By CHAT News Today

Meet the Candidate: Colette Smithers

Oct 8, 2017 | 2:37 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Colette Smithers says her life-long love of politics and the love of her new city has prompted her to try and seek public office

Smithers is among the 19 candidates seeking a seat on city council on October 16.

“Being settled in Medicine Hat, I love this city,” she said. “It’s my home., and it’s time for me to step into that arena and make my difference there. Get off the sidelines and actually step up.”

Smithers was born in Ireland, and moved to Calgary as a teenager in 1977. She moved to Medicine Hat three years ago, where she runs the local chapter of Women Talk, a program which connects women in communities and allows them to share stories. She has also worked as a truck driver with her husband and has a background in administrative work.

Smithers says she has set her platform up on three issues: Community, transportation and economic development, saying they have become the biggest issues this election.

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“The whole situation with public transit has just brought to the forefront how lacking in communication this current council is in involving our residents in making major changes like this” she said, noting it impacted a wide variety of residents, from students to seniors.

She says communicating with residents will be one of the most important priorities for the next city council.

In addition to public transit, transportation in the region remains a priority for Smithers. She is in favour of improving Highway 3 for both commercial and personal travel, saying it could add more economic benefits to the city.

Smithers adds it’s important for the city to have a strategy for attracting business and economic growth to the city. She says the region has many opportunities for agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing.

“Those can be major players in the Medicine Hat and southeastern Alberta economy,” she says, adding she is also interested in the potential economic impact of helium exploration.

Smithers says her passion and life experience sets her apart from other candidates.

“I have experience in diverse industries that can really add to my ability to interact with and collaborate with other people to build a strategy going forward for our city that we can all participate in, that we can all buy into and just work for each other’s success,” she said.

More information about Smithers can be found on her Facebook page.