St. Albert Minute: Issue 81

St. Albert Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of St. Albert politics

📅 This Week In St. Albert: 📅

• As we gather with family, friends, and neighbours this Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our readers. From all of us at Common Sense St. Albert, we wish you a warm, joyful, and safe Thanksgiving filled with laughter, good food, and time spent with those you care about.
  
  
• St. Albert’s four mayoral candidates - Wes Brodhead, Rick Dory, Jared Eglinski, and Scott Olivieri - shared their visions for the city during an election forum hosted by the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. The discussion focused on affordability, growth, and development. Brodhead emphasized experience and steady growth to fund major projects like the Lakeview Business District and northeast servicing. Dory called for responsible, debt-conscious development and greater efficiency within City departments. Olivieri pushed for stronger financial management, investment attraction, and red tape reduction, while Eglinski championed local self-sufficiency through initiatives like urban food production and renewable energy. Candidates also discussed how to attract investment in sectors like agri-food and clean technology, and how to work collaboratively with the provincial government.
  
  
• Five St. Albert municipal election candidates - Sheena Hughes, Shelley Biermanski, Alan Luck, Kristi Rouse, and Greg Schell - have teamed up to deliver their campaign brochures together but insist they are not part of a political slate. The group pooled resources to distribute materials efficiently across the city, saying it’s a logistical and cost-saving measure rather than a coordinated political effort. Hughes, who has done similar cooperative deliveries in past elections, said reaching 24,000 homes individually is unrealistic. Schell, running for Catholic School Board Trustee, emphasized that his issues differ entirely from those of Council candidates, reinforcing that there is no shared platform. Biermanski and Rouse described the move as practical, especially amid postal service disruptions, comparing it to receiving multiple flyers in one delivery. All five candidates said there were no discussions about shared policies or voting commitments - only a cooperative effort to reach voters more effectively.
  
  
• Councillor Mike Killick says Council and residents are frustrated with delays in completing the long-stalled St. A Square development on the former Blind Pig Pub site downtown but admits there’s little the City can do to speed it up. The project, owned by Niche Developments Corporation, was intended to be an eight-storey, net-zero condo complex but has faced multiple setbacks, including cracked steel piles that halted work until 2023. Killick said the City is working with the developer to see the project completed rather than taking steps that might further delay or jeopardize it. Some residents have suggested the City buy back the land or take over the development, but Killick dismissed that as financially unfeasible, noting that the City’s role is to enable private investment, not act as a developer. In response to this experience, the City is now considering buy-back clauses in future land sales to ensure timely progress on private developments.
  
  
• Mental health advocate Savannah Stuermer has created the “Healing Library,” a free, house-shaped library stocked with books on stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia for all ages. Located between 33 and 34 Laurelcrest Place, the library aims to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and show people that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. Stuermer, who teaches yoga and works in a seniors’ home, also leaves affirmations, supportive messages, and contact information for national and provincial help lines. Unlike traditional libraries, books do not need to be returned and can be shared freely. Passersby have praised the library for bringing positivity to the community and supporting mental health awareness. Stuermer hopes the initiative demonstrates that there is a caring community ready to support those facing mental health challenges.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Advance voting runs from October 14th to 18th. 

All of the information regarding times, locations, eligibility, and ID requirements can be found online:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!