The consensus amongst Westlock-area municipal leaders is in. Whoever replaces MLA Ken Kowalski will have “big shoes to fill.”
Town of Westlock mayor Bruce Lennon, Westlock County reeve Charles Navratil and Village of Clyde mayor Wayne Wilcox all used those words when asked about what Kowalski’s retirement will mean for the area.
Furthermore, all three expressed respect for what Kowalski has accomplished in his time as MLA for Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock.
“He had a passion for the area; he’d been here and been MLA for so long that he knew just about everybody,” Navratil said.
He added Kowalski’s presence at so many different community events all across the riding was in large part what endeared him to the community.
“I think whoever fills his shoes is going to have a hard time taking in all the events like Ken did, especially if he’s a younger man with a family,” he said. “I can’t believe how Ken would just go from function to function to function — from one end to the other, and he would do it in a day.”
Lennon echoed that respect for Kowalski’s commitment.
“He’s always amazed me that he always shows up at a number of events that he really didn’t have to,” he said. “He really seems to enjoy that and I think people really appreciate that.”
Wilcox, who said he has known Kowalski for close to 25 years, said the MLA’s contribution to the riding has been up close and person for the whole time.
“If he had a cheque to present, he was there. He didn’t send somebody else out to do it,” he said. “I think that shows how much he really cares about the area and the people.”
Kowalski’s contributions to the area have been many over his 32-year career, but very high among them is getting the Westlock hospital built in the early 1990s, at a time when the provincial health budget was being aggressively cut under Ralph Klein’s government.
“We managed to get the hospital, and I’ll tell you, we’ve got a world-class hospital here in the little town of Westlock,” Navratil said. “We’re the envy of a lot of small municipalities with what we have here for healthcare.”
He has also been a big booster of other local projects, such as the ongoing Pembina Lodge expansion and the Spirit Centre project, which was the recipient of $2 million in provincial grants from a now-defunct program.
“That program has been cancelled, and I think we were one of the few in the province that got in excess of $1 million,” Lennon said. “I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in a lot of these things, but I’m assuming there is some political influence going on.”
He added that provincial contributions to the regional water system and to Westlock’s affordable housing project have been invaluable to get those projects going.
While Kowalski’s announcement that he would not seek re-election has come as a surprise to many, local leaders have said they understand the reason for his decision.
“He’s been tossed between his political life and his home life, and one of them had to give,” Wilcox said.
“He’ll be missed.”
