Rocky View County’s (RVC) upcoming municipal election can add one more name to its candidate list, as Conrich resident and community advocate Sunny Samra has decided to run for council's Division 6 seat.
Samra was a vocal opponent of a contentious development put forward by RVC in the Conrich area, as well as a spokesperson for residential water issues that have plagued the area in the last few years.
“Running for council was never a planned thing,” Samra said. “The development came up and it was not compatible. When we tried to approach our elected representative [Coun. Jerry Gautreau] at that time, that’s when it started for me.”
In dealing with those issues, Samra said Conrich residents felt as though they had elected representatives who were not listening to their needs.
“What is the point if they are going to do what they want to do?” he said. “We might as well have a voice that will listen to the concerns of the residents and make informed decisions.”
Samra is a licensed real estate agent, and said he hosts no political background. He said after immigrating to Canada from India and moving to Conrich in 2012, life has been good to him and his family, but the few hurdles they have experienced put him in a place where he became more of a voice for his community.
“Not everyone can spare time or make those commitments,” he said. “A number of community members also decided that it may be in the best interest for me to step forward for this area of RVC.”
As to what would make him a capable councillor, Samra said he just wants to listen to the people of Division 6 and address their needs.
“Getting elected is just one step,” he said. “After that, the work comes in. You need to have that ambition to get things done for the people.”
As an item Samra wants to address, he said although there is construction happening, he is worried the seniors living in the Prince of Peace area have to pay tax levies out of their limited resources.
“That is a big concern,” he said. “I don’t know the legalities or how things would work, but if I was elected, I would want Prince of Peace tax levies to be waived, if that is something that could be done.”
As the last four years on RVC council have seen plenty of ups and downs, Samra said he wants to be a part of a council that makes informed decisions that benefit everybody.
“You shouldn’t want to be in a position to put someone else down because you are on this side and they are on that side,” he said.
While he and other community members had issues with development in Conrich, he does understand the importance of continuing to develop in RVC.
“Division 6 has not been as far on development as other parts of the county,” he said. “I would like to see some kind of developments come in.”
Samra said he would like to see emergency services brought to the Conrich area.
“As of today, where I live, if there was a fire, the closest firetruck would come from RVC County Hall,” he said. “The next one is Langdon. We need those services in this area.”
The first-time candidate made it clear he plans on being accountable to voters and being an approachable candidate who will listen to concerns during his campaign.
“I will take their feedback, I am pretty accessible,” he said.
As of press time, Samra is running against Gautreau and Jeremy Stinson for the Division 6 seat. The election is slated for Oct. 18.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
