake or wherever, coming from Boyle,” said Splane. “They were separated at a time when they needed to be together.”
And while Splane admits she won’t be “sitting at home twiddling my thumbs” she has decided to retire to make room for the future, both to spend more time with her 13 grandchildren, ranging in age from one to 22 years old, and for the next generation to take over.
“Youth have incredible thought patterns and they're not just like I hear peoples say, ‘Oh those kids, they don't know anything, they're not interested.’ Well, not in my experience.”
She also has high hopes for her predecessor in Div. 3, Ashtin Anderson, who was acclaimed to replace Splane and is now deputy reeve, and Kelly Chamzuk, the new councillor for Div. 7.
“I'm excited to see these young people and particularly young women getting out there,” Splane said.
Splane is wistful looking back on the many people she’s met, friendships she’s made with people across the province, but knows her days will be full in one way or another and was looking forward to a trip to the Space and Science Centre in Edmonton with one grandson to look at dinosaurs and the time she will also get to spend with her other grandchildren.
“Somebody said to me, ‘What's the next step?’ I don't know. I didn't know I would ever be a politician. I'm shy by nature. It was probably the last thing I would have ever jumped at but I'm also one to take on a challenge. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m going to miss it immensely but I just believe it's the right time."
