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Rock the vote

OK Canmore, we know municipal byelections are probably the least sexy political race, but it is time again to get out and vote.

OK Canmore, we know municipal byelections are probably the least sexy political race, but it is time again to get out and vote.

It seems like here in the valley there is one election or another to get involved in and with hectic lives it is hard to engage.

But this time around as a community we have a chance to choose a new leader for our community as mayor.

John Borrowman, Ed Russell and Pam Hilstad all stand on their own as committed community members who have dedicated themselves to public service and want to be mayor.

At RMO we suggest you spend the next several days trying to engage with these three candidates through social media as this municipal election like none before opens up the world of communicating with political hopefuls through their websites, Facebook and Twitter.

There are also nine candidates looking to fill two council seats. They all put forward heartfelt and enthusiastic campaigns (other than the one that never showed up for events or returned RMO phone calls… Brian Hyland who are you???)

Again, they are all engaging you the public, the electorate, their wanna be bosses through social media and it is a far more dynamic exchange of ideas than this two-dimensional broadsheet could ever offer.

Climbing funds set rocky precedent

Those politicians who aren’t fighting to get elected made a decision this week we feel has wide ranging implications and disproportionately benefits one sports group over all others.

Council voted to provide just under $32,000 to subsidize the climbing community to keep the doors of an indoor climbing facility open until Elevation Place is ready.

Taxpayers have already put $6 million towards that brand new facility, which likely won’t be operational until December.

But a private climbing facility has closed its doors and gone out of business. With elite youth climbers in our community needing a facility, council was approached for money as a community grant initiative.

Two groups of users of a climbing wall are considered – youth, including the handful of elite athletes, and the general climbing public.

For the most part climbers will be outdoors for the next three months to climb so it is the youth who for the most part need a facility.

No other youth sporting group has ever seen this kind of money forked out by the municipality. Case in point this year’s community grant funds saw Canmore Skating Club receive $2,000 and Illusions Gymnastics Club $856.

These youth, their sport, the climbing community are all very important and deserve support, that is why a climbing gym, municipally operated and built is being built.

But they are only one of many deserving sports groups in Canmore that support youth and we have to wonder when are they all going to get their piece of the pie?


Rocky Mountain Outlook

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