Albertans share during holiday season

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Strathmore! It was great to see so many of you at my meet and greets in Langdon at Prairie Grounds Coffee House and Strathmore at the Civic Centre this past Sunday. Your input informs and inspires me every day.
As many of you know, there is a composting facility just north of Strathmore in Wheatland County which was established in 1997. In person and through my office I have heard many concerns from residents about this facility. In May 2017 this facility was purchased by GFL Environmental Inc. GFL is a corporation which operates composting facilities throughout North America.
My staff and I have been reviewing the historical documents and I have had numerous meetings with Alberta Environment and Parks to discuss the issues raised by you. I have spoken to GFL headquarters and raised your concerns. I recently met with senior officials from Alberta Environment and Parks and GFL’s director of compost operations at the site to look at the best path forward. During that meeting, GFL emphasized their commitment to meet or exceed all provincial and municipal requirements associated with the Strathmore facility.
I look forward to meeting with Wheatland County in the new year. The Environment and Parks Minister, the Hon. Jason Nixon, has assured me that Alberta Environment and Parks regional staff will continue to utilize that department’s regulatory tools to address your concerns.
I would like to thank all of you who have contacted me for your advocacy. This issue is top of mind with me and my staff. Please feel free to contact my office at 403-962-0126 or email Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca. Your voice matters.
On Dec. 5 the Legislature rose, and I would like to provide a bit of an update as to what was accomplished in this last session. In health, Minister Tyler Shandro has created an initiative to reduce surgical wait times by increasing the amount of contracts with non-hospital surgical facilities. This will see more than 80,000 surgeries completed, and publicly funded. This will see knee replacements done within six months, and cataract surgeries within four months. On Nov. 20, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced she would be ordering an independent financial audit of the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) as well as a governance review in response to the CBE’s announcement that it would be ending the contracts of over 300 temporary teachers, despite Minister LaGrange stressing boards should prioritize frontline staff. The CBE has since reversed its position on ending these contracts, but our government maintains the CBE must be held accountable for their spending decisions. Thank you to our Minister LaGrange for standing up for teachers.
On Dec. 10, numerous Calgarians attended the Fair Deal Panel’s town hall in Calgary. It was great to see so many engaged, enthusiastic Albertans eager to see our province succeed. You can submit your feedback online at alberta.ca/fairdeal.
On Dec. 12, our government announced that the Office of the Seniors Advocate will be combined with the Office of the Health Advocates to address seniors’ concerns more efficiently. Beginning Jan. 2, 2020, Alberta seniors, their families and service providers will be able to access information and referrals on issues of concern at a centralized organization. Staff and resources from the Office of the Seniors Advocate will be transferred to the Office of the Health Advocates to support this change. The Alberta Health Advocates can be reached at 780-422-1812 or online at albertahealthadvocates.ca. Additionally, general inquiries about all government services can be made to Alberta Supports at 1-877-644-9992 and at any Alberta Supports office.
Our food banks are in dire need of supplies for the holidays, so please give them a call and see what their needs are at this time. I know that feminine hygiene products, diapers, wipes and things like toothpaste and deodorant are always needed and greatly appreciated.
Please remember to shop local where possible this Christmas season. As I write this in my home, I am looking at a stunning Christmas garland from Strathmore’s Florist. Your local businesses have many unique gifts and of course the service and smiles that go with them. As always, we love to hear from you.
(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore, Minister of Status of Women and Minister of Culture and Multiculturalism)