Council candidate Christien Ellis says experience as a jack-of-all-trades and his unwavering passion for the community make him a good choice to represent Medicine Hatters.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Believing Medicine Hat to be one of the best places in the world to live, council hopeful Christien Ellis wants to make sure that remains true for generations to come.
Ellis has worked in nearly every kind of job one can think of, he says, and with that experience comes a wide view of the needs of the city, which he feels will help him be part of making the city the best it can be.
“I owned a business in the downtown core, I’ve worked in the non-profit world as a worker at Be Youth and I’ve also helped organize music festivals and events with groups like fictional bookings. I’ve worked white collar accounting jobs and currently work blue collar as an arborist. And through all of these ventures I’ve come to learn a lot from the people of our city in every facet of life,” said Ellis.
Describing himself as a “true Hatter,” Ellis has experience forming budgets, making collaborative plans and working with the greater community and promises to bring these things to council to help be a voice for the city.
His priorities blend together into a cycle, believing economic development brings cultural reform as people with the means to help each other and form community will be inclined to do so.
“For example, if we can strengthen the construction community by giving them an opportunity to build easily. I’ve been talking to some of the construction companies, and one of the biggest things holding them back from building is the financial restrictions of high-interest loans and the ability to actually get through city hall,” said Ellis.
“If we can find a way to bolster the construction industry, for example, then that would raise the vacancy rate and in turn, make things more affordable for the young families, for the individuals that are living on their own. And if we can do that, then they could be giving back to the community themselves, which becomes economic development again.”
He says he would like to see more partnerships with non-profits from the city, to empower them to do good for the community and address in a grassroots way some of the issues the community is facing; the people of this city are smart and willing to put in the work, he says, they merely need to be empowered to do so.
Ellis also says he would like to explore the possibility of a city-run youth shelter, bringing up the possibility of the site of the former Y Employment Centre for location, to ensure youth in crisis are able to remain in the community and continue to build their futures.
“Another one of the biggest things that I’d like to see is the Saamis Solar Project getting approved,” said Ellis. “It’s being delayed because of this election, and I think that’s one of the first things that the council has to do is actually approve phase one of the project.”
He says this would be a clear way to maintain and build on the advantage that many young families in Medicine Hat have had in the past, future-proofing said advantage for generations to come as well as those who already enjoy it.
“We have a very unique situation and being able to own our utilities, it just doesn’t happen in other places. Anyway, if we don’t find a way to come into the new age, we’re going to lose that Medicine Hat advantage,” said Ellis.
Ultimately shaped by this place and with a deep love for this city, Ellis seeks to be a face seen frequently around town, both during his campaign and hopefully during his time as a council member, making himself available to residents to bring forward questions, concerns and ideas so he can bring them forward as a representative.
“I offer not only a blend of economic development and cultural reform, but also the ability to think like a (councillor) and develop ideas into reality,” said Ellis.
He encourages those curious to have a more in-depth look at his policies on his campaign website, available at ckellis.ca.
