BONNYVILLE – The premier of Alberta travelled to Bonnyville on March 30 to rally support for the United Conservative Party (UCP) over dinner at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre (C2).
Introduced by Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA David Hanson to a crowd of just over 800 attendees, the premier focused on conservative Alberta values and the upcoming provincial election scheduled to be held on May 29, 2023.
Organized in just four weeks by the local UCP contingency board, the event was advertised as an intimate evening with UCP leader Danielle Smith. The dinner was open to the public but served as a UCP campaign fundraiser with a single ticket coming with a price tag of $250.
“Events like this don't happen by accident. What we've got here is Mitch Sylvester, who is the UCP constituency association president, and our entire board who worked tirelessly to put this together and we did it in four short weeks,” said Scott Cyr, the official UCP candidate for the Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul riding in the upcoming election.
Cyr noted that the event was made possible with the work of the local constituency's 30-member board and the help of roughly 100 volunteers.
“This is proof that Danielle Smith and the UCP and even myself, are gathering a tremendous amount of momentum,” said Cyr, referring to the event as a milestone for the riding.
“In the end, what we are seeing is that people have the desire and the need to ensure that that our local constituency is heard.”
Speaking to the large crowd that gathered at the C2, Smith referred to her position as premier as a dream job and thanked the region’s UCP members for supporting her and her government.
“I was expecting to see a small crowd coming out to Bonnyville, but you guys really put on an amazing show,” she said.
Before turning to the purpose of the evening’s event – rallying support for the UCP party – Smith took a moment to recognize the work of outgoing MLA Hanson. The premier referenced the recent Métis Settlements Indigenous Protection and Conservative Areas (IPCA) proposed within the Lakeland riding and other parts of the province, that have been addressed and heavily contested by Hanson.
“This Indigenous land nomination, we know about that because [Hanson] raised it in caucus and so we're watching it and we're making sure that we don't give up any more territory to the federal government. We know what they have in mind is land blocking our resources. So, Dave is responsible for helping us be aware of that,” said Smith.
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Looking ahead to the upcoming provincial election, Smith told attendees, “In a few short weeks, you may have heard Albertans are going to be faced with two very different visions of Alberta.”
“The people of Alberta know how to get things done. All they need is a government who trusts them, who believes in them, and who partners with them to continue building a strong foundation for the future.”
Smith also shared concerns and recent improvements in ambulance response times in both urban and rural settings, the work being done on reducing surgical wait times in the province, followed with some quick digs at the federal government and opposition NDP party over the carbon tax increases that went into effect on April 1, and the recent “Just Transition” plan.
During the event, the premier also answered questions submitted by attendees at the event.
“A lot of it came down to Highway 28,” noted Cyr. “It was brought up and she clearly saw the need in the area.”
In response to the state of Highway 28, the premier encouraged residents to reach out to the Minister of Transportation’s office through email.
“She had indicated that it's quite possible that if there's enough outcry from the local area that we're able to influence what's happening going forward for spending for Alberta,” said Cyr.
The premier expressed that there may still be time for upgrades to Highway 28 to be added to the 2023 budget before it is finalized. However, the final decisions flow through the Ministry of Transportation and the Treasury Board.
“If people are still planning on writing emails to the minister's office, then I would encourage them to make sure that they take some real time and just remember that the minister has to make hard decisions, but it makes it so much easier when they see that there's a lot of people all moving in the same direction,” added Cyr.
The premier finished her speech with a call to action, asking supporters to go out and get involved in the upcoming election whether through door knocking or conversations with neighbours, and to encourage people to get out and vote.
“Alberta's best days, they are ahead of us. There is hope and opportunity on the horizon. And together nothing can limit or hold back the spirit of this province. This is the Alberta way,” said the premier. “May Alberta remain forever strong and free.”
