Message from the Alberta’s Industrial Heartland’s Chair, Linda Osinchuk

It is dismaying to read what has been deemed as important election issues and discussed to no end in the media and social media: pearls, clothes, hair, love or hate of Alberta, and so on and so forth.

I was pleased to finally see someone pointing out some very important issues. Gary Lamphier hit the nail right on the head in his Edmonton Journal article of April 12, 2012 : http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/Lamphier+Voters+deserve+answers+economic+questions/6443881/story.html .

70% of Canada’s petrochemical activity takes place in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. This along with Alberta’s large natural gas supply makes the importance of the petrochemical sector vital to the economy of Alberta and all of Canada. It is therefore very important for Alberta’s political parties’ leaders to answer Mr. Lamphier’s question.

As chair of the Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, I speak for 5 municipalities: Fort Saskatchewan, Sturgeon County, Lamont, Edmonton and Strathcona County.  We, as well as all Albertans deserve an answer to this question:

 “What specific plans do Alberta’s party leaders have to boost the growth of the province’s petrochemical sector?”

All municipalities throughout Alberta need to understand that jobs and quality of life for their residents is as much at stake as that of the Heartland’s.

Issues that affect Alberta’s economy have a trickle down effect on other important issues such as health and education. To ignore key economic issues is ignoring the source of the Alberta Advantage.

It seems that all promises are based on oil and gas revenues. Why, then, are these leaders not recognizing and maintaining these assets?

Will the leaders of Alberta’s political parties come forward and answer Albertans?

Linda Osinchuk, Chair

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland

Trip to San Antonio, Texas Update

I have just returned from a petrochemical conference in San Antonio, Texas. What a busy week filled with great opportunities for potential business for the Alberta's Industrial Heartland and for Strathcona County!

Upon our arrival to this beautiful city, the AIHA board and Economic Development officers from each municipality met to go over the itinerary and names of the various companies we were going to be meeting with. Then it was of to two networking events where we introduced ourselves and took the opportunity to invite company representatives and CEOs to the AIHA luncheon we were holding the following day.

The next morning, we all gathered for breakfast at 7:30 at the Conference Centre and hear the opening session. Three panelists addressed the present and future climate surrounding the petrochemical industry. Canada was referenced a couple of times but it was obvious that many conference attendees were unaware of our (AIHA's & Alberta's) huge resource base. It made our presence here even more important and it is one of the reasons why we must attend these conferences.

Our team later split into two groups so that we would be able to attend two meetings before our luncheon. I was part of the group who met with Platts, a major company who we want to connect with.

At our luncheon, I had the pleasure, as AIHA chair, to provide welcoming greetings to close to 50 guests from various companies coming from all over the world: Russia, Japan, Brazil, and the U.S., just to name a few. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the Alberta Industrial Heartland and all it has to offer. Later on that afternoon, we once again went in two groups to meet with various company representatives. My group met with Williams, an amazing company already present in the Heartland.

Afterwards we were invited to the San Antonio City Hall to meet with their elected officials, their economic development representatives, and the Canadian Consulate.  What a great visit! I will be bringing back some good ideas that we could possibly look at for Strathcona County, such as their Alamo Academy, a concept for job creation and training.

That night we met Barbara Korol, the Director of Hydrocarbon Processing from Alberta Energy, Barbara also happens to live in Sherwood Park!

On Tuesday morning, we had meetings with three companies who have a presence in the Heartland: Air Products, Air Liquide, and CBI. This was followed by a very interesting lunch presentation by Dr. Bates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense. He spoke on Country Security when oil and gas are at stake.

In the afternoon we met with the Port of Antwerp, Belgium to compare chemical cluster comparisons. Tuesday evening  the AIHA and EDO had dinner together to discuss this conference and future strategic plans for the Heartland.

Attending this conference was an important opportunity that allowed us to present the Alberta's Industrial Heartland to the world. We need to let others know what we do, what we offer and how we are the best.

Mayor Linda

Mayor's Update

Spring has finally arrived to Strathcona County! Take advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoy our many trails and parks.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of Alberta's mid-size city mayors which was graciously hosted by the City of Medicine Hat. What a great meeting it was.

It is very important to stress the importance and benefits of our mid-size cities working together and sharing our varied experience. There is much strength in numbers.

The focus of this last meeting was on three important areas:

• Emergency medical services, with a special focus on ambulance services in our municipalities.
• The need to focus on supporting equitable funding for policing.
• Communicating with Municipal Affairs regarding sustainable funding and a four year term for municipal elected officials.

I am very pleased to announce that we will get to showoff our beautiful Strathcona County as we host the next Alberta Mid-Size City Mayors' Meeting this up coming August.

On a different note, upon my return from Medicine Hat, I was pleased to find out that Strathcona County has been ranked #1 out of 190 Canadian municipalities in MoneySense business magazine's report in not 1 but 2 categories! We are ranked #1 for Best Municipality in Canada to Raise Children AND #1 for Best Municipality in Canada for Jobs. We also ranked #11 in the Best Municipality to Live In category! MoneySense Magazine used Statistics Canada's information to compile, weigh and rank 190 cities and towns in Canada by 22 separate categories. This is the first year that the magazine included Strathcona County! You can read their report through these links:

http://www.moneysense.ca/2012/03/20/best-places-for-jobs/

http://www.moneysense.ca/2012/03/20/best-places-to-raise-kids/


We Strathconians have always known that we have amazing communities. Now all of Canada knows our best kept secrets. Congratulations everyone!

Always proud to be a Strathconian!

Mayor Linda

February is Rotary "World Understanding and Peace Day Month"

The following was given to the Sherwood Park Rotarians at our last morning breakfast meeting and I wanted to share it with everyone.  -- Mayor Linda

A. Peace and Understanding

• Rotary Peace Day is Rotary's Anniversary of February 23, 1905.

"The way to war is a well-paved highway and the way to peace is still a wilderness." - Paul P. Harris 1945.

• The Rotary way works! But Rotary has no patent on it, for it is the Golden Rule in action. Any person, any nation, can apply it by displacing negative hatred and fear with goodwill based upon understanding. Peace among nations is not impossible of attainment; they can find peace if they will." Paul P. Harris, January 1946 (Passed away in 1947).
• Rotary's Peace Action - 1. Provides future leaders with education at six Rotary Peace Centers around the world. 2. World Understanding initiatives.

B. World Understanding
Partial excerpts from Frank Deaver writings (Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

• World Understanding is part of Rotary's fourth ideal of International Service
• Thought provoking - Our world is full of minorities: racial and ethnic, religious, political, and many more. Interestingly, Rotarians also constitute a minority: of the more than six billion people in the world, our number is only a little more than 1.2 million. What makes Rotarians different is that we are a distinctly privileged minority. We are all too often the victims of a lack of understanding, or perhaps more accurately, of misunderstanding. We give to the Rotary Foundation, but we are only minimally aware of how our contributions are spent. February challenges Rotarians to introduce one minority (ours) to other minorities (those who are in need) at home and abroad.
• How shall Rotary further its goal of World Understanding, and its ultimate goal of World Peace?

          1. We must recognize and admit to our differences, whether they be differences of
          national pride, ethnicity, language, politics or religion.

          2. We must focus on our commonalities, not on our differences. As Rotarians, we have
          embraced lofty goals of humanitarian and educational programs through our Rotary
          Foundation. Understanding leads to respect, respect to friendship, and friendship to
          service. Only with understanding can we be bound together in the common goals of
          Rotary friendship and service.

Written by Dennis Pommen
Reprinted with permission.

New Year's Thank You!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012 will be an exciting and busy year.

Yesterday's New Year's Eve event around Broadmoor Lake was incredible. I received so many positive comments. Great job everyone. Thank yo to all Strathcona County staff and amazing volunteers who made this all possible.Thanks to all! At our Mayor meet and greet table over the 5 hours my staff and I were there we handed out over 2000 sugar cookies . Wow!

Thank you to Diana and Theresa for organizing the Meet and Greet table and ordering the delicious sugar cookies from Sobey's. I would also like to thank Councillors Vic, Peter and Brian for coming out and helping!

Have a wonderful New Year's day and an even more wonderful  and blessed new year!

Mayor Linda

Livy Jeanne Wants to Put a Stop to Bullying

Being bullied is a terrible experience. Most of us have experienced some level of bullying at one time or another in our lives.  It is often painful and affects one’s self-esteem. As adults, we try and cope with it using the tools we have developed over the years. But what about children who are being bullied? Children do not yet have these tools; they do not have the emotional strength to face this. Sometimes the result of the self-esteem damage is too much for a child to handle and sadly leads to heartbreaking results.

Livy Jeanne is a talented 16 year old singer – songwriter from Strathcona County who was mercilessly bullied.  This remarkable young woman decided that enough was enough and that something needed to be done to bring awareness to our community.  Since she was 11 years old, Livy has been involved with many charities, giving of her time and talent to help our local and global community. A year ago, she decided to speak out and give support to all those who are being bullied.  She wants to encourage them and give them hope. 

I will let Livy tell you her story, in her own words:

“I am Livy Jeanne, and I’m here to tell you that there are 160,000 kids each day that beg to stay home from school because they are being bullied. I was one of those 160,000.

I cried a thousand tears before I realized that I had the ability within myself to turn away from the hurt, that I wasn’t alone and that there were people I could count on, people who cared for me and saw me for who I am.

I could have easily turned to drugs, alcohol, cutting, conforming or even just disappearing… But I didn’t. By finding my passion (which is music) I found a place to express myself, find some personal strength and feel good about who I am.

I feel a responsibility to connect with kids like me- the ones who have reached out for acceptance, struggled with being judged and wondered where they fit into this crazy world.

By sharing my story and my music, I want them to know that I GET IT – because I’ve been there. And I’ve figured out that we are all important, unique and special individuals who matter. There is nothing wrong with being ourselves – and starting right now, today can be different!!

WE DON’T HAVE TO BE INVISIBLE…”

Livy has also started a blue “Awareness” bracelet campaign endorsing the Kids Help Phone line.

If you would like to support Livy or help her with her campaign you can contact her via e-mail at livymusicinc@gmail.com   or   LivyJeanne@LivyJeanne.com

You can also visit her website at  http://livyjeanne.com/site/  or listen to her  on http://www.youtube.com/livymusic

Thank you Livy for caring and standing up to bullying!

Mayor Linda

A Year in Review: 2011

This last year has been marked with excitement, drama, strategic decision making and most of all defining and standing up for Strathcona County’s needs and rights!

Excitement comes from the amazing activities and events being held in our new Community Centre and all around the County in all our other rural hamlets.  To start 2011, it was magnificent to feel all the positive energy and ambiance of our New Year’s Eve celebrations.  My very first Mayor’s New Year’s Levee was a success.   Other annual highlights include the Josephburg Chicken supper, the Ardrossan lobster fundraiser, and the South Cooking Lake Trail Days.  These are just a few wonderful events throughout the year that took place.

I personally believe in community spirit and pride.  One of the many highlights of being your Mayor is attending as many community events as possible.  I have made some awesome memories this past year and have met so many of our residents.  I loved the Irish stew at the Partridge Hill Community Hall for the St. Patrick’s Day event.  The community of Brookville always teams up great pyrogies and Ukrainian food with great fellowship at their Ukrainian Christmas event held every January.

Enjoying a hotdog and ice cream after a ride on a beautiful mare at South Cooking Lake Trail Days and watching the families and children loving the candy toss was amazing.  Events such as this bring back such wonderful memories of a simpler, easier life.  It recognizes where we all came from and it celebrates our history and community spirit.

Of course, it’s always exciting to officially start the Christmas season in the Heartland with the Lighting of the Christmas lights at Heartland Hall.  I love listening to the children sing Christmas carols.  It’s always a pleasure talking with residents and seniors and I especially enjoyed the famous chili made by cooks at the Partridge Hill Community Hall.  The nativity display at the Bethel Lutheran Church, the  nutcracker’s at Good Hope Community Hall and all the other messages at  the Brookville and Bremner Christmas celebrations added charm to all the excitement.

Hastings Lake and Antler Lake continue to have wonderful community gatherings especially at the Red Barn.  Thanks for the invite!

There was plenty of drama through the year.  Thinking back on this, I refer to a quote from President Teddy Roosevelt. In his speech “Citizenship In A Republic” delivered on April 23, 1910, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The quote from President Roosevelt’s speech reminds me of why I aspired to be your Mayor.  This quote says that the opinions of the people who criticize and observe others from the sidelines are meaningless, and that all the credit is due to the man who is actually in the arena, trying, failing, getting up again and fighting for what they believe in.  I believe in the people of Strathcona County.  I believe in you and I believe in our community.   You need (and deserve) to be heard, to be protected and safe, and to be healthy and to be respected.  I disapprove of injustices and will fight hard to correct any.

The majority of you have said we must continue to fight for our full treatment hospital; to bury the transmission lines, and to ensure proper transportation corridors which include overpasses and adequate exit routes.  I have and will continue to be in the arena.  I am and will be your voice.

Strategic planning sessions with Council and administrative staff identified the need for a rural strategy.  The Heartland was also identified as an important area to plan for.  The County identity branding initiative, with a public engagement process was identified.  Council further believed and endorsed a complete organizational review of our organization.  We fully support the pursuit of excellence in customer service.

During this year, I was honoured to be asked to represent Canada along with two other Mayors, Mayor Debra Button from Weyburn, Saskatchewan and Mayor Shari Decter Hirst from Brandon, Manitoba in a trip to Kiev, Ukraine.  This trip highlighted the important need for economic and gender equality opportunities.  This trip was a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) initiative connecting Canada with the Ukraine.  Benefits for us are many.  Positive trade opportunities, labour force expansion, business connections, positive political relationships and investments into the future for both countries are just a few.

The Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA), of which Strathcona County is one of five municipalities, also includes the City of Ft. Saskatchewan, the County of Lamont, the County of Sturgeon and the City of Edmonton.  AIHA has expanded their mandate to market themselves in the global world and to attract the eyes of the world to the largest hydro carbon processing centre in Canada.  I am presently chair of this association and have just returned from Doha, Qatar.  With growing, cost advantaged feed stocks, supportive logistical systems and a supportive government environment, the AIHA is set to become a global centre for petrochemical and energy processing.

The primary purpose of trip was to attend the World Petroleum Congress which is held every three years.  It is the Olympics of industry.  Myself along with the Executive Director of AIHA, met with potential industry investors considering the Heartland for future investment.  Along with talking about who we are and what we can offer, this will open the doors to more business, therefore more jobs and further economic stability.

Both these opportunities were supported financially by FCM and AIHA respectively.

Thirdly, Communities in Bloom is a nationwide initiative that has put the bloom into communities.  The trees, flowers and amazing infrastructures, not to mention the exceptional volunteer pride, facilitates further growth in pride and health across Canada.  Next year our capital region will be hosting the national conference and Strathcona County will be part of this monumental event.  I also had the pleasure of attending the 2011 event in Quebec City.

Speaking of the Capital Region, the Capital Region Board, with 23 partnering municipalities, continues to work towards better governance, transit, affordable housing, GIS systems and possible economic opportunities.  We are a strong voice at the table. 

It has been busy.  It has been exciting.  Most of all it has been an honour to represent Strathcona County as your Mayor and to work together with a team of Councillors who are caring and passionate.

We have hard working dedicated staff and an amazing community of residents, businesses, agricultural richness and industry.  We are the best municipality in Alberta and dare I say Canada and the World.

2012 will be just as exciting! 

Happy New Year and the best to you and your family,

Mayor Linda

Emergent Resolution: Request to Conduct a Cost Benefit Review of all Critical Transmission Infrastructure

Dear Residents,

Below is a copy of the emergent resolution which will be presented by Strathcona County asking to conduct a cost benefit review of all critical transmission infrastructure:

Conduct a Cost Benefit Review of all Critical Transmission Infrastructure 

Whereas  critical transmission projects are identified in Section 2 of the Critical Transmission Infrastructure Schedule of the Electric Utilities Act, RSA 2000, c.E-5.1 (which schedule was formerly part of the proposed Electric Statutes Amendment Act, 2009 known as Bill 50); and

Whereas the Government Alberta has indicated that the critical transmission projects will cost Albertans approximately $5.6 Billion; and

Whereas increases in transmission costs without sufficient benefit in the short and medium term will have negative economic impact on residents, institutional, commercial and industrial stakeholders; and

Whereas Bill 50 was based on the provincial Energy Strategy; and

Whereas a major economic adjustment has occurred subsequent to the development of the Provincial Energy Strategy; and

Whereas the provincial government has already placed two of the critical transmission infrastructure projects on hold;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties request the provincial government put all critical transmission projects on hold until a comprehensive cost benefit review is completed.

Background: 

Strathcona County and other surrounding municipalities were involved with a process with the AUC (Alberta Utilities Commission) over the last 10 months  We were and still are concerned about the overbuild of the overhead 500kv infrastructure and the potential economic impact associated with the overbuild.

Emergent reasons:

1.  AUC Decision 2001-436 was released November 1, 2011; just 3 weeks ago. Construction of the first critical transmission infrastructure project could begin as early as December of this year.

2.  This issue has presented itself since the Spring Convention 2011 and needs to be dealt with
before the next year’s 2012 Convention.

Alberta's Industrial Heartland Letter to Premier Redford

To the Residents of Strathcona County and the Alberta Heartland,

You will find below a copy of the letter that I, as chair of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA), have sent on behalf of the AIHA to Premier Redford and Minister Morton on October 26, 2011.

Dear Premier Redford and Minister Morton,

Re: Heartland Transmission Line Decision

The member municipalities of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association are deeply concerned with your government's decision to instruct the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to move forward with the Heartland Transmission Line project. This contradicts the logic and reasoning displayed in suspending the AUC hearings on the other two north-south transmission line projects. It is absolutely critical to reassess the need for all three projects, including the Heartland Transmission Line.

In discussion with the Government of Alberta over the past year, we demonstrated that major shifts in the economic outlook for Alberta's Industrial Heartland resulted a flawed "Needs Identification Document" for the Heartland Transmission Line. Notably, a much slower pace of industrial development in the region combined with major power users exploring co-generation options on site created a paradigm shift in electrical power transmission needs. This new reality appears to have been overlooked in the decision making process for the transmission lines.

While the Heartland Transmission Line would deliver electrical support to our region, its major purpose is providing the east-west connection to reinforce Alberta's electrical grid. The decision to suspend hearings of the other two grids of the grid system makes it illogical to continue with the Heartland Transmission Line project. Proceeding with only the Heartland portion of the system could result in incompatible design and installation with the remaining and future grid network.

We share your goals and visions of a reliable and cost effective electrical system supporting Alberta now and into the future. It is essential we take the necessary time to make the most appropriate decisions for the continued success of our province.

We request a meeting with you and your Minister of Energy, Honourable Ted Morton, to discuss this matter further. Please have your office contact us directly to arrange this meeting.

Sincerely,

Linda Osinchuk
Chair, Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association 

Reaction to Premier's Announcement Reversal

Once again Strathcona County residents are getting the short end of  stick.

I am angry and demand answers to the following questions from Premier Redford:

 

·          Why did the Premier intervene and change Minister Mortons' Transmission Line message hours after it was released Friday morning? "Miscommunication" is a negligible excuse for a provincial government, especially when this was not some last minute decision on the government’s part.

·          Why is the Heartland line deemed critical? The Heartland industry did not ask for it.  Actually, it will create a huge electrical cost to them. The future of huge feedstocks of natural gas could be an alternative energy source. 

·          To where and to what are these lines connecting to if the other two are now on hold and under review?

If it is going to Fort McMurray,  then south to the US for electrical export, it will mean more revenue to the province and huge companies like Altalink and Epcor, at residents’ cost!

If this is so critical who is going to pay the cost for such a gigantic, never before seen in Alberta or Canada infrastructure? I certainly hope not only the residents of Strathcona County!

Strathcona County residents need answers now! Injustice has once again occurred! It is time the people of our County are show some respect!

As Mayor, I will continue to fight for a formal impact assessment study on the Heartland Project and I will fight to bury the lines if they do come through our schools, daycares and densely populated areas.

We deserve answers now not after the fact!

Mayor Linda Osinchuk

Women! Politics! Challenges! Opportunities!

My journey as a woman to become the Mayor of
Strathcona County in 2010 was a journey of winning

a personal battle. First, let me say I am extremely

honoured and very happy in my new role as Mayor.

Let me share my story. During my second term

as Councillor, I began to think about my future

and what I wanted to do following my sixth year

as a municipal elected official. During this time,

I became very involved in mentoring women in

leadership roles and in elected positions. The

Federation of Canadian Municipalities initiated

a program calling for a 30% increase of women

participating in municipalities by 2015. In Canada,

only 23% of the municipal leaders are women - less

percentage on provincial and federal levels. That

places our country in thirty-eighth position in the

world for having a balanced representation from the

female population. This is not a gender issue but a

democratic issue. When 52% of Canada's population

is female and the numbers at the decision -making

table are only 23%, there is an inequity.

Policies and laws are debated and then created

to represent the people who politicians are

representing. This is why I became so involved in

the political process. There are too many injustices

when too much power is used without considering

the rights of the people. As women, we need to

encourage, mentor, fight and educate others

on the importance of ethical and just processes,

while ensuring that bottom-line fiscal responsible

budgeting is done.

Strategic, Passionate, Accessible, Respectful,

integrity, hard working, business savvy and caring are

characteristics I believe are a woman's best assets as

a leader - politically or in business and community. I

decided to visually place myself in the role as mayor so

that I can lead with these characteristics. I was not sure

if I had what it took. I was with my husband Jim when

I stated to him that I wanted to be the next Mayor of

Strathcona County. He thought I lost it. I would be

going against an incumbent - a difficult and challenging

position to be in - and the incumbent was also a woman.

I told him that two women going after the position

of  Mayor speaks volumes. So with an amazing team,

God's blessings and the belief of positive messaging,

hard work and great campaign strategy, I became the

new Mayor of Strathcona County.

I am dedicated to listening to all residents' issues and

embracing their stories, positive or negative. I govern

with a strong knowledge of parliamentary law. I stand

up for issues when many would hesitate to. I truly

believe I was placed on this earth to champion the good

and the right. Does that take a lot of balls and positive

attitude? You bet! Politics is not for the faint of heart.

But it does take heart and a spirit of hope to know you

are there for the right reason.

So look inside yourself and ask yourself what

challenges are in t he way for you to make your

dream come t rue. It is the internal battle that you

have to win. The rest will come, if you say, "I will, I

can, I am!" I am a woman who will not give up until

I am truly happy with who I am and what I am to

do!

Every day is a blessing. Live it like it is your last!

When you wake up, ask for God's blessings and

guidance. Put a smile on your face and say to

yourself, "I will do my best today, mindful of

others and with a positive attitude." If you make

a decision that hurts someone, then it was the

wrong decision. At the end of the day say thank

you for all that you experienced that day. Even if

it is a difficult day, think about what you learned

from that experience. Hug people close to you and

pass on the best gift- a smile and a hello. You can

make a difference just by your attitude and how

people respond to you.

With two more years as Mayor in this term, I plan

to continue to be accessible, transparent, caring,

and open for business; to fight for our hospital,

buried transmission lines, overpasses, represent

industry and build relationships.

I would like to have a legacy of being the 'People's

Mayor; a Mayor who is not afraid to fight hard

issues; a Mayor who helps the young and old; a

Mayor who represents industry and business; a

Mayor who cares!

Strathcona County is the energy capital of Canada!

Energy from our resources! Energy from the sky

and sun above! But most of all the energy of the

wonderful people, who work, live and play in our

great community!

My door is open! Coffee is on! God Bless!

Linda

Questions for the 3 PC Leadership Candidates

This morning I sent out a personal letter to each of the leadership candidates. This letter contains 3 questions that relate to very important issues to the residents of Strathcona County. A large number of residents have approached me with these concerns and I have a responsibility to residents to find out from these three candidates what their stand on these issues are. I had spoken to them prior to the first ballot and wanted  once more to state these concerns. I look forward to soon be reading their replies. 

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

Good job and congrats on arriving to this point on your bid to being the next leader of the PC party and the next Premier of Alberta.

I am personally asking all three remaining candidates three very important questions before I give my support to them. I would like to hear from you to get back to me with your position in a very timely matter. These are crucial issues that effect the Municipality and the residents of Strathcona County. Your opinion on these items may have been stated before but this a new opportunity to revisit or explain any changes that you may have.

1. Will you, if you become Premier, ask the AUC (Alberta Utility Commission) to await their final decision on the placement and the work needed on the Heartland Transmission lines until Bill 50 (especially the electrical transmission area) is revoked and a formal impact assessment study is done?  This assessment would include revisiting the real need for such a huge electrical line, true costs other than Altalink's and Epcor's stated costs for burying and above ground lines, and finally but most importantly commit to burying the lines where there is high density population and schools (This also means the 200 meter extra setback that is also proposed).

 2. Will you commit, as Premier, that the Strathcona Community Hospital be built and be operating in a timely matter as a full treatment active hospital including obstetrics and medical surgical suites? This hospital would be a solution for you and the residents of Alberta north and south by relieving pressure off emergency rooms, be a center of excellence for diagnostics for Medivacs to fly into our Strathcona County airports (Josephburg or South Cooking Lake), also a center for possible clinics that residents are using in BC or USA. We are number 1 for live births in the Capital Region and we are in the center of the Industrial Heartland where a sealed emergency room is needed to be in place in case of an industrial incident occurring. We need it commitment to this hospital and NOT a "shelled-in" commitment.

3. Will you commit to supporting the BRIK 2 program and value added for the industry we have in the Heartland? We need to keep our jobs and refined oil in our Province! This includes Alberta Transportation reassessing the roads where heavy loads and traffic volumes for industry are effected.

These topics are crucial to this Municipality and impact thousands of people here and in our wonderful Province.

God Bless. I look forward to your answers.

Linda Osinchuk

Hospital BBQ?

Council and I have been invited to a BBQ on September 27th by Ellis Don and the Minister of Infrastructure on the site of our future hospital. Council is in Chambers that day and will not be able to attend until after 6pm at the earliest. I am curious as to the reason behind this invitation. I am anxiously awaiting for any kind of official update from the Alberta Government.

The residents of Strathcona County deserve this. We deserve some show of respect!

Linda

Hearthland Transmission Study Update

I am working, as chair of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association board, to highlight the importance of transportation corridors, overpasses, road upgrades, and park and ride busing to the industrial facilities. Traffic flow, heavy loads and prevention of congestion are issues we are proactively working on to find solutions to.

Along with working with the Capital Region Board, these initiatives are important to communicate to Alberta Transportation and our new Premier.

Industry is an economic engine for the future of our province!

Linda

Strathcona Hospital in the News

I am cautiously optimistic regarding the Minister of Health's statement. My intent is to continue to impress the importance of having a "full" active treatment hospital. Not only "shelled-in" spaces but actual concrete plans to have a fully finished product.

I am publicly requesting communication from Health Minister Zwozdesky confirming his announcement regarding our "full service, acute care, community-based, 72 bed hospital."  As of today, my office has not yet received any communication about the hospital.

I once again re-state that I would look forward to working with the Minister and our two MLAs in achieving this common goal.

Linda

PC Provincial Leadership Race

Congratulations to the top 3 candidates who have proceeded to the second ballot.

To all candidates, it was a race well run and thank you for having put your names forward and had your voices heard.

To the three remaining candidates, I am very interested in hearing your stand on Bill 50, specifically burying the transmission lines as well as completing the promised "acute care" Strathcona hospital. Your support of our local industry and their role as key economic drivers for Alberta is also a very important issue.

These issues are critical to our community. I hope to be able to meet and further discuss these with all three candidates.

I encourage Strathcona County residents to take a keen interest in the final choice of our next Premier and leading into our next provincial election.

Linda