Residents throughout Rocky View will have a decision to make on April 23.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford officially launched the upcoming provincial election in Edmonton on March 26, setting forth a four-week campaign in three area ridings.
Candidates from the Progressive Conservative party, the Wildrose party, the Liberal party and Albertaís New Democratic Party have come forward in the Chestermere-Rocky View, Banff-Cochrane and Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills ridings, while more MLA hopefuls could still come forward before nominations close on April 9.
ìPeople are ready for change,î said Bruce McAllister, Wildrose candidate for Chestermere-Rocky View.
ìThere is no question in my mind that Albertans are fed up with the government telling them what to do instead of listening to what they would like to have done. Weíre about to go Wildrose in this province.î
ìThe big thing when I talk to people, whether itís seniors or younger people, theyíre all concerned about health care and education,î said Darcy Davis, PC candidate for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. ìItís front of mind with people in this constituency. Weíve just got to invest more in those things in the next 20 years.î
Pete Helfrich, the Liberal candidate in the Banff-Cochrane riding, said he has already hand-delivered more than 9,000 pamphlets throughout the constituency and has been listening to a number of concerns.
ìI think, especially in Bragg Creek, Canmore and Lake Louise, environment is the No. 1 thing,î he said. ìCanmore is about feasibility and water is a concern with future development. In Bragg Creek, the concern is about water, and of course, logging. In Cochrane, people are concerned about the transit issue, health care and education. Thatís what people have brought up to me so far when knocking on doors.î
Contesting Helfrich in Banff-Cochrane will be Jamie Kleinsteuber from the NDP, the Wildroseís Tom Copithorne, and Ron Casey, the mayor of Canmore, from the PCs.
In Chestermere-Rocky View, McAllister will face opposition from Energy Minister Ted Morton, and Nathan Salmon from the NDP, while in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Davis will be challenged by Bruce Rowe of the Wildrose and the NDPís Kristie Krezanoski.
ìThereís so many issues that need to be dealt with, so itís hard to say what the top ones are,î Rowe said while en route to his campaign office in Olds.
ìBut, in my riding, itís definitely the power lines and the land rights issues. I had a meeting with the farmers and ranchers last night (March 29), and that was the message I was getting from them. But there is also health care, education, accountability and transparency, MLA pay structure ñ thatís big on peopleís minds.î
Calls and emails to various other candidates had not been returned as of Rocky View Weekly press time. Details were also still not confirmed for a number of forums in Irricana, Chestermere and Cochrane.
ìIím looking forward to forums, as I think itís a good place to show what the priorities are for each candidate and how they want to go forward representing the area,î said Davis. ìProperty rights and agriculture are still big issues in rural Alberta ñ and I donít plan on forgetting about that. Just because prices are a little bit higher now, doesnít mean there arenít still challenges there.î
ìThe one thing I try to stress to people is there is no ambiguity in the Liberal platform,î Helfrich said. ìItís very detailed and weíre not hiding anything. We want to improve health care, public education, the tax structure and government reform.î
ìI think it comes down to being a good MLA,î McAllister said. ìYou shouldnít have to get out, you should want to get out and connect with the people of your riding. For the first time ever, some of the PC candidates are knocking on doors because they feel threatened.î
ìWeíre going at this like weíre 20 points behind,î Rowe said. ìWeíre going to keep getting out there with the message that it is time for change.î
