With this year's municipal election presenting the first mayoral race Bonnyville has seen in almost a decade, the three candidates vying for the position had a chance to address the community last Wednesday, as the Chamber of Commerce and the Bonnyville Nouvelle hosted the All Candidates Forum at Dr. Brosseau School.
Ernie Isley, Gene Sobolewski and Brent Boulrice each staked their claim for the head seat on town council, answering questions from the public, as well as presenting their platforms to an audience of over a hundred people packed into the school's gym.
The trio closed the show at the forum, following on from sessions with town council candidates and MD reeve candidates.
Isley had the chance to speak first, as he told council he was very much looking forward to providing stability to town council and its projects should he be re-elected Oct. 21.
“When I became mayor of Bonnyville seven and a half years ago, my main goal was to make this town more business friendly, and I think that the current council achieved that (this term,)” Isley said. “If re-elected I will do my best to keep council business friendly, I'll be encouraging the progression of the Cold Lake regional water line, and pushing for phase two of our Bonny Lodge construction project.”
He added, “I'll also be aiming to get the City of Cold Lake back on side with regards to the development of a regional airport, as well as aiming to keep tax increases to a minimum. Over the next couple of years we're going to see exciting things happening (in town) both commercially and residentially.”
The self-proclaimed “new guy” Brent Boulrice, current general manager of Casino Dene, called for change in his opening speech, saying he wants to see new perspectives and an added business presence in town.
“When I first moved to Bonnyville a few years ago, I started to compare it to other communities, namely St. Paul, and I was left wondering why they have more services there than we do here when Bonnyville has a higher population,” Boulrice said. “Bonnyville plays an important role to supplying the oilpatch with services, but the town does not receive adequate compensation for that. That needs to change.”
Boulrice questioned the leadership of the town over the past few years and suggested council needed to change the way it did business, pointing towards a fragmented relationship with the provincial government as something that required immediate work and attention.
The third candidate, current town councilor Gene Sobolewski, said he was “very concerned” with the direction the town has gone in over the past five years, stating it was time somebody stepped up to the plate and made changes.
“The reason why I decided to run for mayor of Bonnyville is because I'm involved in this community. I volunteer…and I'm very dedicated to municipal politics and all the goings on in town,” Sobolewski said. “I feel like this town reached a crossroads five years ago (with regards to a regional water line). We were number one in the province with Alberta Transportation for communities that require a water line, so we need to make a left or a right turn to get things done, not just the waterline, otherwise we're just going to run into a brick wall.”
Sobolewski added that his number one goal heading into this election was to improve regional cooperation, and re-building broken relationships with the City of Cold Lake and the provincial government.
The floor was opened later in the night for public questions, with local residents asking the candidates for their opinions on a number of different topics, including what plans they had to ensure Bonnyville continues to attract new businesses, how they would address the growing housing issues and the viability of council approaching the MD of Bonnyville to get them onside for additional cost-sharing measures for a number of services in town.
They were also probed about traffic congestion problems, the difficulties small businesses face with regards to finding employees and bylaw enforcement.
In closing, each candidate thanked the crowd for coming out to the forum, before making a final plea for votes. Sobolewski started off the closing speeches, claiming this area was one of the economic drivers not only in the province, but also in the country and that its residents deserved more.
“This region is without a doubt a powerhouse region and we need to start acting like one,” Sobolewski said. “There is a lot of money going out of this region and very little coming back.”
“Now is the opportune time to address that so that we can improve our economic development, environmental protection and services such as water, the Bonnyville Regional Airport and health care.”
Boulrice said if residents were unhappy with the direction the town has gone in recent years then they had the opportunity to do something about it in the upcoming election, by naming Bonnyville's first new mayor in almost eight years.
“What's happened in the past is a very good indication of what will happen in the future. Are you happy with the direction of council in recent years? They'll tell you they're happy, but that's not important. What's important is what you think. If you're not happy with what they've done, make a change.
“This is your town, your future and if you elect me as mayor, I will work quickly to address issues in this town,” Boulrice said. “You will see a noticeable change that will improve everyone's quality of life. I love this town, Bonnyville is my home, we all live in the greatest community in Alberta. Together we can make this place bigger and better.”
In closing, Isley simply asked that residents make it out Oct. 21 to vote.
“You all have to make a judgment call here regarding who you want (as mayor),” Isley said to those in attendance. “All I will ask if that you come out to vote. If you see fit to vote for the second name on the ballot, I thank you, if not I still thank you for participating in democracy. It's your choice and it's your turn to decide.”
