Changes guaranteed for Whitecourt’s round table as the 2021 election crests the horizon

Four days into 2021, Councillor Tom Pickard officially filed his paperwork to run for Mayor in the upcoming Municipal Election slated for October 18, 2021. Recent changes at the Provincial level pushed back the nomination period giving community members interested in public service a longer window of opportunity to submit their intent.

Councillor Pickard said that his primary focus is his currently elected role and that he doesn’t plan to start campaigning until the nomination window closes. “My main goal right now is what I was elected to be, and that’s a councillor. The campaign for mayor will be once nominations close in September. That will give us a good month of campaigning ahead of the election.”

He said that he hopes to see the passion that typically comes with the election campaigning portion to continue after the election is finished. “I hope that people are as interested in municipal politics after the election as they are leading up to it. We had a great month of discussions and dialogue leading up to the 2017 election, and when it finished, we could not get six people to come to an open house on a $55 million budget. I want to see community engagement.”

Though the election is ten months away, Councillor Pickard said that getting in his nomination papers right away was more about being honest about his intentions than anything else. He said that community members had been asking him if he was planning to run, and he felt that not prolonging his next steps was the best choice. “The most open and honest way for me is to walk the walk.”

Before Christmas, Mayor Maryann Chichak put out a video explaining her intentions to not run for a third term. “The decision was made for a couple of reasons. When I ran in 2013, I indicated that I would love to do two terms as mayor, and I will, at the end of October, have done that. That second reason is that I have always left my jobs on a high, loving what I do, and I want to be able to do that with this one too.” She said that she still has a “skip in my step” and that she has a lot of living to do. “I want to do lots of things, including travel, and perhaps find something on a part-time basis that I can embrace such as maybe finding a board or two to sit on going forward, that I can lend some time to and provide some of the knowledge that I have obtained in the past and put that to good use. I still want to stay engaged in some capacity, whether I am involved with the forestry or energy industries or healthcare. There are so many different areas of interest that I have. When my term comes to an end, I will be keeping my options open and seeing what is out there,” she explained.

Mayor Chichak said that seeing one of the current councillors waste no time putting their name forward showed a passion for the community. She encourages more people to think about how public service can become part of their lives too. “I encourage people to look at entering the council race. There is a role for males and females from all walks of life because everyone brings a different perspective. Everybody has that different view.”

She said that she will have spent 11 years in public service by the end of her term and that she treasures each moment. “It is a rewarding experience to be part of planning for our future and being the government closest to the people. Being able to help people, answer questions and look at new projects that we can do together to continue to enhance the quality of life in Whitecourt is wonderful. I think there’s a lot of passionate people that love not only Whitecourt but this region that would be very fitting for a role on council.”

Those interested are encouraged to speak with past and present councillors. “Ask a lot of questions when you talk to them, especially about the commitments. I would also encourage people to be open-minded when you put your name forward.” Mayor Chichak said that sometimes people seek a seat on council for one reason or one issue. “They find out that it’s really difficult to change that one issue they are focused on, or maybe they do change that one issue, but then the rest of the term could be a long one if that were the only reason they came on.” She said that looking at the community and finding ways to make it better are positive steps that benefit everyone. “Being community-minded and open-minded, and working well in a team environment for the betterment of not only our community but our region, I think, are good qualities to have.”

Mayor Chichak pointed out that the time commitment is something that many people do not often realize. “There is research to be done behind the scenes, so make sure you have the time to dedicate to that. Some don’t realize or understand that some meetings are during the day and not always in the evenings.” The time commitment was something that Councillor Pickard also mentioned as being important and said that having the support of your family or spouse is integral. “My wife and I discussed this through the holidays, and it was very apparent that I was going to run. I can’t imagine doing this without her support.”

After his announcement, Councillor Pickard said that he received positive attention from the public. “One caller mentioned that he was happy to see that people were still interested in putting their names forward for public office. He was ex-military and said that they fought a long time to make sure that people could run freely, and he was happy to see that people still wanted to do that.” Though the Whitecourt Police Detachment’s former Commander appreciates the positive comments, Councillor Pickard added that there is more to running for an election than having public accolades. “There’s a commitment, and I know that. I’m serious about this, and I want to do it.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the election process can view all pertinent documents at www.whitecourt.ca/2021Election. Candidate information packages can be printed off from the website or picked up in person at the town office. Nomination forms must be submitted in person by September 20, 2021. The election will take place on October 18, 2021.