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Al Schule seeking another term as councillor

Rocky View County (RVC) Division 4 councillor Al Schule has informed the public he is gearing up for another election, and is hoping for his fifth term as a representative of the hamlet of Langdon.

Rocky View County (RVC) Division 4 councillor Al Schule has informed the public he is gearing up for another election, and is hoping for his fifth term as a representative of the hamlet of Langdon.

“I’m not sure if I like punishment, or I enjoy the job,” Schule laughed, discussing his tenure as a councillor.

In terms of his motivation to run for another term as the representative of the newly formed Division 7 (Langdon), the RVC council veteran said he constantly has a list of objectives he wants to see become reality in his community.

“When I became councillor, I had a list of around 20 items I wanted to see get done during my term,” Schule said. “It’s the same this time – there are still things I want to see get finished,”

While it is no secret the current RVC council has had its share of ups and downs in the last four years, Schule is quick to point out that, while there may have been a lot of drama and dysfunction, there was still plenty of good work done accomplished by the County in recent years. He cited the County plan, policy reviews, a new Land Use Bylaw, and a number of large corporations choosing to call the county home as examples.

“A lot has been done for the betterment of the county and its residents – I sure hope so anyway,” he said.

When it comes to Langdon, the increased deployment of RCMP resources, a fire hall, the development of the Iron Horse Fields baseball diamonds and a number of road and path improvements were a few more points Schule was happy to look back on as he readies for another campaign.

While the job of a local councillor isn’t always enviable, Schule said he enjoys the fact RVC council has made a lot of big moves over the last four years.

“Everybody doesn’t like change, a lot of people like things to stay the way they are,” he said. “When change comes, people tend to take another look and realize what we are trying to do.”

On top of dealing with the normal workload a councillor would usually deal with, over the last year, Schule and his fellow councillors have also had to operate during and navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he feels while it was hard at the start, council and everyone else adapted pretty quickly to the new reality brought on by the virus.

“We have grown to understand everything a little better,” he said.

He said it has been difficult not being inside council chambers for meetings in the last year and a half, as so much of understanding what his fellow councillors are thinking comes from reading their body language.

“It can tell you a lot,” he said. “That is one thing that I really miss.”

Moving forward, Schule said residents need to vote in a strong council who will properly deal with the Calgary Metropoliton Regional Board (CMRB). Recently, the CMRB approved a regional growth plan that was met with opposition from the board’s rural representatives, including RVC.

“That is something that I sure hope with new councils all around, maybe we can all get into a room and find a way to work together better,” he said. “I’m not saying RVC is filled with saints, but we all have to try and understand the needs of other municipalities and find more common ground.”

If re-elected, Schule said he will continue working hard and listening to the needs and wants of Langdon’s residents.

“I am very easy to find – my office is on Main Street [in Langdon],” he said. “I am always a phone call or knock on the door away."

Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz

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