Rocky View County (RVC) reeve Rolly Ashdown will have at least one competitor in Division 4 in this fall’s municipal election, as Langdon resident Gerard Lucyshyn, 43, has announced his candidacy.
“I think we need to bring the focus back to the community,” Lucyshyn said. “At some point, the focus has shifted. We need to get back to focusing on the people.”
The Rocky View Weekly confirmed with Ashdown his intentions to seek re-election in October.
“It’s still a ways off, and we have work to do between now and then,” Ashdown said. “But if people think I’ve done a good job, that’s why they should re-elect me.”
Skills and background
Lucyshyn, who teaches economics in Mount Royal University’s policy studies department, said he is confident he has the skills to serve the population of RVC.
“What I can bring to council is a background in business and economics,” he said. “A rational decision-making process, efficiency, cost benefit — that’s what I can bring to residents.”
Lucyshyn has lived with his family in Langdon since 2005. He and his wife have raised two boys there, who are now 18 and 15 years of age.
Needs not being met
As a resident of Langdon, Lucyshyn said he has observed how local government is not serving the interests of its residents. He said though he feels no animosity towards Ashdown, he does not agree with the direction the reeve has been taking.
“The problem I perceive is direction. I don’t agree with his mandate of development,” Lucyshyn said. “I’ve reviewed his decisions. I think we need to go in a different direction.”
That direction involves focusing on three core issues — community, recreation and safety.
A sense of community, said Lucyshyn, is what residents of the county desire as a quality of life by choosing to live in a small town.
“Building a community is more than just building houses,” Lucyshyn said. “Bringing the focus back to the communities means understanding what’s going to bring a community together.”
Recreation & safety
The second part of Lucyshyn’s focus is to ensure each community in RVC has a positive outlet for recreation — a shared place where residents can come together to interact and build relationships.
“Recreation provides a face-to-face interaction. That’s where you make lasting impressions,” he said.
Safety, Lucyshyn said, is the third focus council needs to consider, saying residents need to feel safe in smaller communities.
“The reason we moved to a smaller community was so we wouldn’t have to worry,” he said. “If we’re diligent in keeping people safe, then people will go out into their communities, and if they go into their community, they will meet their neighbours.”
Lucyshyn said he would release more specific policies and mandates closer to the campaign, which will kick off officially in September.
