Janice Callihoo returned to Hinton three years ago to find a thriving community, and she couldn’t wait to be a part of it again.

Having just been sworn in as one of Hinton’s new town councillors, Callihoo will have the perfect opportunity to help shape the future of the town she happily calls home once again. 

On Nov. 1, Hinton town council swore in Callihoo and fellow newcomer Dale Currie, and returning councillors Bill Bulger, Jane Macridis, Stephen Mitchell and Ian Duncan. Mayor Glenn Taylor was also re-elected. 

In 1990 Callihoo left Hinton for Vancouver with her husband, whom she met in Jasper, but she couldn’t forget the town she had grown up in. She returned in 2007, and was surprised to see a vibrant, thriving community. 

“Coming back to Hinton, we found [it] so much more alive,” Callihoo said.

Callihoo integrated back into the community quickly; she joined the Chamber of Commerce and became the chairperson of the annual Hinton Föhn Festival.

That wasn’t enough for the mortgage broker, and she decided to run for town council. She received 1,350 votes overall and began her term at the beginning of November.

“I was just really, totally excited to get the votes,” she said. 

Coming into council, Callihoo has a lot of projects she would like to get started on, and many she is happy to continue work on. Ideas she would like to get off the ground include a theatre and curb-side recycling. 

“I would like to be part of that,” she said. 

Callihoo said town staff have been extremely helpful since orientation, held Oct. 28.

“It’s been really great,” she said.

Callihoo believes her experience outside of Hinton gives her a unique perspective, and allows her to bring new ideas into town council. Callihoo is also a mortgage broker and has a knowledge of mortgage services. She hopes to encourage more businesses to come to Hinton. 

One of the hot issues during the municipal election was the possibility of post-secondary education coming to Hinton. Callihoo said she is interested in pursuing higher education in Hinton, and is already thinking of a few ways it could happen. She said students who have to go out of town spend money on living expenses on top of costly tuition. Being away from home can lead to homesickness as well. 

“We have a lot of industry here, which require trades,” she said. 

Callihoo mentioned the possibility of brokering a deal with already-established schools in Alberta to offer courses locally. Using existing buildings and basing programs on businesses and trades already in town would be a priority. 

“I’m hoping to learn more about that,” she said. 

Another priority Callihoo is hoping to get involved with, is more affordable housing following the success of the Happy Creek Affordable Housing complex. Callihoo says Hinton is a great community, and attracting homeowners is an important step.

“I think we live in a beautiful part of the country,” she said. 

With her background as a mortgage broker, Callihoo would love to help families purchase housing, ensuring they stay in Hinton for a long time to come. She has been doing some research into a grant offered by the provincial government that assists families with an income less than $55,000 a year to become first-time homeowners.

“How do you save up if you are low income?” Callihoo said, adding that she hopes to learn more about this grant. She believes new homeowners will be more invested and involved in the community.

Callihoo’s other ideas include seniors programs that would allow them to remain in their homes and a children’s splash park. 

Callihoo hopes to learn from the public as she goes ahead in her first term on council.

“There’s so many ideas,” she said. “It’s not so much my passion, but what the people really want.”