| Nine candidates are vying for a seat on Calgary’s city council in the Ward 10 byelection taking place on February 28. Located in east Calgary, the eight residential neighbourhoods and one industrial area that make up Ward 10 comprise a section of the city that is often stigmatized by poverty, prostitution and drug abuse. The ward was mired in controversy after a voting scandal erupted following the October 18, 2004 municipal election, and the resulting byelection offers residents an eclectic slate of candidates to choose from. Here, in alphabetical order, is a profile of each of the nine candidates:
Manfred Baum
A geophysicist with an interest in local history, Baum, 51, has lived in Ward 10 for more than 25 years. Short on platform specifics, Baum believes that in the past, "Ward 10 has been ignored." To rectify that, Baum says he will work closely with community groups to get the attention of politicians. "If I have to I can be annoying," he says. "This is my reaction to the last election. I want to get out there and offer a different point of view." Baum believes the area would benefit from an alderman who has an open style, which he envisions as hosting regular coffee meetings, creating a web page and maintaining e-mail contact with area residents. "I want to communicate with the ward," says Baum.
Brad Berard
Running unsuccessfully for alderman in Ward 10 in the municipal election in October and as an Alberta Alliance candidate in the provincial election, Berard, 34, says he is feeling "tired out" from campaigning. A full-time assistant manager for a local marketing firm, Berard has had one political success in his past – being elected to the board of the Calgary Health Region before its structure was reconfigured by the Alberta government. "I will listen to the people of Ward 10 and return phone calls," he says. "Diane (Danielson) didn’t do that." In addition to his complaints about Danielson, Berard says that the community of Forest Lawn (located in Ward 10) needs to be "cleaned up" by "getting rid of drugs and prostitution." Berard says he will accomplish this by "pressuring the police."
Andre Chabot
With three previous attempts to become the alderman for Ward 10, Chabot, 46, says he is "taking another kick at the cat" because he’s "trying to get a better return for the taxpayers of the area." The full-time general contractor and home renovation specialist says a bolstered police presence and restoring pride to the communities located within Ward 10 are high on his agenda. Chabot would also like to make traffic run more smoothly in this part of the city by "synchronizing" the LRT and traffic lights on 36th Street S.E.
Diane Danielson
The former alderman of Ward 10 who lost her position on city council in October after Margot Aftergood was crowned victorious (Aftergood later resigned following a controversy involving mail-in ballots), Danielson, 59, is now out to reclaim her aldermanic seat. With a background as a registered nurse, Danielson first honed her political skills as the president of the Pembrooke Meadows Community Association. She is a former Public School Board trustee and in 1997 ran as a Liberal candidate in the provincial election, losing to Conservative Hung Pham in the constituency of Calgary-Montrose. Danielson was first elected alderman in Calgary’s Ward 10 in 1998 and again in 2001. Danielson says after the "roller-coaster ride" of the 2004 municipal election and the voting controversy that followed, she is "more focused than ever." Danielson says it’s been difficult separating herself from the voting scandal, but tells area residents, "I’m not the one who’s guilty." She has lived in Ward 10 for more than 30 years and says she will stand on her record, which includes improving relations between area residents and the police, the expansion of the Forest Lawn Public Library and her continuing support of the Block Watch program. "I’m the right person for Ward 10," she says. "I believe in community consultation and community involvement."
Allan Foster
Finishing fourth in his run for the mayor’s job in the most recent municipal election, Foster, 52, also took a crack at winning the job of mayor in 2001.
This time the retired quality control superintendent for a local pipe manufacturing plant, who now works as an extra in Alberta’s film industry, says Ward 10 needs new blood. "I think it’s about time the ward was represented," says Foster. "I believe Calgarians want a change." Foster is critical of the existing city council, which he says "haven't kept their campaign promises… poor negotiation practices continue to send our vital public service departments to arbitration." Foster’s message is the people of Ward 10 have long been receiving the short end of the stick. "We used to get the leftovers in blue collar neighbourhoods – now we don’t even get that," he says.
Dale Galbraith
Conservative Party organizer and close associate of Tory MLA Shiraz Shariff, Galbraith, 46, has been accused of being a "Tory plant" in the Ward 10 byelection. "I feel like a root" says Galbraith, laughing off the assertion. "I’m a long-term Tory and proud of it, but I have never been in a meeting where anyone in the Tory party said, ‘We want a Tory in Ward 10.’" A past board member of the Rockyview Child and Family Services Association, Galbraith is the vice-president of operations and management with Bri-Mor Property Management. He says the people of Ward 10 "are crying for someone that can perhaps stir things up." His platform includes eliminating the drug and prostitution problem in the area as well as enhancing International Avenue and improving roads. "I want to get in there and offer a new vision," he says.
Antoni "Tony" Grochowski
Known as the man who wants Calgary to become the "Paris of the Prairies," Grochowski, 58, is another losing mayoralty candidate from the 2004 municipal election. Originally from Poland, the long-term resident of Calgary works as an architect and real estate agent. Grochowski says he wants to "fight" for the people of Ward 10, but has few specifics to offer about how he will accomplish his goal. Grochowski is against any ban on smoking and believes it would hurt the businesses of Ward 10. "Previous representatives weren’t fighting for the area," adds Grochowski. "A lot of things need to change."
Barry Lindemann
Often referred to as an advocate for the disabled, Lindemann, 32, is paralyzed from the shoulders down after shattering his spine in a diving accident more than a decade ago. Since then, armed with a degree in commerce from the University of Calgary, Lindemann has become a force in the community, working to create equal opportunities for Calgary’s physically disabled citizens. Lindemann, however, says he is not a one-issue candidate and has plans to restore pride in Ward 10 through initiatives that include putting more beat cops on the streets, enhancing recreation programs for youth in the area and building more affordable housing. "I don’t think there has been strong leadership in Ward 10," he says.
Doug Service
Known as the guy who fell down and cut his head at a mayoralty forum during the 2004 municipal election campaign, Service, 49, is now seeking firm footing in the byelection by running on a platform that promises Ward 10 "a bigger piece of the pie." Owner of Doug’s Service Electrical, the contractor has been trying to become Calgary’s mayor for the past 15 years. Now giving up on that dream, at least temporarily, Service says Ward 10 requires social, education and affordable housing programs. He is also concerned about plans by Compton Petroleum to drill six sour gas wells on the southeastern edge of Calgary, fearing the project could harm people who live in the area if it wins approval. "I feel our tsunami is an earthquake that could spill out sour gas from the Earth’s crust," says Service. "We should give the people of Ward 10 gas masks." |
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