BOW VALLEY – With the provincial election starting to heat up, Brenda Stanton has promised to make it a three-way race in Banff-Kananaskis.
The longtime Canmore resident officially registered on Nov. 2 with Elections Alberta to run for the Alberta Party. A date has yet to be set for the local nomination contest, however it will likely take place before the end of the year.
“I was raised with the belief that if you don’t like how things are going then step up to the plate,” said Stanton, who has been a member of the Alberta Party for several years.
She said she decided to run for the Alberta Party because her values closely align with the centralist party.
“One of the key principles for the Alberta Party is prosperity and the belief that it’s private enterprise and entrepreneurship that are keys to the success of Alberta and I very much believe that it is small business that really drives the economy,” said Stanton, who is a small business owner.
She said she also believes in fiscal responsibility and helping those in need by giving them a “hand up” instead of a “hand out.”
With a masters degree in tourism and more than three decades of experience in the industry, she said she also wants to be a champion for the tourism sector in the Bow Valley and across the province.
“When we look at the economy, tourism plays a huge role and government keeps saying it, but I don’t think they have the knowledge on how to incorporate tourism to be an economic driver,” said Stanton.
While she may live in Canmore and be tied to the tourism industry, she said she also has a strong connection with the more rural parts of the riding such as Bragg Creek, thanks to her upbringing in south-central Alberta.
“I think a lot of people don’t know that I am an Alberta farm girl,” said Stanton. “My roots are very, very deep in this constituency in that my great grandparents homesteaded in Priddis before Alberta was even a province.”
She said she decided to throw her hat in the ring because of the recent changes to the riding’s electoral boundary, which no longer includes Cochrane, a city that traditionally votes conservative.
“The majority of our constituency is now tourism-based and that is my background,” said Stanton.
“Not only have I have been working in the tourism industry in the Bow Valley for the last 30 years, I also have a masters degree in tourism, so I truly understand what destination development is about and how tourism plays a role in the larger economy of Alberta.”
She acknowledged the Alberta Party remains relatively unknown to a lot of voters, but encouraged the public to educate themselves about the party’s vision for the future.
“I think there’s a lot of Albertans who are looking for that true centralist party ... and I think we have an incredibly strong slate of candidates that have some fantastic ideas,” said Stanton. “I think you might be in for a bit of a surprise.”
