After following city council decisions, candidate, Murray Grant decided he needed to be the change that Chestermere needs.
“It was an overall theme of where the city was headed and how they were getting there, it didn’t really align with how I thought it should go, or what I thought the values of Chestermere are. I often complained about it, and I got to the point where I needed to step up and make a change,” Grant said
Grant’s number one priority is recreation and expanding recreation opportunities within the city.
“I’ve seen the recreation activities taken away from this town more than added to it, it’s something that we need to get serious about, we need to start investing in it, and start providing a wide range of opportunities for everyone in Chestermere for different priorities in recreation,” Grant said.
Adding, “Like recreation, we dropped the ball on getting developers on board with getting the school sites ready so the province will fund them. We should no longer be approving developments that don’t have the schools or infrastructure needed for recreation.”
As an avid golfer himself, Grant is opposed to the rezoning of the Lakeside Golf Course land.
“The golf course is an important amenity to me, to see that taken away for someone’s individual profit is not something I’m in favour of, or will ever be in favour of,” Grant said.
In addition to expanding recreation, Grant wants to expand transportation within the city.
“Public transportation is to provide transportation to the public around the city, not out of our city. I’d like to see a bus service that does something for seniors, youth, and the at-risk population so those people can get around our town and get back home at the end of the day,” Grant said.
If elected, Grant wants to improve transparency by having fewer in-camera conservations, coming out with fewer half-truths, for administration to present the full picture to council, and residents’ feedback to be taken into consideration when making decisions.
In the next four years, Grant wants to see the development of three schools, commercial development made a priority, an older adults housing facility with proper amenities, a transit service that takes Chestermere residents to local businesses, and a third skating rink built.
“We need a third rink, nobody’s talking about it, they are all talking about a fieldhouse, but that third rink. in my mind, is more of a necessity than a fieldhouse. We need to start the process, we can’t wait any longer on it,” Grant said.
