Wabasca
Marcel D. Auger (incumbent) – 249
Larry Cardinal – 238
Robin Guild (incumbent) – 217
Darlene Jackson (incumbent) – 326
Calling Lake
Cheri Coutorielle – 71
Gerald Johnson – 92
Sandy Lake
Tahirih Wiebe – 26
Peerless Lake
Louis A. Cardinal (incumbent) – 98
Chipewyan Lake
Roy Yellowknee (incumbent) – 26
Red Earth Creek
Brendan Powell (incumbent) – 72
Trout Lake
Leo Alook (incumbent – acclaimed)
1) Community Development What initiatives would you develop to help Calling Lake become a thriving community and what opportunities do you want to happen so residents are engaged in the community?
2) Safety & Security Residents must feel safe and secure in their homes and neighborhoods. Please give some examples of how you would make that happen.
3) Life Long Learning How would you facilitate Calling Lake residents’ access to grade school and post-secondary adult education and other life-long educational opportunities, without having to leave the community?
4) Economic Development How would you encourage a thriving economy that includes a diversity of small businesses and local industry?
5) Recreation, Arts and Sport What would you propose to do, to create opportunities for recreation, arts and sports to all Calling lake residents?
Thank you for reaching out and giving me an opportunity to speak on the issues you’ve listed.
As posted on my Facebook campaign page” Vote for Cheri Courtorielle” :
“The role of a municipal councilor is to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality and their communities. Moreover to contribute to the development and evaluation of municipal policies, programs, budgets, services and other activities. This includes participating in council and committee meetings and contributing to decision-making. Councilors’ must bring anything that would promote the welfare or interests of the municipality, to councils attention. Things like fire and police services, waste and water management, parks and recreational facilities and community programming, are all under the Municipal jurisdiction”.
It is not a councilors duty to speak for you, they are supposed to be your voice. There is a difference. One makes decisions on what they think you need and the other actually voices what you said you need. I’d like to quote Ronald Reagan: “Governments first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives”. A good Councilor doesn’t just give easy solutions to complicated problems. They need to truly understand the needs and challenges and help give the tools needed to succeed. You need to make decisions with integrity, respect and understanding and stand strong in your belief that what you are doing, is in the best interest of everyone in your community and the municipality as a whole. We need to have communities that are safe, prosperous and healthy, as we are to be building better lives for our community members, our children, grandchildren and generations to come.
So, having said that, I won’t make promises and speak to specific issues. It’s not the right way. There is a matter of money, as I have no idea what the budget will look like until the last councils budget is done. If elected, I will consult with the community and together we can come up with ideas and solutions to our issues. I promise to work hard to make sure Calling Lake is heard at the Council table. I have proven that I can get results and together we can make Calling Lake a safe, prosperous and united community, full of promise and happiness.
I can be reached at 780-231-4442 if anybody would like to talk.
Thank you and stay safe !
Cheri Courtorielle
Engage with residents who have interest, community development plan, Government, First Nation, Metis economic development organization, create partnerships.
This initiative cannot be realized with the individual community organizing and stakeholder support.
2. Research and create awareness of current service structures
3. Research viable options for interest.
4. There are many economic and business development organizations for interested individuals or current businesses that need support.
5. Research current programs and services.
Previous experience is my asset.
1) Community Development – What initiatives would you develop to help Calling Lake
become a thriving community, & what opportunities do you want to happen so residents are
engaged in the community?
First off, one individual cannot make a community thrive, it takes many individuals and groups
(i.e. stakeholders, ratepayers, full time and part time residents) to have a thriving community. In
saying this, initiatives that are much needed are communication, cooperation and working
together. These three concepts can make any community thrive, but if there is no buy in from
individuals and groups it is a difficult endeavour, but is still possible. For residents to become
engaged in the community, the concepts of what is wanted, what is needed, what needs to be
done and above all, understanding one another is crucial.
2) Safety & Security – Residents must feel safe and secure in their homes and
neighborhoods. Please give some examples of how you would make that happen.
Here again one individual, on their own, cannot make people feel safe and secure in their homes,
its only through working together and coming up with ideas on how this can be achieved that is
important. Again, the community must come up with strategies and plans and put these ideas into
action, it’s possible to feel safe and secure in your home if people are willing to work together to
come up with solutions.
3) Life Long Learning – How would you facilitate Calling Lake residents’ access to grade
school and post-secondary adult education and other life-long educational opportunities, without
having to leave the community?
The concept of Life Long Learning where you don’t have to leave the community for
educational opportunities is a question that the Province of Alberta, the Government of Canada,
have been tackling for years in small rural communities. Individuals and groups must work very
closely with the Province of Alberta if one is to achieve educational opportunities without
leaving the community. The dollars for Education flow from the Province of Alberta, therefore
they are the key in any negotiations that take place. To achieve this one must work very hard to
convince the Provincial Government to put infrastructure and dollars into the community.
4) Economic Development – How would you encourage a thriving economy that includes a
diversity of small businesses and local industry?
As we all know the pandemic has put a strain on the world’s economy, but nonetheless there is
still a beautiful lake that we live by and a vast forest with many resources. One only has to look
at the amount of people that use and enjoy this lake year-round and this is an area that can be
tapped into for small business. The Oil Industry is also very active to the Northeast of Calling
Lake and there is a vast oil field being developed there. To encourage a thriving economy, Small
Business and Local Industry can tap into these sectors with support from local Government (i.e.
the MD of Opportunity).
5) Recreation, Arts and Sport What would you propose to do, to create opportunities for
recreation, arts and sports to all Calling lake residents?
The MD Council must be in support of Recreation, Arts and Sports in order to create recreational
opportunity for all residents of Calling Lake. By support, (i.e. user fees must be affordable,
access for everyone, programing for activities and events, and above all feeling safe and secure
in all facilities) one must have effectiveness at the council table, it’s only through working with
and cooperating with other council members that this can be achieved. Also, now is the time to
plan for the inevitable lifting of all restrictions in Alberta so that Recreation, Arts and Sports can
be fully enjoyed.
Gerald Johnson