The Rimbey Review will profile all of the candidates running for office in the coming weeks. Here, you can read about the three candidates who have put their names forward in the race for Rimbey’s next mayor
Name: Dale Barr
Occupation: Mayor
Age: 51
Marital status, family: Married to Mary-Rose, three children 14, 8,7.
Community involvement:
“I am actively involved in the community, certainly as the mayor for last number of years. I also volunteer for a number of organizations, including, The Rimbey Heart and Stroke golf tournament, I volunteer coach for the junior high basketball team, and I volunteer for Central Alberta Raceways. I’m on a number of other organizations including Knights of Columbus and the list goes on.”
Why are you running for mayor:
“I’ve lived in Rimbey most of my life. I’ve had a business here; I’ve been a part of our growth program and economic development for a number of years. It’s great to see the results that have been achieved over the work that’s been put into it.
I’m looking forward to carrying those successes forward, to more successes, more development, and more growth in our community over the next three years.”
Why should voters elect you over an opponent:
“I think that I have the experienced leadership, the connections within the economic development areas both in and outside the community. I’m well connected within the government funding programs within the province of Alberta. Rimbey has been recognized as having one of the most leading and innovative approaches to economic development. Obviously the success of the number of applications has shown that the formula works. I’d like to continue strengthening our community.”
What are the most important issues facing the community:
“As always, with every community, important issues are infrastructure and retaining and retention of growth of the business sector. Availability of land for development, whether it’s residential or industrial. Providing the services required for the residents at the most affordable, economically available, economically viable process that we can.”
How would you improve the quality of life in Rimbey:
“Quality of life in our community is very strong right now. We’re working on an improved recreation facility. I think that jobs are important in our community and we need to make sure that the business and industry sectors are supported throughout the town and we encourage new growth in those areas. A community that is growing is vibrant and Rimbey is fortunate to one of those communities.”
Name: Rick Pankiw
Occupation: Semi-retired. I’ve sold two businesses in the last year. We own some revenue properties in town; I have a whole bunch of time to spend on this role the right way.
Age: 48
Marital status, family: Married, three Children. 16, 14, and 10.
Community involvement:
“I’ve been heavily involved in the community for the 17 years we’ve been here. I’ve been involved with minor hockey, I’ve been involved with minor soccer, and I’ve been involved in the past with the Montessori board. I sit on the finance committee for the church board; I’m heavily involved with all sports and most activities that happen in town. As a businessman we’ve support just about everything we could for the last 17 years.”
Why are you running for mayor:
“I believe it’s time. I think the people have spoken that they want a change, and I know I’m a leader. I’ve been a leader in everything I’ve ever done. I believe that, in fact, I know that I can do an excellent job in continuing to push Rimbey forward.”
Why should voters elect you over an opponent:
“They should elect me because I have a lot of time to do the job. I have a lot of influence. I’m going to listen to the people first, and then react after that. I will not stop doing what I believe, and what the people believe is right. I will listen to people and I will be the peoples choice, I hope.”
What are the most important issues facing the community:
“Growth. I mean right now, the little bit of down time we’re going through, It’s tougher at this time to get any grant money. We have to convince perspective business owners, developers, that Rimbey is the right fit for them. It’s going to take a lot of time, commitment and hard work and I’m prepared to do all that.”
How would you improve the quality of life in Rimbey:
Going out and soliciting not only our government, continue the growth in Rimbey and there are a lot of things we need. I believe we need to redefine our recycling program in Rimbey. I believe that’s a really big issue right now. What’s going to attract either the young people to stay or to bring young people to Rimbey? I believe those are some issues we need to address. If you’ve seen any of my signs up, I believe in credibility, honesty, integrity, and I have all of that.”
Name: Sheldon Ibbotson
Occupation: Co-owner of Rimbey Foods
Age: 50
Marital status, family: A wife and three kids.
Community involvement:
“I was on council for three years here. I’ve always been interested in politics. I took a political science degree and graduated in ’82. Even when I was young, I was interested. I’ve lived here for 21 years. I’ve been involved in hockey ever since I arrived, either I played or I officiated. I volunteered at school and in the classroom with my kids class once they started school.”
Why are you running for mayor:
“I‘ve got a lot of things I want to try and do. One is transparency. Two, I want more public involvement in the town’s affairs. By making things transparent it gives people the opportunity to know that’s going on and then if they chose to, can get involved. I know for the most part when things are going well, unless it’s an issue that directly involves them, don’t pay much attention to municipal politics. I’d like them to know what’s going one. I’d like them to have the ability to find that out, so they can keep up to date on it. If you’re going to do anything, especially a bigger project, you need to have community involvement to make it work.
I’d like to see more focus on the details of running a municipality, so sidewalks need to be repaired, playgrounds, some of them are beautiful, there are a couple that need to be repaired or replaced.
I’d like to see more wheelchair accessible ramps at the corners. I’d like to know more what the community wants. Right now, we’re working on the pool, and I know everyone wants to see the pool finished. There has been talk of a recycling system and I think that is something we need to look at in the future. This town, in 1984, the Lions put on a project and they were cutting edge. They collected cardboard, glass, newspapers; it was all run by volunteers. They are doing a good job, but the town should be helping out there by putting more resources into it and getting a recycling system going.”
Why should voters elect you over an opponent:
“That is a question that a voter has to answer. I can’t tell you why a voter should elect me in particular. I think I will listen to people, I’ll be careful in listening to concerns and I will involve the public. I think if they elect me they will find that the community goals will be identified and we will move ahead and try to work on them as a community.”
What are the most important issues facing the community:
“One concern I have is the amount of debt we’ve taken on in this summer. Last summer we had $2.5 million in debt. This year, from what I understand, the pool, the water reservoir, the road work that they’re doing, we’re going to take on at least $4 million in debt.
Municipal politics is all about how you spend the money.
The town has to look out for the important things, which are: water, sewer, emergency services. Those are the cores. Then you get into recreation, library, which I think are slightly less important. You have to focus on the core stuff and then you use the extra money for the projects that seem to need the most support based on the community wants.”
How would you improve the quality of life in Rimbey:
“I think if you take care of the maintenance issues, the playground, streets, roads, the equipment that the town owns. You do the little things, and you try and you start there and work your way up. As apposed to doing a huge project like the ethanol plant, which I am not against, I just don’t know what it involves. I think that the chances of getting a $30 million plant aren’t great. The chances of being able to improve the infrastructure are great. You have the money; you can choose to do that. I know that I have the money, that’s what I’m going to do, the little every day details that you need to run a town.”