Congratulations Strathmore

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Strathmore Times readers. I would like to start off by saying congratulations to the Town of Strathmore as they break ground for their new municipal building that will be located in the heart of Kinsmen Park. It was a pleasure to stand with members of the council, Wheatland County and Siksika Nation as they brought forth their vison of what this new building means for the community.
Our service clubs work tirelessly to make things better in our communities and it’s great to see their dedication recognized. One of these clubs is the Cheadle Lions Club. I am proud, but not at all surprised, to report that the Cheadle Lions have been nominated for a Minister’s Senior Service Award by Wheatland Lodge for their efforts supporting our senior citizens. As the Minister Of Seniors and Housing, the Hon. Josephine Pon, said: “As I have travelled the province and met with older adults and civil society organizations, I am in awe of the individuals and organizations who selflessly give their time to provide services and supports to seniors and their communities.”
I would like to chat about the auditor general’s report that was released this week for our province. We found out after the privilege of being elected that many government boards were not fostering the desired outcomes to best serve Alberta. Many boards were operating with tremendous inefficiencies, and were left with vacancies as a result of there being no mechanism for the previous government to hold effective elections for the board members, let alone attract folks that were willing to run for and work on important boards that inform government. As a result of this we have decided that in order to reduce red tape we would centralize recruitment of board members by ensuring that a skilled, diverse and vibrant group of people are appointed to these boards. This reduces the time to fill the board vacancies, and in the spirit of the report from the auditor general, we are delivering on making sure that you are served better by your government. We have removed the need for expensive search firms and the Public Service Commission will use the public agency secretariat to coordinate recruitment of board members of public agencies, boards and commissions. We hope to eliminate as many inefficiencies as possible.
Finally, are you concerned about rural crime? Please join me and the Honourable Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice, in Cheadle at the Community Hall on Monday, Sept. 16. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Minister Schweitzer is touring the province to get your input on how to make our justice system more responsive to your needs. Call 403-962-0126 for more information.
As always, we love to hear from you at 403-962-0126 or Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca.