Alan Rose first candidate to put name forward for mayor in Medicine Hat’s fall civic election

“This time, I figured it’s stampede week. It’ll be my highest time to be in contact with people, and it’s still close enough that it will stay in their minds,” he added.

“I want to get more information from people. I want to get more feedback from people, which is what I tried the last time. But as you know, you couldn’t even go to people that had signs up, don’t come in, do not knock.”

Rose has a booth set up at the trade show at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede and said he wants to get people’s input.

“My plan all along was to get more of a community-centered board to advise on what the actual issues are. Because I have my ideas, and I’ve got my thoughts. But I’m open to other people’s, too,” Rose said.

“Because I want to be there to help council do their job properly, so they have the information. I know as a full-time councillor, I have the ability to spend my time to do the research, to get the contacts, to get their questions answered,” he added.

“So when we do go into these meetings, we have a fully-informed council.”

Currently retired, the 66-year old Rose has held positions as an instructor with colleges, has run an electronics company, and also has a background in the chemical and oil and gas industries.

A resident of Medicine Hat since 1987, Rose says the city has been very good to him.

“I have the free time. I still have the energy. And I want to give it a shot. I want to give it the shot I wanted to last time. Because I do feel, I do owe Medicine Hat,” Rose said.

“I read about my grandfather and my grandmother staying in their sod shack when it’s minus 40, no food for a week or so because they had to boil the seed wheat and melt what they had from their cow. And that’s all they could eat because they couldn’t get to town,” he added.

“I thought, look at the work and the suffering they put through to make our life what it is today. Now, it’s my turn in my life. To make it so that the young people can have it better than what I can. Because right now, honestly, it’s not better than what I can.”

He hopes to attract more industry.

“You don’t want Medicine Hat to become a retirement community. We’ve got to bring industry back here. We’ve got to bring in other industries that will provide these high-paying jobs for people,” Rose said.

Rose said getting the Wildhorse border crossing to the United States open as a commercial port would benefit Medicine Hat, which is something he would push for.

“Havre and Medicine Hat will boom, because we’ve got the 41 [Highway], and the 41 comes down from the oil sands, straight down into that market, rather than having to funnel everything down the number two highway through Coutts,” Rose said.

He said the rail yard in Havre and highway would open a whole market.

“And then it is right on the number two east and west highway that cuts through the continent of USA,” Rose said

“So after this tariff [stuff], that will still be a big opportunity.”

Rose said he’s at a good place in his life.

“I now feel the obligation that I gotta use my energy while I have this free time and that to help my community more.”

by Jesse Gill

Alan Rose first candidate to put name forward for mayor in Medicine Hat’s fall civic election

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