Reeve Lois Habberfield is in for the long run.
After three terms on council, Habberfield is letting her name stand again.
As a fourth generation Rocky View resident living near Balzac, she remains passionate about promoting the county and maintaining its unique character.
“This is my home,” said Habberfield.
“I really do care about it. I feel like I know all parts of Rocky View well because I travelled throughout the county as part of school sports and 4-H activities.”
Habberfield is proud of the work that council has done over the past term, and over the past nine years.
“I am proud of the relationships we built with our neighbours of Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane, the school boards, the province and all our rural neighbours,” said Habberfield.
“You can get things done by working together.”
Although the County chose to leave the Calgary Regional Partnership, Habberfield says council has made a commitment to work with regional partners.
Another source of pride for Habberfield is the non-residential growth in the county, especially the node in East Balzac.
“We have actually seen it materialize,” said Habberfield.
“It is exciting to see all that discussion and effort work out well. It was a struggle to get water and servicing for that area but it is paying off in a big way.”
During her time on council, Habberfield has succeeded in bringing library services to Rocky View, something close to her heart as a former teacher of 26 years.
Despite the successes, Habberfield had a few frustrations as well, particularly some residents’ lack of interest in the county as a community.
“They don’t seem to have a sense of connectivity,” said Habberfield.
“It is like they are Calgary residents living temporarily in Rocky View. I would like to see some community pride built.”
If re-elected, Habberfield hopes to create a better relationship between the County and residents. In fact, she has already started on that path with the Reeve’s Task Force, which she recently appointed.
“I am excited to see the results of that,” said Habberfield. “I want to help residents to create a sense of community and help them achieve what their sense of vision is. I want them to feel comfortable.”
The problem, historically, has been to get people to come out and speak up, said Habberfield. She hopes that people are more willing to provide input and feel their voice matters, she said.
Other future goals include revisiting several area structure plans, such as those in Bearspaw and Springbank. She is also hoping to see the municipal campus built, if financially feasible.
She hopes the County will continue to offer unique alternatives to city dwelling, while preserving agricultural land.
Habberfield is excited about the prospects of working with the new council in the fall, although she is saddened to lose several co-workers.
“I definitely have enjoyed my colleagues, they have been very good and professional,” said Habberfield. “This group has been excellent.”
“The next three years are going to be really exciting,” said Habberfield. “We have come a long way in nine years. We have some strategic planning…we have a better relationship with people, better infrastructure. The future looks bright.”
