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, Brenda McIntosh-Doell addresses your issues.

Council candidate Brenda McIntosh-Doell is running for elected office for the first time, and the 25 year Airdrie resident believes it's important for any future Councillors to have a willingness to listen to residents.

As Airdrie continues to grow, McIntosh-Doell thinks it's important to have surveys and engagement with the public in order to find out what residents need so that the city retains its small town feel while also growing local business. She also thinks that infrastructure needs to be in place as the city grows. She is also concerned that as development continues at the edge of the City, it will draw people away from businesses in the core. She thinks the City needs to engage residents on how to shift that paradigm.

McIntosh-Doell believes a significant traffic issue in Airdrie is road safety, something she's heard from residents while going door to door.

"There's a lot more vehicles on the road, a lot more young drivers. We are a young community, and so we need to address that, perhaps by having more of those signs that remind people what their speeds are. You're seeing them on Eighth Street, you're seeing them in other areas of the City, and that does help."

She said she would also work with the City's planners to find ways to keep traffic flowing.

McIntosh-Doell said she was not happy with how the current administration rolled out the Airdrie Main Street Square idea. She does think downtown needs to be redeveloped, and there needs to be more business to draw people into the downtown core.

McIntosh-Doell also thinks putting a specific type of facility downtown could address the need to revitilize the core while providing more community facilities.

"Airdrie has grown exponentially. We are a melting pot here in Airdrie. We have a diverse culture across the board, and with a multicultural facility we could engage in the learning of who is all part of our community."

McIntosh-Doell envisions a multicultural facility as a place to learn from each other's cultures. She sees it as a possible education centre, reference centre and meeting centre. She also thinks a larger library could be included in a multicultural facility.

McIntosh-Doell also thinks it's important for Airdrie to get some sort of emergency shelter in place, which she thinks is a significant gap here.

"That's something that is near and dear. We are a thriving region, and we should have the abilities and capabilities to help those that are in need.

When asked about healthcare, McIntosh-Doell said it's very concerning that Airdrie does not have a hospital. With the size of the population, she feels depending on Calgary's healthcare is not sufficient. She said we need to act now to get things rolling so that a hospital will be built in the future. For now, she would like to be a part of plans to expand Airdrie's healthcare opportunities through the Airdrie and Area Health Benefits Cooperative.

 

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