Bringing food to our table
By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA
Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers. I cannot believe the weather we are having and seeing the crops come in is such a beautiful sight.
With the increased costs of fertilizer, diesel, fuel delivery and machinery, we know how much our farmers and ranchers do to get food to our table, but the stress of the job cannot be underestimated. Prices are strong this year, so there is indeed hope on the horizon. We thank you as we head into the Thanksgiving season, Diwali and other harvest celebrations. Here is a quote from To Understand The Life of A Farmer.
“A country’s progress and power are generally measured by the amount of resources they use, or their per person income, or the size of their forces. But would not it be more suitable if we measure them by the number of people who sleep with food in their stomach on a daily basis and also by the life conditions of the people who are growing that food, that is our farmers. A well-equipped nation might be powerful, but to be a happy and prosperous nation, it is necessary to make sure that no one has to sleep on an empty stomach and that too after working as a labourer for the whole day. One way to make this happen easily is to make sure we respect and give as much respect to our farmers as much as we give our celebrities. We here salute each and every farmer on the face of the earth, who works daily, from dawn to dusk, in rain and in sun.”
I am very proud to announce that we are investing an additional $500,000 in the VOICE (Valuable Opportunities to Inspire Change through Empowerment) program. I have believed in, advocated and participated in the 10-week program alongside athletes giving so much back to their communities. This funding will support VOICE in training more mentors, expand the program’s scope to fraternities and sororities and deliver programming to two schools, three Indigenous communities and five additional post-secondary institutions. VOICE engages with professional and university athletes to mentor youth and help them prevent gender-based violence. We believe in prevention; educating and engaging youth through conversation and modules based on real-life scenarios helps provide young athletes and individuals with the tools they need to recognize and prevent gender-based violence. VOICE began as an annual training session for athletes and staff of the Edmonton Elks and the Calgary Stampeders as part of the Canadian Football League’s commitment to address and prevent gender-based violence in its organizations. Since its inception, VOICE has gained attention from athletic organizations across the province, particularly over social media. Alberta-born players who play for teams in other provinces as far as Ontario have joined the movement, giving the program a national reach. As of September 2021, the VOICE program has trained over 34 ambassadors, connected with over 21 schools and engaged with almost 3,000 students across the province. By December 2022, the program is expected to reach more than 11,000 Alberta youth, including K-12 schools in Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Lethbridge, Athabasca, Bonnyville, Brooks and several First Nations and Métis communities. Thank you to Colleen Pirie, the brains behind this program, for including me in this work and for her bravery and courage to find ways to shine a light on ending gender-based violence.
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is building a massive new manufacturing complex and aerodrome in Wheatland County, just east of Calgary. It has been a huge privilege to share information with the Reeve of Wheatland County almost three years ago about this project’s potential and I am very happy to see it come to fruition. As the MLA for this area, I look forward to working with our municipal and business leaders. It is incredible to see companies choosing Alberta, a huge win for Alberta’s economy. The new facility will support at least 1,500 high-paying jobs when it is completed and numerous construction jobs as it is being built. Dubbed De Havilland Field, the plant will be located in Wheatland County between the communities of Chestermere and Strathmore. De Havilland says it has acquired about 600 hectares of land in the area and that construction could begin as early as next year, with its first buildings operational by 2025.
(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)