Rocky View County (RVC) constituents in Division 8 will have two candidates to choose from on Oct. 21.
Eric Lowther, a 25-year resident of Bearspaw, announced his plans to challenge incumbent Al Sacuta.
“The reason I (decided to run) was really to give people a choice for the election in Division 8 and choices for the future and to shape a more positive future for Bearspaw and RVC,” said Lowther, a father of three.
Lowther said he is very familiar with the democratic process having served as an MP for the Calgary Centre riding from 1997 to 2001.
“Part of my work in Ottawa was to work with other people and other parties and people of different opinions to get some results,” he said, adding that although he was a back-bench MP for an opposition party, he thinks he was successful in his position.
“I think I have the ability to respectfully work with others and find common ground to move things forward in a positive way even though you may be working with people that have different opinions than you.”
He added that this skill would be beneficial on council when dealing with Calgary and other municipalities.
Lowther said he thinks municipal politics is “often a more challenging political road (than federal politics) … because you’re closer to where people live and don’t have the coverings of a political party.”
But Lowther said, having been born in Springbank and raised in RVC, he “understands what the passions are and what people feel in the County.”
Lowther has a bachelor of science from the University of Alberta and has worked in the telecommunications industry for about 25 years. Currently, he is the director of Business Development for Commerx Corporation, a digital and information technology company in Calgary.
He said he still plans to be involved with the company on a smaller-scale if he is elected but will be “readily available” to his constituents.
“I think we’re at a critical time in RVC because of the pressures from Calgary and developmental pressures. I think it’s really a pivotal time for RVC to be strong, to be working in a way that’s functional and collaborative so we can shape what RVC will be in the next 10 to 12 to 20 years,” he said, adding that he thinks this council is going to have “more effect on the future of RVC than any other council in terms of what the County will look like.”
Lowther said his platform is to honour the lifestyle residents have in Bearspaw and strengthen the local community.
“Those two things help to enhance the value of people’s property and give them options to stay in their community.”
He said issues specific to his division that he will continue to focus on if he is elected include providing living options for the aging population in Bearspaw, working to solve ongoing water and ground water issues that have led to flooding in certain areas over the last few years and improving the safety of the roads nearing municipal boundaries.
“I think RVC can be very vibrant and a model to other parts of Alberta and the country if we engage now. If we wait, we may end up being a land bank for Calgary and someone else may call the shots,” he said.
