OPINION: You'd Think Notley and Smith were running for Premier of Calgary
The Alberta Provincial Election is at the midway point, and the focus of the party leaders seems to be on the City of Calgary, leaving the rest of the province’s municipalities probably feeling neglected.
Rachel Notley and Danielle Smith seem to have forgotten the importance of other municipalities that make up the province.
Calgary is a great city, home to more than a million people and one of the economic engines of the province. But it is not the only community in the province. Other cities, towns, summer villages, and rural communities also play a vital role in the province’s economy and deserve to be given attention by both Smith and Notley.
One of the reasons why the NDP and UCP are focusing on Calgary is the number of seats the city holds in the legislature, and are considered by some - but not this author - swing seats. Calgary is a significant factor in determining the outcome of the election.
However, this does not mean that the rest of the province should be neglected, as they also have a say in who becomes the next premier of the province.
Smith and Notley need to understand that the issues faced by the municipalities are different from those faced by Calgary. While Calgary has its challenges, the smaller municipalities also face unique problems that need to be addressed. For example, in conversations with rural leaders and local elected leaders from across Alberta, smaller municipalities face issues such as inadequate healthcare, poor infrastructure, and lack of access to basic amenities.
These issues need to be given the same attention as those faced by Calgary.
While I understand, and I thought the party leaders did too, the provincial economy is not solely dependent on Calgary. Other cities such as Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Duchess, McLennan, High Level, High River, and Drumheller to only name a few also contribute significantly to the province’s GDP. These municipalities need to be given attention, as they too face unique issues that need to be addressed.
And with this week going to be focused on the leader's debate on Thursday, May 18th, it has me concerned that the issues in communities outside of the larger urban centres like, Edmonton and Calgary are going to be forgotten.
Smaller municipalities play a significant role in the province’s economy, as they are home to many small and medium-sized businesses that contribute to the province’s long-term prospects. These businesses need support from the provincial government to thrive and grow. The government should focus on providing them with the necessary infrastructure, access to funding, and regulatory support to enable them to succeed.
The neglect of the smaller municipalities by the UCP and NDP during an election is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening for decades and the result is the growing divide between urban and rural areas during elections.
If you speak to people in rural Alberta you will often hear the same sentiment people in Alberta throws at Quebec, "Why do all of our economic dollars from oil and gas go towards the larger cities, while our communities are being forgotten?"
It's a fair point. Smith announced funding for infrastructure projects in Calgary in excess of $ 300 million, and Notley just announced that the NDP - if elected - would give the City of Calgary over $ 1 billion.
The neglect, and sucking up to the City of Calgary, has led to the rural areas feeling left behind and unrepresented in the legislature. This has resulted in a sense of disenfranchisement among the rural population, which can have serious consequences on the outcome of the election.
We have two weeks until E-Day in the province of Alberta, and the focus of the Alberta Provincial Election on the City of Calgary at the expense of other municipalities in the province is a worrying trend.
The UCP and NDP need to understand that the issues faced by the smaller municipalities are unique and deserve to be given attention.
Maybe it would be great to see Smith or Notley in smaller communities this week. Has either of them been to High Level during this election? What about Lloydminster? What About Slave Lake? I heard Banff and Jasper are great communities. Maybe go see Alix the Alligator in the Village of Alix. Heck maybe just maybe take a trip to Crowsnest Pass, and see what issues their community is facing.
While the UCP and NDP focusing the majority of their attention on the City of Calgary, maybe it's time to remind them that our province's name is Alberta, and not Calgary.
