MLA report Nov 24

Hello Chestermere! Wow November is just flying by!  I hope you had a chance to cheer on the Stampeders as they played BC in the Western Finals.  As I write this article, we are just watching the game get started!  We also saw the University of Calgary Dinos move on to the Vanier Cup on the 19th.  It has been a very busy week in our fair city, and I had so many highlights.  I was privileged to be invited along with Wildrose MLA Angela Pitt to the Chestermere Paint and Decor event held at the Lakeside Golf Course featuring HGTV’s Tiffany Pratt. Pete Lewis, owner of Airdrie and Chestermere Paint and Décor, is a wonderful addition to the fantastic businesses we have here in Chestermere. I certainly left inspired, and I am as always so gratified and proud of our city and people who reside here and work so hard to keep it growing and flourishing.  Along with fellow Wildrose MLAs Grant Hunter and Dave Schneider I had the pleasure of meeting with one of my favourite people, our MP Martin Shields, to discuss areas of mutual concern.  If you have never met Martin, let me say that we are fortunate to have this wonderful man working for us at the federal level.  He is thoughtful, well respected, and genuinely cares for all of us.  Along with my Wildrose colleagues Don MacIntyre and Mark Smith I met some amazing innovators who work in our energy industry. Let me tell you, if the government could just get out of the way we could improve on our already world class standards in producing our oil and gas.  I attended a great presentation by Jennifer Peddlesden and the Chestermere Historical Society on Chestermere’s history. It was a wonderful evening and I look forward to spending more time with these incredible folks as they continue to pass on the legacy of the city that we all love.  Please see www.chestermerehistoricalfoundation.org for more information and I hope to see more of you at future presentations.  I was invited to the Tsuut’ina symposium on small business and entrepreneurs as their Keynote Speaker, and was honoured to meet Chief Roy Whitney Onespot, the Tsuut’ina council, and the council of Elders.  It was a true privilege.  Thanks to Economic Development Director Terry Metatawabin for the invitation. Terry was kind enough to invite MLA Dave Hanson (our Aboriginal Affairs shadow), his wife Donna, and Maureen Gough our amazing research assistant who made the long drive from northern Alberta to be in attendance along with our very own Peter Tindall, his granddaughter Emma, and my amazing husband Malkeet.  I attended the Inclusion Breakfast put on by Inclusion Alberta. They work to facilitate services for families with special needs children and advocate on their behalf.  I also attended a fundraiser that brings awareness about Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. This function was put on by Chestermere’s very own Dorn Cassidy who is a tremendous advocate for this issue.  I was extremely honoured to attend.
Did you know the St. Andrews Ball has been held every year in Calgary since 1884?  I attended and was given the privilege of giving the toast to: “The land we live – Canada.”   I understand that at one time over 200 toasts were given, lasting into the wee hours of the morning and resulting I imagine in some pounding heads the next day! Thank you to Robert Henderson for inviting me.  It was a beautiful evening with amazing choirs, the Calgary fiddlers, and other wonderful Scottish traditions.  I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the Christmas Market at the Chestermere Recreation Centre.  There was so much available and not enough time to check everything out. 
Wildrose made an Adoption Policy announcement in Chestermere this week, and the folks at Chestermere Montessori Academy were kind enough to host us as we brought forward some common sense changes to adoption policy in Alberta that will bring us into the 21st century.  I will be bringing this bill forward as a Private Members Bill in the spring session.  Thank you Kamela Darwish-Ali for giving us your space to use.   See www.wildrose.ca for details and please let me know what you think. Finally we had a wonderful and very successful Chestermere-Rocky Wildrose AGM.  I want to thank Angela Pitt and Brian Jean, my family, volunteers and supporters for coming together on a Saturday and for being a part of our team.  As always we love to hear from you.