MLA Report: The most wonderful time of the year

By Medicine Hat News Opinon on December 15, 2017.

The Christmas season is upon us and there is so much to celebrate. Myself, I look forward to the time that I get to spend with my wife, children and family. It is always so special to be able to see distant family members, nephews and nieces and to enjoy each other’s company, away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Now, I have quite a big family so getting all 30 of us together at other times in the year proves to be challenging. For the past 25 years or so we have been renting out the Kinplex Kin Room to hold all of us together and enjoy our Christmas festivities. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze at someone’s home — if our family gets any bigger we are going to have to rent out the Canalta Centre — but, especially at Christmas, the more the merrier!

Aside from family duties, as an MLA there are always many, many things to do. There are tree lightings, fundraisers and parties on top of regular legislature and constituency work. I am always amazed at the effort and creativity that takes place in planning these events and I love to see community coming together to celebrate and be joyful. In Edmonton, the mood around the legislature picks up at this time of year with many class visits and the beautiful light displays and decorations. If you ever get a chance to come up and see it, it really is spectacular.

Last year, in some of my endeavours around the constituency, I found a charming market out at Schuler selling homemade goods from local vendors. I ended up getting most of my Christmas shopping finished there! It was so great to be able to directly support community members and see others having fun with it too.

With that being said, I would strongly encourage you to attend a Christmas market and shop local this Christmas season. We owe so much to the small businesses in Medicine Hat and area who sell quality goods and sustain our community culture.

When you support a small business, you are directly supporting your local economy and contributing to rebuilding the Alberta Advantage of rewarding entrepreneurship, competition and creativity. So, when you are buying gifts or looking for somewhere to shop this season, think of going off the beaten path and seeing what local Albertans have to offer.

From my family, my staff, and all of the constituents of Cypress-Medicine Hat, have a very merry Christmas everyone!

(Drew Barnes is the Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA representing the United Conservative Party and is the party’s critic for finance and treasury board.)