In the run up to the 2017 election, we asked our readers and listeners what issues matter most to them. Every day, we ask candidates for their thoughts on healthcare, growth, traffic, city facilities, downtown, and the other issues important to their campaign. Today, Lindsey Coyle addresses your issues.

Council candidate Lindsey Coyle describes herself as a proactive person, and that is the approach she'd like to take to the issues facing Airdrie if elected on October 16.

One area Coyle thinks a proactive approach could be beneficial is in addressing Airdrie's healthcare needs. She believes a local health cooperative is the best way to keep the city healthy.

"I think that the healthcare cooperative is a really good thing for us to be seriously investing ourselves into because hospitals deal with you when you're sick, and we need those, but I think the health park can help us be more proactive in our lives to be healthier."

Coyle believes growth is good, because grant funding is awarded to a community based on population. As the city grows, Coyle thinks the next council will need to prioritize where funds are allocated. Coyle's understanding was that the current Council has done a good job banking Municipal Sustainability Initiative grants, and the next council will benefit from having some money in the bank. Coyle said once another needs assessment is done, Council would have a better idea what the community wants. With money in the bank, they'd be able to address those needs right away.

One of those needs is for more community facilities. Coyle said Airdrie does need another multiplex, but if elected, she'd also look at ways to create community centres in new and existing neighbourhoods.

"We are a fast growing city, and we've got a lot of community developers here that I think we need to work with to start building spaces in the community, for the community to come together in. We're starting to see that, and I'd like to see more."

Another burden associated with growth is traffic constraints. Coyle believes an obvious fix is synchronizing traffic lights, but she sees most of Airdrie's traffic concerns through the lens of safety. Coyle believes increased traffic has led to an increase in poor driving habits like texting and speeding. She has an idea on how to address that, based on what a neighbouring community is doing.

"I had looked at Cochrane, and they've implemented third party photo radar, and I'm wondering if that's something we could use to curb some of those bad habits."

Coyle explained Cochrane uses the revenue from the photo radar to fund safety education programs for students. She thinks that approach might work in Airdrie.

When it comes to downtown redevelopment, Coyle guesses most people are in favour of having a beautiful downtown. She thinks the big question Council needs to ask is what is the city willing to pay for a vibrant downtown. She acknowledged that current commercial retail rental values and development values are at a stalemate, and said the next Council will need to be cognizant of its boundaries when it comes to investing in downtown redevelopment. She also thinks transparency is key in shaping downtown.

Coyle also wants to focus on youth programs. While there are amazing initiatives going on in the city, sheer growth means there is a gap in this regard. Coyle said she would like to look at maximizing the use of school gyms during the summer to provide safe and supervised drop in programs that keep youth active.

Coyle said that she also wants to address communication in the city. She'd like to see the City develop some sort of centralized events calendar app that can keep residents informed on all that's happening around Airdrie.

 

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