Shannon LeClair
Time Reporter
Students at Sacred Heart Academy and Holy Cross Collegiate were in for a treat on Jan. 23 when MLA Arno Doerkson, Dave Rodney, Parliamentary Assistant for Health and Wellness, and Agriculture Minister Evan Berger toured their schools.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for both people in government and people in the public to come together. We can find out what the needs of different communities are across the province and that’s really what it’s all about,” said Rodney.
“The last thing that my colleagues and I ever want to be guilty of is spending too much time under the dome of the ivory tower. The more people come to know our MLAs, the more they come to know they are ordinary Albertans just like the other folks in their community.
“We definitely have a focus, a passion, expertise and experience in making life better for Albertans but in order to do that completely, effectively, we need to have one-on-one time with individuals.”
Spending time at the schools and seeing first hand some of the issues being faced, such as space challenges, helps bring a new perspective to caucus according to Berger.
“It’s one thing for somebody to express what they see in the overcrowding, or the difference in their schools or any of these on the ground issues. When you talk about it, as opposed to coming out and actually visualizing it and seeing it, it’s a big difference. You get a good understanding, you get a good understanding from people that are advocating on behalf of the students here…and it just fills in whatever questions you may have had,” said Berger.
“Education is an extremely important priority for the province, it is for all of our communities, we’re all Albertans and we know that Strathmore, this area is growing rapidly. There’s pressures for space, for capacity so this particular stop was based around that,” said Doerkson.
“I think there is great opportunity in the province. We know that it’s an exciting year, there’s going to be an election this year, so we know that’s coming within the next few months.
“I just see a lot of opportunity for our province and also for this area as it grows and as we continue to work together communities to address the challenges that we face and turn those into opportunities. It continues to be a privilege to work together with our communities, to see things happen.”
After touring the schools the men then headed off to the Wheatland County offices to meet with the constituents and hear their concerns. Communities throughout the province had a chance to speak to government officials during the province-wide cabinet tour Jan. 23 to 26. The focus of the tour was to listen to members of the community about local issues, to hear their plans and hope for the future, both provincially and locally.
