Alison Van Dyke says the future of the power plant will be a municipal election issue.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Alison Van Dyke will seek a seat on council this fall, promoting herself as the candidate to protect public services and safeguard public ownership of the city’s power plant.
The community advocate announced her candidacy on Tuesday afternoon, saying that mobilizing a campaign to maintain the generation business was a motivating factor, but for some time she has had concerns that city decisions were too narrowly focused.
“I’m a person who believes that you have to participate and you have to get involved,” she told the News, restating her position that the future of the power plant will be a ballot issue this fall.
“It’s definitely not dead, and depending who is on council next term it may come back. I want to be part of that group to ensure good decisions are being made. We can certainly rise to the challenges.”
Van Dyke becomes the 16th person to register for the Oct. 18 elections, when eight council seats will be filled.
That comes after months of speculation she may run after co-ordinating a public awareness and lobbying campaign in response to the city’s energy division announcement it would be evaluating “strategic alternatives” to operating the power plant.
Van Dyke is now vocal in opposing the potential closure of three community recreation facilities that are now the focus of a recreation master plan that is going for public consultation this summer.
She said Tuesday the city’s budget engaging the local community and business sector is the answer, rather than privatizing or cutting services
“I can understand the need to be ‘financially fit’ – coming out of COVID, everybody’s hurting,” she said. “You can have a great looking spreadsheet, but if people can’t access the services they need, they are not going to want to live here.”
Van Dyke works as a co-ordinator with the Medicine Hat Community Foods Connections Association, and is the chair of the Palliser Friends of Medicare. Previously, she worked with Public Interest Alberta and advocated for higher wages in the local economy.
She grew up on a farm near Rattlesnake Dam, and now lives in Medicine Hat with her husband and two teenaged daughters.
Van Dyke plans to spend the summer door knocking, but also arranging smaller meet and greets in “backyards” to engage small groups of voters.
The field for council candidates who have registered with the chief returning officer is now 16, including just one incumbent, two-term councillor Jim Turner, for eight available seats.
The registration period began Jan. 1, at which point candidates could begin raising or spending campaign funds, and the official nomination day is Sept. 20 ahead of the October general election.
