Rodeos, festivals and election rumours swirling!
By Martin Shields Member of Parliament Bow River Riding
Over the past few weeks, I’ve attended several festivals and rodeos across the riding – and let me say: They have all been a huge success! Now that Alberta is completely open, we are seeing that Albertans are taking full advantage of the warm temperatures and getting out to enjoy community events.
From Bulls on the Beach in Chestermere, to the Rockyford Bull-a-Rama, to the Strathmore Stampede among other events, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting constituents and hearing about their concerns while enjoying a beef on a bun or sipping on a drink to cool off.
I must give a special shout out to everyone who came out to our Hot Dog Day fundraiser for the Strathmore Municipal Library on July 31 after the parade! A big thanks goes out to all volunteers and those who donated to the library. We had a great turnout and we thank the community for raising money for a good cause. During the chuckwagon races at the Strathmore Stampede, you may have seen a chuckwagon with a big mustache on it driven by veteran driver Darcy Flad. Darcy came from behind to win his heat in a thrilling race. I also had the opportunity to address the full-house crowd in the stands to cheer on all the drivers. I am truly thankful to be able to get together with and hear from people once again, and I can imagine so many of you feel the same.
The economy remains the single most important concern, with more and more constituents worried about the direction this Liberal government has taken the country and are very much stressed about the future. COVID is still a lingering issue that some have expressed concern about, with a wide swath of opinions. One thing was overwhelmingly agreed upon however – that the Trudeau government failed in securing vaccines in a reasonable amount of time and that it cost our economy heavily. The lockdowns caused devastation to our financial security, as we now have well over $1.3 trillion in federal debt. As you know, the Prime Minister is positioning himself for an election, and it is coming – we just don’t know when. He may decide to call for an election at any time within the coming weeks. Let me assure you, I along with my Conservative colleagues are ready to fight this election and represent Alberta interests out in Ottawa. Our Alberta Conservative caucus is united and spirited – ready to continue fighting for you.
Should you have any questions or concerns about any federal issue, I can be reached by email at: martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980.