Candidates running for Town of Athabasca council will be facing some serious competition in the upcoming Oct. 16 election, with 12 individuals vying for one of six seats in the council chambers.
Candidates running for Town of Athabasca council will be facing some serious competition in the upcoming Oct. 16 election, with 12 individuals vying for one of six seats in the council chambers.
In the last municipal election of 2013, only seven individuals put their name forward to run for town council, meaning only one candidate was unsuccessful.
Here are profiles of each of the 12 candidates for town council in the 2017 municipal election.
Michael Arychuk
Resident of Athabasca since 2002, Michael Arychuk said his experience as a management consultant has him well prepared to serve on town council for the first time.
“The main reason I'm running is just to give back to the community, ” he said.
Arychuk has been working as a management consultant in the oil and gas industry for three years, and said a lot of his work has to deal with subjects he would run into as a councillor, such as strategic planning, developing roles and responsibilities and codes of ethics.
“All sorts of things that were highlighted in the municipal inspection report, ” he said.
If elected to serve on town council, Arychuk said a big focus for him would be strategic planning, especially seeing the town and Athabasca County work together on a 10-year strategic plan. Intermunicipal Collaberation Framework's will be required between neighbouring municipalities under the modernized Municipal Government Act (MGA).
“Before the MGA it was voluntary, but now its legislated. So if we're going to build a 10 year plan we have to build it on the right foundation. ”
Arychuk other platforms ideas include effective decision making within council chambers, accountability and open-mindedness.
“I believe I have the right business, technical and interpersonal skills to help Athabasca prosper, ” he said.
Robert Balay
While he has not sat on town council previously, Robert Balay has been involved in the municipal public sector for other three decades.
Balay worked for the Town of Athabasca for 34 years in public works, and was utilities superintendent before he became Multiplex manager.
He has sat on the riverfront design review committee, chaired the Athabasca Regional Multiplex campaign committee and pool design committee, has been president twice of the Rotary Club of Athabasca and has coached various sports teams.
“I'm very much a community minded person and have always been heavily involved in my community, ” Balay said. “That was instilled in me by my dad and my parents strongly believed in that, so it kind of rubbed of on me. ”
Balay said if elected to council he would work to improve communication between council and the community, strengthen relationships with municipal patterns, and enhance service.
He added he would be fiscally responsible, and he has a lot of experience working with budgets.
“Just to make sure we're getting our best bang for our buck, and that we try to incorporate more efficiencies into what we do, ” he said.
Dan Bonell
If you have not seen campaign signs for Dan Bonell around town, it is because he does not want to “waste money ” like that, he said.
Dan Bonell moved to Athabasca in 2015, and said his experience owning and operating a safety training company, along with working as a paramedic in B.C., has him prepared to enter municipal politics for the first time.
“There's always a way around it or a way to it, which is beneficial to everybody. Whether it's working through an emergency scene or working in a classroom with a disruptive student, there's ways to deal with it, ” he said.
Bonell said right off the top, as councillor he would work to get through recommendations in the municipal inspection report.
“Those things have to be cleared up and they hit some highlighted points, which fell right in line with what we were seeing with town council, ” he said.
He added as far as a platform, “It's irrelevant what I think. ”
“What do the people of Athabasca want? How can I work for the people? ”
Bonnel said he is not a politician but a realist, and will operate through “common sense. ”
“I'm not a politician. I run it like a household, run it like a business…. You can't please everyone so you have to do what's best for the town. ”
Tannia Cherniwchan
Tannia Cherniwchan said she would like to be part of addressing deficiencies outlined in the municipal inspection report.
Cherniwchan has not served in municipal politics before but has volunteered in a variety of capacities in the community during her 48 years as a town resident. Her experience ranges from sitting on a government board Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to being a long-standing executive member of the Athabasca and District Music Festival Association.
Cherniwchan said her number one platform idea is developing cohesiveness within council.
“This is very important to me. I believe successful solutions are derived through trust, mutual respect, open discussion and transparency of processes, ” she said.
Some of Cherniwchan's other platform ideas include more comprehensive training for elected officials and encouraging continued growth through the development of an economic development plan. She also said Athabasca's youth, seniors and volunteers can all work together to make Athabasca a “super community, ” which with council's assistance could “become a reality. ”
Cherniwchan has been a resident of Athabasca since 1969, and said the present time is very exciting for the community.
“I'm running because I think I can bring a lot of past experience and knowledge and I think I work well with people in a group. I think that is exactly what we need at this time. ”
Ida Edwards
Ida Edwards is seeking election to town council for the first time and said she wants to offer a choice to residents, and is interested in being of service to the community.
Edwards has 30 years under her belt of community service, having served on the executive board of the Athabasca Dance Society, Athabasca District of Chamber of Commerce, and is currently president of both the Magnificent River Rats Festival and Athabasca and District Music Festival Association. She has also been involved in the Athabasca Landing Toastmasters Club for 14 years.
Edwards is also currently working on her diploma in business administration, which provides her skills in financial and strategic planning.
“I think I'm running on empowering people to make a difference in our community, that we get the right people and the right places to solve some of the problems that are coming up, ” she said.
Edwards said part of her platform includes working more with community non-profits and community groups, and keeping the hub of the theatre and library where it is.
“I'm really interested in seeing how individuals living in our town who are new can feel more welcome and find out ways to engage them so we have a more vibrant town. ”
Neil Galus
Neil Galus approaches the 2017 municipal election as an Athabasca-lifer, and town council veteran.
He served on council for five years, up until 2004, and said he “thought (he) would give it another shot. ”
“I've been away for awhile and I figured it's time to try it again, ” he said. “I just wanted to give it another try. ”
Galus said he does not have any key issues he is running on, but that he put his name forward to “do the best that (he) can ” if elected.
“I'm unable to promise anybody anything, ” he said. “I know what it's like to promise a whole bunch of stuff, but when you get elected to office and all the things you promise are not realistic. ”
He added he is running to do “honest, long-term planning ” for the town, and to make smart decisions for the town.
As a long-term resident of the town, Galus said he would like to see the town continue moving forward.
“It means getting new businesses to town, making the businesses that are here more viable, have them do better, ” he said. “When everybody is doing well that feeds on itself and other things come along. ”
Shelly Gurba
As one of three incumbent's running to serve as town councillor, Shelly Gurba said she still has more to contribute to the town.
Gurba has served one term on town council and two terms as councillor for the Summer Village of Island Lake South. She said she would like to see projects the sitting council started through to completion, such as the new school, pool and bridge.
Gurba said she would advocate for keeping the library downtown.
“I'm still going to advocate to keep the library right downtown and not let it move anywhere else. If I'm on town council I'm still going to work towards that and make sure that happens, ” she said.
While infrastructure is “not a pretty thing, ” Gurba said it is important and will be a priority.
Gurba also said over the past four years a number of small businesses and franchises have settled in Athabasca, and she would continue to promote local business.
“You can look on a lot of stuff I've done with motions and that, I've gone with either side, but it's always been what's best for the community, ” she said.
“Hopefully if I'm elected I can continue to do the best for community as a whole. ”
Heather Kariel
Heather Kariel has lived in the community for 25 years, and despite having no experience as an elected official, she has been a community volunteer for the past 20 years.
Her involvement in the community includes currently serving on the Family and Community Support Services advisory board and with the Athabasca Farmers Market as president. In the past Kariel served as president of the Athabasca Ukrainian Folk Dance Club, treasurer for the Athabasca United Church and was a founding member and last producer of Athabasca's Country Fringe Festival, to name a few.
“I'm a community volunteer that really cares about the town, ” she said. “We plan to retire here, and we would really like this to be a place that we want to stay, and people that don't stay can be proud of, coming from here. ”
Kariel said one issue she would like to focus on if elected town councillor is working on community consultation, something that was mentioned in the municipal inspection report.
She said this could be resolved through more open houses, radio addresses, hosting coffee times or even online surveys.
“Just running as a really respectful council that's really there for the citizens of Athabasca and trying to do the best they can for the whole town. ”
David Pacholok
Retired construction company owner David Pacholuk said he would like to be known as an approachable candidate to residents and other governments.
Pacholuk has lived in Athabasca for 61 years and said now that he is retired, he has the time to become an effective councillor.
“I have always been interested in what's been happening with the town, but I was always working out of town with a business, ” he said. “Now I have the time to devote and I'm hoping to pay back the town for all the years that I have lived in this town and enjoyed the many amenities. ”
Pacholok said he has held various volunteer committee executive positions, sat on parent councils and has coached golf, curling, hockey, soccer and football. Currently he is a driver with Road to Hope.
His platform includes ideas of enhancing the town's tax base, strategic planning, staying on top of the town's “aging infrastructure ” and increasing transparency of government.
“I believe in transparency of the government, which means hopefully less time in camera and more time in public meetings. ”
About the municipal inspection report, Pacholok said it will be a long process to follow through on all the recommendations, and council will “have to work our way through in the time it takes to do it. ”
Joanne Peckham
Joanne Peckham currently serves as Town of Athabasca councillor, and said she is seeking a third term because she loves serving the town.
“Ever since I came here 23 years ago I've been involved in one capacity or another giving back to this community, ” she said.
Peckham added she would like to follow through on projects that were started during the current term.
“At the same time I really look forward to being with a council that is going to greatly learn going forward the basics of council, council conduct and being part of a group moving forward, ” she said.
Peckham said throughout the “negativity ” of the past four years, she has remained dedicated to serving the needs of the 12 committees she has sat on, and would continue to be an advocate for them if elected again.
When asked about her involvement in a council that was under municipal review, Peckham said she is going into election season hoping “the leader will be different. ”
“That we will have someone that will recognizes the strengths of every person around that table and keeps it professional not personal, ” she said. “Have someone that's going to lead us in the correct manner to continue with the growth in this community. ”
Steven Schafer
Steven Schafer currently sits on town council and said he is running for a second term because he is “ready to do another shift. ”
Schafer said he does not want to lose sight of the “areas of strength ” mentioned in the executive summary of the town's municipal inspection report.
“I'd like to see that as a significant perspective going forward, ” he said. “Yes we have some things to do, but even if we didn't have that report we would still have some of those things to do. ”
Schafer said he has a number of platform ideas he believes are important “for the region and for other members of our community, ” including moving towards “greater capacity, greater interest and greater involvement. ”
He also wants to focus on following through with the new bridge, infrastructure, seniors housing in Athabasca, economic development, town beautification, maximizing town assets, improving internet services and the library.
Schafer said he has in the past advocated for the library being located by the Multiplex, but now said “it goes beyond location, ”
“I'd like there to be a real consideration of what we want the library to be, more important than where we want it to be. ”
John Traynor
John Traynor has decided to run for council again, after serving as town councillor during the 2007 term.
As a resident of 21 years, Traynor said he is running again to ensure big projects currently underway - such as the new pool, school and bridge - are done properly.
“I want to make sure the developments are done correctly and benefit every member of our community, ” he said.
Traynor said he hates driving across the bridge, and that he would like to see the new one developed with a sidewalk and utilities running across it.
“I feel a lot of these issues could be worked out and moved forward very quickly with a group of individual councillors that are all working together, ” he said.
Traynor added as councillor he would ensure some of the “unsightly areas ” of town are taken care of.
“It's not rocket science, we got to make sure these things are taken care of so our town is nice when people visit and for people who live here, ” he said.
Traynor said if elected he would make sure the new council does not “head down the same path ” as the current council, and that he would be respectful of colleagues.
