Are you eligible to vote in the upcoming election?
A person is entitled to vote in a local municipality if on election day: they are at least 18 years old, are a Canadian citizen, reside in the local municipality on election day and have resided in Alberta in the six consecutive months immediately preceding election day.
The only advanced poll left is on Oct. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Okotoks Municipal Centre at 5 Elizabeth Street.
Election Day is Monday, Oct. 21. In Okotoks the polling stations on election day are the rec centre and the community centre.
Other polling stations for outlying areas are listed inside this edition.
• • • • •
Okotoks First Calgary Financial is the drop off location for Project Christmas Hope, and on Oct. 10 they will be having a free barbecue at the branch to raise awareness and collect donations. Bring your ornaments to the branch and have a free burger. Their website is:www.facebook.com/projectchristmashope.
• • • • •
Love the rather large Canadian Flag at the new Okotoks Ford location. I always enjoy seeing the one on Deerfoot in Calgary at their Woodridge dealership. In my opinion we just don’t show our Canadian pride nearly enough. Been to the US lately?
• • • • •
I see they have decided to take the train bridge in High River down. After all, the tracks are gone so it holds little value other than a landmark. The original rail bridge was built in 1892. First the grain elevators and now the rail lines are slowly leaving many of our communities.
• • • • •
A friend called me the other day to tell me they had a power outage last week and his computer, TV and games console shut down. He decided to go golfing but it was raining out so decided to try and talk to his wife for a few hours. He said she seems to be a nice person.
• • • • •
Did you know it is Boss’s Day Oct. 16. Nothing too expensive please.
• • • • •
I saw on the news yesterday several towns are starting to ban the constant use of leaf blowers. A high powered leaf blower, of which most towns have several, expels as much emissions in 30 minutes use as driving a 1/2 ton truck from Texas to Alaska. Wow, and we see them daily being used in our green community for removal of grass, leaves and snow.
• • • • •
Have you bought your ticket to the Okotoks Chamber Service Awards dinner? The dinner is next Wednesday at the FCC. Call 403-938-2848 to reserve your table today.
• • • • •
Have you registered for the Children’s Wish Foundation walk which is being held on Saturday, Oct. 19? Check it out at www.okotokswishmaker.ca
• • • • •
It is National Newspaper Week. a time to reflect on what a newspaper should be.
I think newspapers are about us! They are about our child’s first school field trip, a Friday night school football game, a livestock show, an increase in our property taxes.
Strong, growing and thriving newspapers are all about the communities they serve. The difference between a newspaper that is struggling and one that is thriving is community.
The newspaper needs to belong to the community.
Newspapers should work everyday to give citizens a voice, to empower them to tell their stories. We must hold government accountable because we believe government belongs to the governed not to the governing. We embrace the newspaper’s role as the Fourth Estate.
Newspapers don’t make the news, they report it. A newspaper wants to celebrate its community, to share human interest stories, provide a slice of life in the country, highlight worthwhile causes, focus on interesting people and most especially on our young people with every edition.
Newspapers, the good ones, still make a difference in the communities they serve. As long as people still read, still care about their quality of life, still love the place they call home and still pay taxes, newspapers that retain their role as the Fourth Estate and celebrate the lives of ordinary people, will remain relevant, will matter to the community and be part of your every day life.
We, at The Western Wheel want to be one of those newspapers.
