December 2013 Newsletter

Since this is the first newsletter I am able to write following October’s Election, I want to take a moment to thank you for your support. Three years ago I began learning how City Hall ticks. There is only one way that I have come up with to describe the learning process of the last three years; drinking from a fire hose. My election to City Council three years ago was an incredible honour. Three years ago you elected me on the promise of what I could do, but in October you elected me based on what I have done, and that is far more important. The first term has been amazing, but there is much more work to be done. With three years of experience under my belt, I am that much better equipped to do it. So thank you for your vote of confidence. I take my job as your representative at City Hall very seriously, and I strive to be the voice of each and every one of you.

Making changes in City Hall takes hard work. Getting elected, learning the details, and pushing for change all come at a cost, and rarely does this kind of change come from the work of a single individual. Instead, real change usually starts at the community level. Your voice is the most powerful ammunition for change, and the work of Jillian Drysdale and Karen Lloyd is a shining example of how a few voices can become a chorus...

Every analysis that I have ever seen, including a tabulation of issues raised at my Aldertalk sessions, has shown that traffic safety is the biggest concern in Ward 14. This would likely be no surprise to Jillian Drysdale, Karen Lloyd, and the Ecole Sam Livingston School Traffic Committee whose frustration with playground zone regulations led them to contact every decision-maker they could find. The result of their lobbying was a City-wide brainstorm that brought the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Justice, MLAs, City Councillors (including myself), School Board Trustees, AMA representatives, and traffic experts together with the citizens who wanted their attention. All sorts of safety options were discussed. In September, the small group took this effort one step further to create the Calgary School Traffic Safety Week with all sorts of initiatives aimed at getting Calgarians to take safety into their own hands.

So if you want things to change then make your voice heard (and that means contacting me too)! You can call my office at (403) 268-1653 or through the Ward 14 Contact Form.

Happy Holidays, and please obey the rules of the road. The risks of speeding far outweigh the benefits!​