After serving with the RCMP, working for Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming and sitting on town council in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Redcliff mayoral hopeful Don McRobb has experienced at all levels of government.--News Photo Zoe Mason
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
Don McRobb moved to Redcliff 12 years ago after a career in Saskatchewan that spanned municipal, provincial and federal government. This year, he wants back into municipal politics with a bid for mayor of Redcliff.
After 21 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, he settled in Melfort, Sask., where he served a term as councillor before an unsuccessful run for mayor.
During his time in Melfort, he was also the project manager for the construction of a new multi-million-dollar recreational facility and concert venue.
He moved to Redcliff in retirement and thought his days in municipal politics were behind him. When friends and neighbours started conversations with McRobb about changes they wanted to see in the township, he began encouraging younger friends and neighbours to run.
The more conversations he had with residents, the more McRobb realized he wanted a say on council himself. At the encouragement of friends and neighbours, he ran for mayor instead.
The core of his campaign, he says, is communication and transparency. If elected, McRobb wants to establish weekly office hours for the mayor and encourage more press coverage of the things discussed at council.
He also wants to promote economic development. But he wants to try to leverage Redcliff’s existing strengths in new business ventures.
“Probably the best tomatoes you can buy in Regina, Saskatchewan are from Red Hat. Maybe we could get a canning plant, or a fast-freeze line,” he said in an interview with the News on Friday.
Above all, McRobb says he wants to have face-to-face conversations with the workers who are experts in Redcliff’s local industries and see what they want or need to grow.
“Get down there. Go down to a shop, sit down with the guys and ask, ‘Is there anything that you need? Is there something I can put forward in council?'” he said. “You look after the people, get their concerns and try and do something about it within the budget.”
McRobb believes the job of mayor is not to advance his own priorities, but to provide an outlet for residents to express theirs.
“There’s a cartoon where Charlie Brown and Lucy are talking, and Lucy says, ‘Do all fairy tales begin with once upon a time?’ And Charlie says, ‘No, Lucy, some begin with, ‘If elected, I promise…'”
The only thing McRobb is willing to promise is that he’ll do his best.
“No fairy tales. I will work hard, but I can only try to do what the ratepayers want.”
