BOW VALLEY – The provincial NDP nomination for the Banff-Kananaskis riding is heating up.
Canmore’s Mark Tkacz is the third Bow Valley candidate seeking the New Democratic Party nomination for this riding, joining Canmore residents Sarah Elmeligi and Gavin McCaffrey wanting to represent local interests in the Alberta legislature.
“I believe the NDP is the right voice for the future of our riding and our province, and I want to be part of that voice,” said Tkacz, who moved from Edmonton to the valley with his family in 2013.
“I am excited and privileged to have this opportunity to meet and listen to people from all over the riding in the coming months to get a deeper understanding of the concerns that are being faced now, and in the years ahead.”
The Banff-Kananaskis riding is currently held by United Conservative Party MLA Miranda Rosin, who beat out former NDP MLA Cameron Westhead in the last provincial election.
Tkacz, a local condominium property manager for close to six years and in the real estate business before that, said he wants to be a part of government that makes addressing climate change a priority, as well as one that makes Kananaskis Country available to everyone without direct cost.
He said he he wants a government that would trust the advice of almost every school division in the province in rejecting a draft school curriculum that has no value to students, and work to build a better curriculum.
He said he believes government that recognizes the need to diversify our economy instead of relying solely on what worked 30 years ago, adding he wants to see Alberta be a leader in renewable energy and technology.
“Over the past few years, the changes I’ve seen introduced by the current government in areas like health-care, school curriculum, and our provincial parks, I think are totally at odds with what the people of the Banff-Kananaskis riding value,” he said.
Elmeligi, a well-known biologist and conservation planner, announced her intention to seek the NDP nomination in August. McCaffrey, who has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism and the banking industry for the past six years, announced last month.
A date has not been set yet for the NDP nomination meeting, but it is expected early in the New Year. The next provincial election is slated for 2023.
