Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams renewed his appreciation of one swath of rural Alberta and the people who live there during a whirlwind summertime tour.
In just over one zig-zagging week in July, the premier’s latest pick for the portfolio discussed issues of the day with government and community leaders and stakeholders in more than 40 central and southern Alberta municipalities.
Despite a tight schedule, Williams finished his trip armed with new perspectives and ideas to help guide him in his new role, he said.
“It was just an incredible time to meet with Albertans and understand the challenges in rural Alberta, from the big cities all the way to MDs and improvement districts and small villages,” the UCP cabinet minister said.
Williams was struck by the differences and similarities he found along the way, through places like Cardston, Coutts, Vulcan, Foremost and Fort Macleod, edging north of Calgary and finishing up in the unincorporated community of Pollockville. Some of the municipalities are 100 or more years old, he said, calling the area “much of the beating heart of our culture and heritage.”
He continued: “I was really impressed with every municipality. They had the right priorities. They want to deliver services. They want to deliver them effectively. And they want to keep taxes down.”
Municipal leaders advocated on behalf of voters, whether talking about new housing, investment opportunities, crime, education, health care, or transportation and other infrastructure upgrades.
“Everywhere I went, there was a desire to say Alberta has opportunities in front of it, and our county, our town, our MD, or our city wants to and will be a part of that growth. They all want to be a part of the Alberta Advantage story that we’ll see in the decades to come.”
Each community is unique, said Williams. Leaders would “bring up issues frankly, and they’d vary from community to community. No two municipalities are the same.”
Tours like this one are “really valuable for me,” Williams said, especially because he’s new to the role. He moved to municipal affairs from mental health and addiction in a minor cabinet shuffle in May, after the legislature adjourned for its summer recess.
Williams’ own riding of Peace River in the northwest corner of Alberta is about as far away from the tour route as you can get.
“Through tours like this, I get a sense of the nature of on-the ground challenges, the problems that municipal councils are trying to solve. What are they dealing with? How can I help them? I get a granular understanding of day-to-day opportunities and challenges.”
Local ingenuity and entrepreneurialism were continually on display, Williams said. Although he wouldn’t reveal specific examples for now, he said he’ll head back to the legislature in October armed with new ideas for potential action.
“They’d say things like, we don’t necessarily need more cash, but here’s a new policy that would help us. And those kinds of solutions are really important, because we only have so many dollars at Treasury Board,” Williams explained.
“There are a lot of good, high-demand requests before us, whether it be building a road, hiring teachers or maintaining a rural hospital. They’re all important things, and we’ve got a big province with a big economy, and we have to keep rendering services. So when they come up with innovative solutions, I’m all ears.”
The trip was also a chance to connect with everyday Albertans.
“As you're hitting gas stations and going out for dinner and going to community events that you're invited to, you end up meeting with a lot of average, hard-working Albertans. They expect their municipalities to keep their taxes low, to be efficient with the delivery of services, and to keep Alberta prospering,” Williams said.
“They want to keep the Alberta Advantage, and they know that the province and the municipalities have to work together on it. I heard that over and over again.”
Was the trip gruelling?
“If you’re going to feel bad for anyone, feel bad for the staff putting this together. Because I had a great time,” he said.
“There’s nowhere more beautiful than the open prairie and the big coulees of southern Alberta. It was a treat and pleasure to spend my time this way.”
