Tag: Pam Hilstad

by-elections replace new mla’s in canmore, fort mcmurray, strathcona, and westlock.

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 27, 2012
2 Comments on by-elections replace new mla’s in canmore, fort mcmurray, strathcona, and westlock.

As I wrote about weeks ago, a number of municipal by-elections were held across Alberta this and last week to replace municipal officials who were elected in the April 23 provincial election.

John Borrowman Mayor Canmore — John Borrowman

Canmore By-Election

On June 19, Vi Sanford and Sean Krausert were elected to Canmore Town Council in a by-election held to replace two councillors running in the Mayoral by-election. The Mayoral by-election was called when Mayor Ron Casey was elected as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Banff-Cochrane.

Former Councillor John Borrowman was elected Mayor of Canmore, defeating former councillors Pam Hilstad and Ed Russell.

Stirling By-Election

On June 25, Jonathan Bikman was elected in a Village of Stirling by-election to replace former Mayor Gary Bikman, who is now the Wildrose MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Mr. Bikman received 78 votes, runner-up Coralee Leeson received 60 votes, and Ron Bore received 23 votes.

Strathcona County By-Election

On June 25, Clinton Alexander was elected in a Strathcona County by-election to replace Jacquie Fenske, who is now the PC MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. Mr. Alexander is the treasurer for the Strathcona-Sherwood Park PC Association.

Mr. Alexander finished with 304 votes, defeating Jen Heaton with 187 votes, Bev Williamson with 94 votes, and Alec Babich with 40 votes.

Westlock County By-Election

On June 25, Jim Wiese was elected in a Westlock County by-election to replace newly elected Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock PC MLA Maureen Kubinec. Mr. Wiese won with 134 votes. The runner-up was Herb Smerychynski, who took 40 votes. Cal Busby came in third with 23 votes.

Wood Buffalo By-Election

On June 25, Colleen Tatum and Christine Burton were elected in the by-elections to replace former Wood Buffalo councillors Don Scott and Mike Allen, who were both elected to represent Fort McMurray in the recent provincial election. Keith McGrath, who resigned as a trustee on the Catholic School Board, placed a close third. Voter turnout was estimated to be around 9%.

Alberta Politics

local by-elections heating up across alberta.

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 7, 2012
5 Comments on local by-elections heating up across alberta.

Alberta Municipal By-Elections 2012 — Municipal by-elections are heating up across Alberta.

As I first mentioned in a previous post, the election of municipal politicians as Members of the Legislative Assembly in the recent provincial election has triggered a handful of municipal by-elections across Alberta. Most of these municipalities have now set dates for by-elections to fill these vacant positions.

June 11 – A by-election in Division 1 of the County of Grande Prairie has attracted five candidates. Alvin McEwen, Andrew Muise, DJ Golden, Greg Moody, and Harold Bulford have put their names forward to replace new Grande Prairie-Smoky Progressive Conservative MLA Everett McDonald. As an Independent candidate in the recent provincial election, Mr. Muise earned 209 votes.

June 19 – The election of Town of Canmore Mayor Ron Casey as the PC MLA for Banff-Cochrane has triggered a mayoral by-election, and subsequently a by-election to replace two councillors who are candidates in the mayoral contest. Councillors John Borrowman and Ed Russell, and former Councillor Pam Hilstad are seeking the mayor’s chair.

Contesting the two vacant council positions in the Town of Canmore are Jason Best, Karen Greene, Brian Hyland, former Canadian Rockies School Trustee Shirley Ketterer, Sean Krausert, Occupy Calgary participant James Louden, current Canadian Rockies School Trustee Vi Sandford, recent PC nomination candidate Rob Seeley, and Victor Zablotni. The candidate in this contest with the most unique background may be Mr. Krausert, an improv actor and former lawyer who also worked as an educator in Sierra Leone, where he helped rehabilitate former child soldiers through a theatre program.

June 25 is the super Monday of municipal by-elections with five separate votes happening across the province.

In Strathcona County, Bev Williamson, Clinton Alexander, Jen Heaton, and Alec Babich will contest the by-election in Ward 5 to replace new Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jacquie Fenske. A man by the name of Alec Babich was arrested and charged with mischief by RCMP last year after a suspicious package was left on a reception desk at Strathcona County’s main office last year.

Christine Burton Fort McMurray — Christine Burton

June 25 – The two vacancies in District 1 of Wood Buffalo’s municipal council were the result of two councillors, Mike Allen and Don Scott, having been elected as MLA’s in Fort McMurray’s two constituencies. An extraordinary fourteen candidates have stepped forward to run in the by-election. Candidates include Chris Alton, local radio host James Anthony, Tyran Ault, past council candidate Byron Bailey, Christine Burton, Valance Howard, Shafique Khan, former Catholic School Board Trustee Keith McGrath, John Mulhall, Bill Nahirney, past mayoral candidate Joe “The Plumber” Nebesny, local pastor Robert Parmenter, Colleen Tatum, and Matt Youens.

Earlier this year, Mr. McGrath considered seeking for the Wildrose Party nomination in Fort McMurray-Conklin, but eventually declined to seek the nomination.

Stephen Drover Fort McMurray — Stephen Drover

A by-election to fill a vacancy on the Fort McMurray Public School Board will be held on the same day. Trustee Stephanie Blackler, who was first elected in 2010, has decided to move home to Newfoundland to pursue business opportunities. Three candidates have entered the race, including former trustee Glenn Doonanco, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union Local vice-president Stephen Drover, and school council activist Munira Manji.

June 25 – In the Village of Sterling, candidates Jonathan Bikman, Ronald Bore, and Coralee Leeson have stepped forward to seek the mayoralty, which was made vacant when Wildrose candidate Gary Bikman was elected as the MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner. Jonathan Bikman is presumably a relative of Gary Bikman, and is listed as Vice-President Operations of Chopstix (Gary Bikman is President).

June 25 – Cal Busby, Herb Smerychynski, and Jim Wiese are standing to replace former Westlock County councillor Maureen Kubinec, who was elected as the PC MLA for Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock.

The Town of Rimbey may hold a by-election in July to replace former councillor Joe Anglin, who is now the Wildrose MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.

Tags Alec Babich, Alvin McEwen, Andrew Muise, Bev Williamson, Bill Nahirney, Brian Hyland, Byron Bailey, Cal Busby, Chris Alton, Christine Burton, Clinton Alexander, Colleen Tatum, Coralee Leeson, DJ Golden, Don Scott, Ed Russell, Everett McDonald, Gary Bikman, Glenn Doonanco, Greg Moody, Harold Bulford, Herb Smerychynski, Jacquie Fenske, James Anthony, James Louden, Jason Best, Jen Heaton, Jim Wiese, Joe Anglin, Joe the Plumber Nebesny, John Borrowman, John Mulhall, Jonathan Bikman, Karen Greene, Keith McGrath, Matt Youens, Maureen Kubinec, Mike Allen, Munira Manji, Pam Hilstad, Ray Courtman, Rob Seeley, Robert Parmenter, Ron Casey, Ronald Bore, Sean Krausert, Shafique Khan, Shirley Ketterer, Stephanie Blackler, Stephen Drover, Tyran Ault, Valance Howard, Vi Sandford, Victor Zablotni

Alberta Politics

[updated] election of rookie mla’s kicks off municipal by-elections across alberta.

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 11, 2012
10 Comments on [updated] election of rookie mla’s kicks off municipal by-elections across alberta.

The results of the April 23 provincial general election in Alberta will cause a series of municipal by-elections as some successful candidates move from the previously held municipal roles into their new jobs as Members of the Legislative Assembly.

William Choy Mayor Stony Plain Alberta — New Stony Plain Mayor William Choy

In the Town of Stony Plain, newly elected Stony Plain Progressive Conservative MLA Ken Lemke has been replaced as Mayor by William Choy, who was chosen in a May 1 by-election. Mr. Lemke resigned as Mayor in February 2012.

In the Town of Canmore, three candidates have declared their candidacy in the June 19 by-election to replace former Mayor and newly elected Banff-Cochrane PC MLA Ron Casey. In the race are former Councillor Pam Hilstad, as well as recent Councillors Ed Russell and John Borrowman, who were required to resign their council positions to seek the Mayor’s job (creating two vacancies on Town Council which will be filled in a by-election also held on June 19).

Everett McDonald MLA Grande Prairie-Smoky — New MLA Everett McDonald

On June 25, the Municipal District of Wood Buffalo will hold a by-election to fill two vacancies created when PC candidate Don Scott was elected in Fort McMurray-Conklin and PC candidate Mike Allen was elected in Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. So far, Christine Burton is the only candidatelisted in the media as have declared her intention to run.

A June 11 by-election in the County of Grande Prairie will be held to replace former District 1 Councillor and Reeve Everett McDonald, who was elected as the PC MLA for Grande Prairie-Smoky. Mr. McDonald was first elected to the County Council in 1992. Bezanson District Fire Captain Harold Bulford and realtor D.J. Golden have entered the contest.

A by-election in Strathcona County will be held on June 25 to fill the vacancy created by former Councillor Jacquie Fenske, who was elected to succeed retiring Premier Ed Stelmach as the PC MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville.

Jacquie Fenske MLA Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville — New MLA Jacquie Fenske

Westlock County Reeve Charles Navratil told the Westlock News on April 23 that the County will likely hold a by-election to replace newly elected Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock PC MLA Maureen Kubinec.

By-elections are also expected to be held in the Town of Rimbey to replace newly elected Sundre-Rocky Mountain House-Rimbey Wildrose MLA Joe Anglin and in Vulcan County to replace Little Bow Wildrose MLA Ian Donovan.

Other municipal politicians making the jump to provincial politics after April 23 are Village of Beiseker Mayor Bruce Rowe, who was elected as Wildrose MLA for Olds-Disbury-Three Hills, and Village of Stirling Deputy Mayor Gary Bikman, who was elected as the Wildrose MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner.

According to Section 162 of the Municipal Government Act, a council must hold a by-election to fill a vacancy on council unless (a) the vacancy occurs in the 6 months before a general election, or (b) the council consists of 6 or more councillors and the vacancy occurs (i) in the 18 months before a general election and there is only one vacancy, or (ii) in the 12 months before a general election and the number of councillors remaining is at least one more than the majority of the number of councillors compromising the council. The next municipal general election will be held in October 2013.

UPDATE (May 21, 2012): The County of Westlock will hold a by-election to replace Ms. Kubinec on June 25. The County of Vulcan will not be holding a by-election to replace Mr. Donovan.