Hello Chestermere-Strathmore! We have had a very busy week with the opening of our businesses, parks, lakes and other amenities as we come out of COVID-19 with a deeper appreciation for protecting our loved ones and those who we are interacting with.
We have an understanding of how to keep healthy as we take care of our customers, clientele, and co-workers and I hope you feel as hopeful as I do as we take these next steps.
Happy National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 marks the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day. I was honoured to participate in a virtual celebration with the Minister of Indigenous Relations, Rick Wilson.
As I write this article, I am returning from Vegreville and visiting with MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk as we toured the Ukrainian Village that opened this past weekend. It was amazing to see this gem, and I hope you will have the time to head out and experience the story of the struggles, triumphs, and enduring contributions to Alberta by Ukrainian immigrants at this wonderful historic site. They have done an amazing job opening up with strong hygiene protocols to protect their staff, and the visitors. Make sure you include a visit as you plan your Alberta Staycation, bring a mask and your lunch and enjoy!
When you think about building your community, what do you think about? Do you think about rec centres, public spaces, the election of your local council, the amenities of your area, the roads, public transit? I’m sure everyone has checked at least one of these boxes.
When you think about building communities, we also think about how we interact with our neighbours, sharing meals, learning about their culture, their struggles, their successes, and how we want to build stronger communities though interactions with our elected officials, our first responders, our police and our businesses. In all of these situations, we have our own unconscious biases, and we have a responsibility to look at racism, and the systemic racism that plagues many of our communities.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the RCMP in our riding for the incredible work that they do reaching out to our communities, and as we work together to be better, their acknowledgment of our collective responsibility to work to end racism, bigotry, and discrimination. These are uncomfortable discussions, and many of you have reached out to our office with stories that need to be addressed and moreover to acknowledge that racism does exist, and we must eradicate it.
I will continue to work closely with our RCMP as we work together to understand how we can serve you better. As we learn from the protests surrounding issues like Black Lives Matter we will become better communities. It is heart warming to see people stand up for each other, especially to combat racism. Our cities, towns, and hamlets need to be safe and caring communities for all to enjoy. This is a chance to really unify and create even more positive experiences, the kind that we as Albertans are known for.
Finally, a very happy belated Fathers Day to all! As always we love to hear from you.
