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, Tina Petrow addresses your issues.

Council candidate Tina Petrow believes it's time to take a proactive approach to the issues facing Airdrie.

Petrow said the current Council has had a tough task keeping up with the rapid growth of Airdrie. While they've done a good job, Petrow believes the last eight years have seen plenty of band-aid solutions to make things work, and it is time to be proactive in terms of planning.

"Right now, because we're kind of leveling off at about a four and a half to five percent growth rate, we can start to look far down the roads. We can look at our ten year plan and say ok, lets plan for a hundred thousand people. Let's not plan for seventy, seventy-five, eighty and keep fixing it along the way because that costs more money as we along."

Petrow said she would like to examine what the city will look like with 12,000 acres of annexed land, and how to accommodate that area in the future.

Petrow would also like to be proactive in planning for the future of traffic in Airdrie. She said City staff currently have great plans that will keep traffic flowing. She believes funds need to be allocated to projects that are already planned, like the Yankee Valley Boulevard rail underpass. She also believes that underpass needs to be done correctly the first time, so that it works for the community and doesn't encounter problems like drainage. Petrow also said it's important to continue to advocate at the provincial level for a highway interchange at 40th Avenue.

Petrow believes there's a significant need for more community facilities in Airdrie, as it's difficult to address Genesis Place for certain recreation activities at certain times. However, she does think that there needs to be other considerations when building a new facility.

"We can't just build a single use facility. It can't just be a rec centre. We need to add things like possibly a large conference centre, to be able to attract tourism dollars into the city and give our non-profit groups places to set up shop. Our over fifty club, we need to give them access to a facility that can accommodate their group."

Petrow said she hopes to also address the needs of the library, which in her view serves as an important meeting place in the community.

In regards to downtown, Petrow believes there's a need to make Airdrie's core vibrant. She thinks there has been a focus in Airdrie on making each neighbourhood self sustaining, and while that has benefits, it doesn't do anything to connect the community. She thinks downtown is a place that can draw residents together in a unique way. With that, there are important questions that need to be asked, and the community needs to be engaged.

"How do we achieve it and how do we do it in a reasonable budget? That's what we need to look at. When downtown redevelopment came out, it wasn't rolled out in the most efficient manner to the public. You can't just say, here's what we're doing and this is how much it's going to cost. We need to be able to get options to our community members."

Petrow also thinks it's very important for the City to start investing more in arts and culture for Airdrie.

"Other comparable cities are putting anywhere between $18 to $35 per capita into arts and culture within the city. We put in $5. It's pretty low on the scale, and we need to be investing more into that."

In her opinion, arts and culture make the community feel more inclusive and welcoming, and provide an avenue for Airdrie to brand itself.

Petrow also acknowledged that there are healthcare gaps in the community. While a hospital would be at the top of the wishlist and is something she would continue to advocate for, she thinks that anything nearby, even in the north of Calgary, is some ways in the future. Right now, she believes it's important to expand on what is already available in Airdrie by making sure Urgent Care has more beds and enough well-trained staff to meet Airdrie's needs.

 

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