Finding programs to keep teens active and out of trouble was a major concern for residents at the Crossfield all candidates forum on Oct. 7.
The question came up multiple times throughout the evening and was addressed by both mayoral candidates and councillor candidates, at the event held at the Crossfield and District Community Centre.
Current Mayor Nathan Anderson said keeping teens active is always a challenge for government because it is a blurry line between what government can and should do and what falls under the role of parents.
“Parents raise children, we don’t,” he said, adding elected officials come and go and for any initiative around teen activity to be a success it needs to be sustainable with consistent people at the helm.
He added he would support parents in the initiatives they come up with rather than telling them what to do.
Former mayor and current candidate Phil McCracken said the issue is an ongoing one and something that was brought to the attention of council when he served on it from 2007 to 2010.
“We’re not the babysitter but we will work with parents to come together,” McCracken said.
He added he is a problem solver and will work with the people to come up with a solution.
Councillor candidate Hadi Feltham and current Councillor James Ginter both addressed the issues they felt were important in their opening remarks.
Feltham said he would work collaboratively with the community and pool resources to do what is best for residents.
Ginter said he would work to bring more facilities to the town to give kids more activity options in the town.
Candidates’ priorities was another issue residents brought forward during the forum.
Anderson said he is focused on developing a strong and prosperous economy in Crossfield by encouraging smart, sustainable development.
He said he will continue to keep taxes tied to the rate of inflation and hopes to one day boast Crossfield as the place with the lowest taxes in Alberta.
McCracken said he liked the small-town feel of the town but recognizes the need for controlled growth.
He said it is important to keep taxes down in an effort to help the young families in the town and to encourage more families to move to Crossfield.
Ginter said he’d like to continue seeing projects completed from the Town’s Three-year Plan and would like to extend the pathways, create a outdoor skate park and improve the tennis courts to attract more families and support current residents. He also said he would like to see an off-leash dog park area developed soon.
Feltham said he would work with local businesses to find youth programs and added he too would like to see an off-leash area.
He said he would like to see continued work on the pathways and the revitalization of the downtown area.
Current Councillor Jo Tennant said she would like to see continued work extending the pathway system throughout town and would like to incorporate outdoor exercise areas along the paths.
She added she would like to see continued improvement of the aesthetics on Railway Street.
Candidate Shawn Vang said he would like to upgrade old infrastructure in the town such as the firehall and added he would like to see continued expansion of the pathway system to allow accessibility for all.
Current Councillor Jason Harvey said he would like to see the Sustainability Committee start up again because they were integral in providing the voice of residents in terms of what they wanted to see in the town.
He added, Crossfield is uniquely situated to take part in the “economic powerhouse of Alberta” and said the Town needs to form and strengthen alliances with neighbouring regions to ensure it is not left by the wayside like many small towns tend to be.
The event was attended by approximately 40 people and was mediated by Al Jones, general manager of Here’s the Scoop in Airdrie.
