An Okotoks council candidate wants to keep the town’s momentum going while focusing on environmental resilience, community, and social services.
Rachel Swendseid grew up in Okotoks and said her love for the town spurred her to run for council. It’s something she’d been considering since the last election in 2017, but solidified the plan during the last 18 months.
“COVID-19 really shed a light on the role municipalities have on people’s quality of life,” said Swendseid. “People have told me how services like pathways, parks, natural areas, rinks, saved them during the last 18 months.
“And it also showed that if communities are properly set up in their policies and are preventative, how important connection and community is. I want to be a part of helping ensure folks have those services.”
As a founder of the non-profit organization It Takes a Village and a volunteer with Foothills Community Immigrant Services (FCIS), she said she’s seen first-hand the impact social programs have on residents.
Her experience with It Takes a Village and FCIS have provided an avenue to hear from hundreds of families in the Foothills about the challenges and barriers they face.
“I feel I have a really good understanding, an on-the-ground understanding, of what is being done well in Okotoks and what can be improved upon to serve its residents,” said Swendseid.
She’s witnessed how Town initiatives like on-demand transit can improve the lives of residents who struggle. When transit was introduced to town, many of the families and clients she knew were able to access the food bank easier or take their children to the grocery store, because they had transportation.
Affordable housing development is also important in the community, with a need for more diversity and access to housing for seniors, low-income residents and young adults, she said, adding the strategy adopted by council in 2021 showed promise and needs to be followed through.
“That’s what gets me so excited about municipal council – I have seen how public policy changes people’s lives,” said Swendseid. “I have the on-the-ground knowledge of how policy can impact people’s lives and I want to be part of creating that policy going into the future.”
The municipality also needs to focus on environmental policies, she said.
An environmental scientist by trade, with experience in natural resource education and reclamation work, Swendseid said the Town’s adoption of the Climate Action Plan was an important step toward resiliency.
“A large focus for me would be to ensure Okotoks is prepared for the effects of climate change,” she said. “I believe building resilience is essential to smart municipal policy.”
As a councillor, she would push to see key initiatives of the Climate Action Plan implemented as soon as possible.
Part of the environmental sustainability piece is water security, and while a pipeline for future development is in the works, Swendseid said there are other areas to address the issue in the interim.
“One of my focuses would be prioritizing solution within the Sheep River watershed, such as water conservation, xeriscaping, stormwater and grey water use, while that external water supply is finalized,” she said.
Swendseid said her vision for Okotoks is resilience, followed closely by vibrance. That includes bolstering the business base and developing a greater sense of community by promoting cultural activities and initiatives.
“A vision I have for Okotoks is that it is a thriving local economy that’s boosted by arts and culture,” she said. “I realize the value arts and culture have in a community, not jut through creating that sense of identity, that sense of community, but also through an economic lens.”
She said the town and its community feel have always been important to her, which is why she returned to Okotoks after completing university to raise her children.
Now she would like a seat at the council table to be part maintaining the character and appeal of the town.
“People love this town, they love the services, they love the amenities,” said Swendseid. “So really, my campaign is not a campaign of change per se, it’s about building on that momentum and fine-tuning it to ensure there are no barriers to folks accessing services here.”
