Learning More About Rocky View 2020

Since the intense Provincial election this spring, many have been wondering ‘Where in the world is Bruce McAllister?’ After losing his seat as the MLA for Chestermere-Rocky View, many residents, and even Bruce himself, wondered what would be next. After months of personal hiatus, McAllister has now resurfaced and ready to move ahead with new adventures.
“A lot of people have been asking me since the election, what will you do next? Will you stay in politics? Are you moving? Going back to TV? Etc. Well, the first thing I did was make a decision with Lisa to take the summer off, step away from the public side of life and regroup, recharge, reboot, refresh and reconnect. I enjoyed a summer with my family and cherished the time with Lisa and the girls that I had been missing out on. About mid-September I started networking with my contacts and thinking about my next professional step. I had been approached a few times after the election and throughout the summer about business development roles, but I wasn’t ready and didn’t want to jump into something too quickly. So, I had a couple of conversations with people who either work with Rocky View 2020 or are familiar with what they do. They mentioned that their now former executive director Eric Lowther was moving on to other opportunities and suggested I would be a good fit for the position”, explained McAllister.
If you haven’t heard of the Rocky View 2020, it is an advocacy group for property owners in Rocky View County. They have roughly 350 members, and the membership is growing on a consistent basis as people learn more about what they do. “We are a voice for farmers, ranchers, landowners and homeowners in the county. Some have referred to us as a mini chamber of commerce for county residents”, says McAllister.
Although made up of members that are mostly long-time residents of Rocky View County, they first gathered together when the draft Rocky View County Plan was released in 2013. The founding members were concerned that a few, well-organized and highly vocal people were shaping an unsustainable Rocky View County that would negatively impact property values and taxes, and that ended up being the formation of the Rocky View 2020 organization.
McAllister explained his role with the organization by saying, “I advocate for county residents. We are a voice for landowners, and farmers and ranchers on issues like agriculture, property rights, and regional growth. We stood up and spoke up for farmers and ranchers against Bill 6, which threatens to drastically change the way of life on the family farm. When issues of regional growth are presented at local and provincial levels, we make sure our residents have a voice in these discussions”.
With some years of experience now in the political world, and before then coming from decades of work in journalism, McAllister explains that this new position is the perfect fit.
“Advocating for people is something I have always done. Whether uncovering facts and seeking truths as a journalist, or standing up for parents on the education file as the MLA, it’s important to research complex issues and bring a common sense perspective forward for people. I care deeply about how this region grows and as we grow it’s important that we do so with vision, maintaining and enhancing our lifestyle and economic value.
The pack and stack approach to growth doesn’t work. We have to diversify the tax base so residents aren’t left with ballooning tax bills and decreasing property values. My personal belief is the Mayor of Chestermere and our long-term Councillors have done a poor job of this. I believe our tax bills support this argument.
I also love working in this region. My truck could probably drive the roads of Rocky View and area by itself. I have a good relationship with the County Councillors and will help residents navigate through the bureaucratic process if and when they need assistance.
When we speak of diversity we should also speak about aging in community. Rocky View 2020 recognizes that baby boomers are getting older and many would like to live out their years in the communities they were raised in. We support initiatives to bring seniors housing to the region”.
As this role does sound a lot like the duties that he had as MLA, McAllister explains that the roles are very similar. “The issues can be complex and researching and working to find solutions is something I am still doing. Anybody can cut a ribbon and read a speech. (for the record, I write my own) But will they visit a landowner who has drainage issues and work to find a solution? If there’s a major difference, it’s that the work isn’t partisan. Sometimes the tribal nature of politics gets in the way of solutions. I don’t miss that.”
The role, McAllister explained, basically has him taking his orders from the members and meeting once a month to discuss the issues of the day and the impact on the region. “I spent much of last week talking with our members about Bill 6 and making sure we added our voice to the discussion on behalf of farmers and ranchers. We are aware that there are discussions at the provincial level about implementing a regional growth plan for the Calgary region. We fully support the premise of sustainable regional growth and at the same time will make sure that the local autonomy to control that growth is respected”.
“It’s a challenging and exciting new role for me. I’ll be able to use the skills I’ve been given and have developed over the years to represent County residents on issues that matter greatly to them. I am familiar with many of the issues, having worked on them as the local MLA. It’s been a busy first month or so on the job for me”.
To learn more about Rocky View 2020, or if you’re interested in becoming a member, you can visit www.rockyview2020.com