Chris Czember owns Who's On 3rd pub in Redcliff, the Inn on 3rd motel in Redcliff and is a co-owner of the North Sports Bar and Grill in Medicine Hat's Crescent Heights. He has lived in Redcliff for more than 35 years and has served on council for two terms.--NEWS PHOTO ZOE MASON
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
Two-term councillor Chris Czember’s mayoral campaign has been a long time coming. Moving to Redcliff in 1989, Czember began working at the Who’s on 3rd pub a few years later. He purchased it by the time he was 20.
“I started working there when I was 18, so people have always had access to me,” he said in an interview with the News on Monday.
But he always had a more formal type of public service in the back of his mind.
“I always thought it would be great to be on council. Every election I said, ‘No, I’m too young. I’m too young.’ When I was 40, I thought, ‘Well, I’m not too young for anything anymore.'”
He ran for council in the next election and won a seat in 2017.
“I really enjoy being part of the decision-making process. I like seeing what’s coming to town. I like having the inside and I care about this community. This is my home. This is where I invest in. I love Redcliff.”
Outgoing mayor Dwight Kilpatrick gave Czember a clear endorsement in an interview with the News last week. Czember said he has a good relationship with the mayor and discussed his run for office with Kilpatrick before throwing his name in the ring.
“He said that he was going to step back, so I thought, ‘OK, if you’re going to step back, then I’m going to run for mayor.'”
Throughout his time on council, Czember believes he’s demonstrated a commitment to community consultation and open communication, which he says are the foundation of his approach to leadership.
He cites the recent upgrades to the local rink as one example.
The aging facility is due for a new ice plant. But when the town made plans to instal one, the proposed timeline would have disrupted the hockey season. Czember said he spearheaded discussions with all parties involved – the local minor hockey organization, the contractors, his council colleagues and even the premier – to reach an agreement that left everyone satisfied.
His main goal as mayor would be to make that kind of consultation commonplace.
“Everybody says they want to be transparent,” he said.
But Czember believes that in order for transparency to be more than just a buzzword, council needs to take the initiative in opening lines of communication with the public.
“I think it is just going to go so far in creating trust and getting input from the people. We can hold an open house – nobody’s going to show up, or you get the same four people to show up. That’s not real input. Reach out to these people.”
As of Friday, Czember was running in an uncontested race. Now that he has an opponent, he says he plans to campaign a little harder than before.
Overall, he embraces the opportunity to compete for the position.
“Now I have to look at it as, if I get in, I’m going to have the people’s approval, and that’s fantastic,” he said.
“If it doesn’t go that route – I hope he does a great job. This is my town, so whoever is in that position, I want them to do a great job, whether it’s me or not.”
