Pipestone Flyer
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. When you think about our town, are there things you would like to change? As a candidate, I have been given the opportunity to create change, and it starts with you. You are my top priority. Do you want Wetaskiwin to be even better than it is today? I definitely do. There are three major things I’d like to change if I am elected mayor. First, I will make the mall better. Second, I would add in a public bus system and third, bring in a new recycling program. If you vote for Tyson Brown, I will turn this town around.” These were the opening remarks made by Tyson Brown, a student from Norwood School, who addressed the City of Wetaskiwin Council at their regular meeting on June 23, 2014.
Each year the School hosts an annual election for the Mayor of Norwood School. Tyson Brown was elected as the 2014 Mayor of the Norwood School. The successful candidate is invited to attend a City of Wetaskiwin City Council meeting and present his/her platform. The following are the suggestions presented to the City of Wetaskiwin Council by ‘Mayor Brown’.
“To start, how many of you have ever been to the Wetaskiwin Mall finding it practically empty? We can fill this empty space with people from all over Alberta. To do so, I will go to meetings where high-end brand companies are, and try to convince them that we need them here in this wonderful community. I will advertise Wetaskiwin the best I can to these businesses and show them how beautiful this community truly is. I will also let them know that I have already spoken to other businesses that are interested in coming here, and that will make them think more people will come here to shop. If we take a look at small communities such as Balzac and Camrose, people go there for shopping! I believe we can make Wetaskiwin similar to one of those communities. Bigger business means a bigger population and a stronger economy.
Another idea I’d like to propose to make Wetaskiwin a better city, is to add public transportation. Many people around Wetaskiwin are limited in their mobility. Also, because gas is a non-renewable resource, in the future, gas prices will sky rocket, making owning and driving a car very expensive. That’s why I will establish a public busing system with four buses that circle around the different areas of Wetaskiwin with a very miniscule wait to get on. The busing fee would be as minimal as possible. Imagine how many people can ride a bus in one day, think of the pollution saved from cars on the road, because one bus replaces dozens of cars. Public transportation will not only speed things along, it will save the environment as well.
In addition to the mall and public transportation, I would like to talk to you about recycling. How many of you have been to the landfill in Wetaskiwin? Have you seen how big the Wetaskiwin Landfill is getting? We can reduce its growth with a new recycling program. Right now, our recycling is pretty difficult to maintain in our homes, isn’t it? We have to sort our recycling at home, load everything up every week and take it to the recycling depot. I’m guessing that most people in Wetaskiwin don’t recycle because it’s too much work. I would like to propose a new system. First, everything you throw away will be sorted into three groups.
1. Recyclable items including cardboard, paper, tin, glass and plastics.
2. Organic waste, otherwise known as compost items, such as fruit and vegetable waste, eggshells and coffee grounds.
3. Landfill waste which is pretty much everything else.
A machine will sort all of this recyclable matter at the depot by weight; without your hard work. In your home you will have three different colored bins, one for each category. The garbage truck will take your landfill objects, a different truck will take your recyclable objects, and for your compost, you can either use it in your garden or sell it to a friend. This will help save our planet and the future. We want this earth to be beautiful forever, don’t we?
There are many positive changes I will make if I get elected Mayor. Three of the many ideas I have proposed are to make the Mall better, add a new public bussing system, and put a new recycling program in place. Vote for Tyson Brown, ‘cause he will turn this town around’.”
Mayor Brown, your platform shows that people of all ages in the City of Wetaskiwin are concerned about, and committed to, making this City a better place.
Pictured: Tyson Brown sitting in the Big Chair as acting Mayor For A Day. Photo by Barry McDonald