Ready for the stampede
By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA
Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers. First of all, please join MP Martin Shields and I in Strathmore at Kinsmen Park for a Hot Dog day this Saturday, July 31, at 11 a.m. All proceeds raised go to the Strathmore Municipal Library. We will be so excited to see everyone there. Thank you to all our staff at both of our offices for helping to set this up.
My heart is so full having been able to spend time with everyone in their offices, at weddings, having coffee, and at the rodeo. I truly hope I never forget what it felt like to see friends and to sit next to each other, share a conversation, and in my case – embrace, during the stampede, Bulls on the Beach in Chestermere, and as we look towards the Strathmore Rodeo. I want to acknowledge that folks have been worried about the D variant of the Corona Virus. It is always important to remember the protocols, especially if you have not been vaccinated. Kindness is something that goes a long way for those who are continuing to wear masks or need to keep their distance at these events. On July 23, we had our first Bulls on the Beach in Chestermere that showcased 25 of the top athletes in the country. Thank you to Dan Richard, Lazy P Rodeo Company, the City of Chestermere, and to the Rocky View Chestermere Ag Society for hosting this sold-out event. We had the fantastic Cody Maclean as our MC and Megan Pierson (the creator of the Bull Shirt brand), and the dust in our teeth was real!
I want to thank the members of the Wheatland and Area Surface Rights Society. I was so appreciative of their time and expertise and would like to give a shout-out to the Hilton family. Thank you to Spencer for not only providing us the location at the fabulous Origin Malting and Brewing in Strathmore but for the wonderful conversation and root beer. The success of our farmers, and especially the diversified crop production that we see in our constituency, is at the heart of job creation and invigorates the economy and the entrepreneurial spirit of our beautiful province. Property rights, including landowner rights, are inherent civil rights. We are meeting with folks right across the province, led by MLA RJ Sigurdson, following our mandate to create a Select Special Committee on Real Property Rights. We are taking admissions until Aug. 15, so please reach out to us through our email address at chestermere.strathmore@assembly.ab.ca, or go to RPRCommitee.Admin@assembly.ab.ca.
Finally, many of you have been asking about the Deferred Payment Program. I want to first thank all of you that struggled to keep your head above water throughout the COVID protocols and closures. There are not enough words of gratitude to express to our frontline workers and to those of you who fought to keep your businesses going and adapted to comply with the protocols imposed on you to keep all of us safe. 245,000 Albertans were able to defer their utility bills throughout the pandemic, and most of the money was paid back. The utility companies needed to apply for loans to help them manage the extended credit and cash flow required for the deferral program. I realize that many of you are frustrated with the extra 50 cents per month it will cost all of us to pay back the $13 to 16 million leftover debt. I acknowledge that 85 per cent of us paid back their portion of the deferral. This is a temporary rate rider that is transparent. I will keep you updated as the Alberta Utility Commission reviews the issue and shares the final details of the program.
As always, we love to hear from you!
(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)