A model for Building Stronger Communities

“Building stronger communities.” 

That statement sounds a bit nebulous and generic, but it’s one of the major roles of any municipal government. For me, it’s at the centre of my desire to represent you on city council. Things are positive in Spruce Grove and heading in the right direction; I intend to build on this in my four years on council, with an eye for the future. My goal is to make Spruce Grove a desirable mid-sized city with a small-town feel achieved through our strong sense of community—for decades to come. All of my decisions will be made with consideration for the next 20 or 30 years.

Building stronger communities is a multi-faceted topic that requires focus in several different areas. Some of the key areas of focus for building stronger communities—in no particular order— are:

• Opportunities for people to gather and connect
• Social sustainability and supports
• A diverse and inspiring base of arts and culture
• Intelligent subdivision design
• Transportation networks and traffic safety
• Supporting local businesses

These are all complex themes and over a series of blog posts I’ll dive deeper into each. I’ll share my perspectives on them to provide a sense for how I intend to base my time on council, should I be privileged to represent you.

I have a vision of Spruce Grove that will drive my focus. I envision Spruce Grove as a city that people are proud to call home and raise their children. I imagine a community where our children will want to live as adults and where seniors wish to spend their golden years embraced and supported by a caring community. All of this is achieved through a stronger, more vibrant, and more diverse community.

Many of these priorities can be accomplished with a keen eye on fiscal responsibility. They can be attained at little cost to the taxpayer. I intend to consider those options via partnerships and leveraging the many great things already in place today as we strengthen our communities. 

The underlying sentiment through all of these ideas will serve as a foundation for my perspectives on community issues. These tenets and the guiding principles of growing our community will influence me as issues come before the council and will serve as the basis when I consider how to make Spruce Grove the most desirable and exciting community in the greater Edmonton region.

Each Tuesday and Thursday over the next four weeks, I’ll share my perspectives on each of these topics. With that in mind, I am also here to represent you so please comment on my blog posts or reach out to me directly with any comments, feedback, or suggestions that can help me build on these ideas and further guide my perspectives as your representative. Together we can build a stronger community in Spruce Grove!