Council candidate Yusuf Mohammed looks to celebrate Medicine Hat's diversity while working to make the city a viable option for all to live and work in.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Yusuf Mohammed hopes to bring not just experiences from within the city with his bid to become a city councillor, but from around the world.
Having lived in the city for more than 20 years and raised his children here, Mohammed has a deep love for the vibrant, diverse community he calls home. He seeks to become more involved, and believes he has a unique opportunity to bring practical solutions and an appreciation for dialogue to the table for the benefit of the municipality.
“I’m a community builder, and I like doing it together with others. So I feel like this is an opportunity to actually work with different people to be able to shape this community,” said Mohammed.
He has a longer list of priorities, with five items he would consider to be of utmost importance to be pursued should he become one of the councillors in the upcoming term.
“First of all, for me, is restoring trust and confidence in city leadership,” said Mohammed. “Real leadership isn’t loud; it’s effective. It’s not about who’s right, but what we can do right, together. As the African proverb says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ It’s time we go far.”
Also on his list of priorities includes building a diverse, resilient economy with pathways for everyone. He believes it is vital the city ensures everyone can make a living here, and that can be achieved by things such as supporting small business, greater community input before approving large projects and inspiring and supporting youth to become the entrepreneurs of the future.
“The third one for me, it’s really stewardship that has a huge role in how we manage city resources and how we make sure our citizens are thriving in our community as a result of our stewardship as leaders,” said Mohammed.
This includes protecting the public ownership of utilities, centering affordability and increasing transparency by making utility spending public.
The final two priorities come back to a similar concept of fairness and community, by investing intelligently to give every part of the city what it needs to thrive, and enriching the wellness of those who call the city home through investing in recreation and partnering with those who can provide faster, better mental health supports.
“I want to make sure that our resources are allocated across all neighbourhoods, regardless of where they are, and make sure that they have the facilities they need to be able to feel like, you know, to build vibrancy within that community,” said Mohammed.
As the community grows, Mohammed says, Medicine Hat is going to see people arriving from all over the world, and as a councillor, he would commit to being a voice for everyone, whether they were born and raised in the city or whether they are just finding their feet as they choose to stay.
“I’ve worked across four continents, from community building to in business, all from that perspective of seeing what is truly happening on the ground level,” said Mohammed. “As our community grows, we’re going to have people from different walks of life that come here. I think I have some strong perspectives as to how we can build our community moving forward, making sure the voices in our communities are heard and that we’re not leaving anyone behind.”
Mohammed will be out in the community in the weeks to come, speaking to as many people as possible to ensure he has the full picture of what Hatters need. Those interested in his platform or getting in touch are encouraged to visit yusufmohammed.ca.
