Peter Jenner
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1p9BcsZYC5LxPu_cvGAaJIJp_gtIQME9L
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1. With the expansion of business and industry in town, growth is inevitable. What is your plan to encourage growth and respect the town's roots?
Growth is already in Strathmore’s immediate future; with many new housing projects already in the active stages of construction and others being planned, we are already attracting new developments without significant encouragement. I believe our focus needs to be on preparing for the growth that is coming.
An important aspect of preparing for growth is ensuring our planning documents reflect the values and expectations of our residents. The Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw set out the rules and requirements for new developments, and both are overdue for updates that better reflect our community’s vision, our need for more attainable and affordable housing, and our desire to protect our natural areas from development. Council also needs to be forward-thinking to anticipate the needs of a larger community - increased water consumption, expanding emergency services, advocating for new schools, investing in recreation, and supporting culture and wellness programs that protect the small-town feeling that Strathmore residents love. This will require careful strategic planning; municipalities have limited resources and Council will need to ensure that we stick to the plan and not get sidetracked.
Follow Up: Do you think we need to start considering our transportation infrastructure? as we continue to grow, traffic grows with it. Are our current roads and municipal development plans for roads sustainable for this added traffic? Do we need a bypass or perhaps truck route that alleviates some of the heaviest traffic through our hwy 1 corridor?
We should always be assessing and reassessing our transportation infrastructure to make improvements and prepare for future growth. Improvements will always need to be made - for example, improving Wildflower Road to connect to Lakewood and provide a second egress route for that neighbourhood. There is also a need for a second east-west collector road connecting to the west side of town to improve access, particularly for emergency response. Planning to complete these types of projects incrementally allows us to commit steady regular funding, rather than needing to find a large budget for improvements all at once when a situation becomes critical.
We are not the only community in Alberta to be located on a major transportation route. Years ago a bypass route around town was identified by Alberta Transportation, and I am relieved that it has never come to fruition. A bypass would be a significant blow to our local economy, and our potential for future economic development (our location on Highway 1 is an important factor for many industries). While being located on a major route brings its challenges, I believe there are ways we can address those challenges and improve safety and avoid the economic losses a bypass would have on the community.
2. The town has struggle over the past decade or so to maintain businesses in several of the strip mall locations. Do you have a plan to encourage small business growth and retention?
Building a strong and self-sustaining community not only improves our quality of life, it improves the local economy and provides opportunities for local businesses to thrive. Folks that live and work in Strathmore more frequently shop in Strathmore, eat at local restaurants, and hire local service providers. By ensuring there is access to attainable and affordable housing for all, and attracting good jobs and career opportunities to town that allow residents to thrive (not just survive), we can build a strong community and local economy that supports the success and growth of existing small businesses, and gives confidence to those looking to establish new businesses.
I’ve been proud of this past Council’s focus on economic development, including establishing funding for dedicated economic development professionals working for our community. I hope to nurture a stronger working relationship between our local Chamber of Commerce and other local business associations to encourage an open line of communication between local businesses and Council that will help us better understand and respond to their needs, and cooperate on initiatives that will benefit our local economy.
Follow Up: Is there a specific industry that you believe strathmore should target for growth? whether it be tourism, manufacturing, education, medic-care etc. Is Strathmore poised to be a hub for something and if so what would you like to see us use as a major attractor?
Our roots are in agriculture, and I hope to see that industry remain in Strathmore. 100 years ago our community was the place to come to learn how to farm and ranch in Alberta, and to outfit your family for establishing a homestead here. I’d love to continue that legacy and bring it into the modern age; Strathmore has the potential to be a hub for modern agriculture and food processing, showing the rest of the province and country the path forward for sustainable agriculture and food production.
We also have great potential as a medical hub for the region, and there are opportunities to attract manufacturing to support large industries coming to the region, like De Havilland. I’m not looking to box us into one industry or another - my mind remains open to anyone interested in making Strathmore their home.
3. Tell us a little about your primary goal if you become councillor/mayor for your term?
My primary goal is simple - help Strathmore navigate the coming growth to build a welcoming, resilient, and successful community where everyone can love where they live.
If re-elected, I hope to look back on this term in 2029 and see updated planning documents that reflect the vision of our community, improved access to attainable housing at all stages of life, support for arts, events, and culture that protect the “small-town” feeling of our community that everyone loves, investments into the infrastructure of our community, and a sustainable financial position that sets Strathmore up for future success and stability.
Follow Up: On the topic of making Strathmore a welcoming community, Do you have any plans for resolutions to bring to council on the matter of inclusion and equality? is the Town doing enough or is it lacking in some way in your opinion?
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Council has a responsibility to serve all residents, including those who have newly arrived to our community, and to understand each stakeholders unique needs. I believe we could be doing a better job of consulting with these diverse groups to understand their perspectives and how to best support them in navigating our community, finding work, establishing new businesses, and settling into life in Strathmore.
Strathmore is an increasingly diverse community, with approximately 64 unique cultures represented here. During this past term I was proud to be appointed to the Culture & Wellness Task Force, tasked with identifying opportunities to support culture in our community, and to address the needs of newcomers arriving to Strathmore.
Sadly, the task force was only in place until last month - should I be reelected, I plan to bring a resolution to council to consider reinstating it.
4. Incumbents, what do you see as your biggest accomplishment and biggest failure of your last term. And how do you plan to build on success and pivot from failure if re elected.
Though not necessarily a failure, what held me back the most this past term was being a “rookie” Councillor. In your first term there is so much to learn - such as procedures that must be followed, legislative requirements, how things work (like wastewater treatment) and histories of past decisions - it feels as though you’re drinking from a firehouse. I take my role and responsibilities very seriously, so I dedicated significant time and effort to getting myself up to speed. I attended conferences and seminars, learned from other elected officials, leaned on the mentorship of experienced council members, and took training courses in communications, land use development and approvals, regional partnerships and collaboration, public engagement, and the basics of municipal governance. It’s these efforts that I consider to be one of my biggest accomplishments - I’m very proud of the knowledge I’ve gained through this education and how I’ve been able to use it to the benefit of our community.
Follow Up: Thank you for your time answering these questions Melissa, to follow up on your last campaign and term as councillor, it has come up during the last campaign as well as during your tenure on council that you have previously run for the NDP, and have typically acted as a leftist or progressive voice on council. Can you touch on your fiscal priorities for your next potential term?
I’m proud to be a progressive voice on Council, and I think our community is best represented by a Council that includes multiple perspectives and backgrounds. That progressive voice does not mean that fiscal responsibility takes a back seat in my priorities. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished to stabilize the finances of our community during this past term. Debt levels have decreased, reserves have increased, and our financial outlook is far more sustainable than the situation that was inherited at the beginning of this term.
Looking ahead to 2029, my priorities are:
- establish regular, predictable funding for capital projects so that we can keep up our existing infrastructure and add infrastructure where it’s needed to support our growing community.
- conduct thorough consultation on our recreation and culture needs to ensure we invest in the projects that benefit our community most. This is particularly important for the new arena being proposed at Westmount School.
- continue to look for operational efficiencies where possible.
- invest in things that will help Strathmore retain its small-town feel and connect residents, like community events, parks and pathways, and community groups (e.g. Strathmore Ag Society, Wheatland Arts Society, performing arts groups, and the Vault).
My goal is to balance the need for fiscal responsibility with our desire for a good quality of life.
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NOTE: I have not used AI (e.g. ChatGPT) to assist me in the preparation of any of these responses.