Provincial politicians on parallel Peace region tours
Zoe Todd | CBC News | Posted: February 15, 2018 2:00 PM | Last Updated: February 15, 2018
UCP leader Jason Kenney and Municipal Affairs Minister Shaye Anderson tour northwest Alberta
Municipal Affairs Minister Shaye Anderson and United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney are on separate tours of northwest Alberta this week, rallying support and talking to local leaders about economic development in the region.
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Anderson met with municipal politicians in Beaverlodge and Hythe, Alta., on Wednesday. He will visit CIA Solutions, an advertising company in Grande Prairie, Thursday afternoon.
"As the economy's ramping up here and things are looking better, I want to understand what's happening in the municipalities" Anderson said.
"A lot of smaller rural areas feel like their voices aren't heard enough."
Conversations with municipal politicians in the Peace region will help Anderson advocate for small-town interests during budget talks, he said.
A key issue for the region includes securing money to update decades-old infrastructure, such as waste and water treatment systems.
"A lot of the stuff has kind of already been put in motion for this budget," Anderson said. "But we can start looking at going forward."
He walked through a quiet farmer's market in Beaverlodge with the town's mayor on Wednesday.
Gary Rycroft, who was elected as mayor last year, said it was a rare opportunity to advocate for his community directly to a provincial politician.
"We're a little quieter out here and we don't get heard as well," Rycroft said. "Every time we get to talk to a minister or get our voice out there, they're very understanding and very good to deal with. So we do feel a little more comfortable that our voice is being heard."
Rycroft said he wants to see money set aside for rural and small-town infrastructure, as well as a new hospital in Beaverlodge to replace its aging facility.
Kenney shoring up support
Kenney launched a province-wide tour in Whitecourt on Monday, his first since being elected as UCP leader in October.
The tour will help define topics for the new party's first convention in May, Kenney said, during which the UCP will decide on the direction its policies will take.
"Part of that is me listening to municipal councils, employers, social service groups and others about how we can get Alberta back on track," Kenney told CBC News in Grande Prairie.
He spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Grande Prairie, before travelling farther north to meet with officials in Peace River and La Crete on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
He wraps up the northern half of his travels on Saturday in Slave Lake.
The trip's intention is twofold, Kenney said: To hear from local leaders and to rally support for the next provincial election.
"I started our campaign on uniting the conservative parties here, in Grande Prairie, in the summer of 2016," Kenney said.
"This was actually the strongest support, province-wide, for creating the United Conservative Party.
"I want northwest Alberta, the Peace Country, Grande Prairie to be a critical part of our future conservative government," he added.
Kenney plans to hold similar meetings in southern Alberta communities over the final week of February.