Greg Sawchuk has thrown his name into the running for reeve of the MD of Bonnyville.
On Thursday, April 20, Sawchuk announced his candidacy to residents, sharing his background in leadership and why he believes he is qualified for the position.
Over the last six months Sawchuk has attended meetings, events, and surrounding communities as he researched what the title of reeve entails.
“It's not something I have taken lightly. A lot of consideration has gone into this decision,” he said.
This is not the first time the Burlington, ON native has mulled over the idea of joining council. Over the years he has worked as a business owner, and raised six kids in the area. He believes his 14-year career as a flight engineer at 4 Wing Cold Lake, volunteer work, farming, and solar energy experience has given him endless understanding in a number of areas.
“I have had so much experience in so many different fields,” he said. “It's not one thing that I think makes the position, I think it's having such a wide-ranging background.”
The family is imbedded into the area, with a business, farm and children growing up and attending local schools.
“We have so many young families in the MD, and I think people like us might be able to relate to them.”
John Irwin, Town of Bonnyville councillor and president of the Lakeland Co-op board, first met Sawchuk when he became a director on the board nine years ago.
“Over the years I have found him to be an honest and forthright individual. I soon learned he never spoke without putting a great deal of thought into what he had to say, and he never embarks on any venture without a great deal of research and planning,” Irwin said.
Through his research prior to submitting his candidacy, Sawchuk reviewed the Municipal Government Act (MGA), sifting through the changes that could be in place if he were elected. One of those changes includes the Inter-Municipal Collaborative Framework (ICF).
“What this means is sharing… It's not a new thing. It's been on the books for a long time,” said Sawchuk.
The ICF would see services that are shared between the MD of Bonnyville and other communities, also be split in terms of capital and operational costs. This would include roads, recreation, policing, and water and waste facilities.
Sawchuk expressed his concerns with the City of Cold Lake's proposition on amalgamation, stating a regional government won't work in the MD.
“I am not in favour of regional government. I can't come out strong enough to say that I am completely against it,” he said. “It does not work.”
In order to better understand what an amalgamated community looks like, he travelled to Lac La Biche, and said what he saw was a council that was consistently split down the middle on issues.
A popular topic among residents in attendance was road conditions, which ones were being paved or upgraded before others and why.
“The MD has about 3,200 kilometres of roads. Lots have been upgraded, and it has been the key thing that our current council have been after,” Sawchuk said. “It's great. The roads are vitally important, and I like the fact that we are getting more pavement throughout the MD… but we have to look at the cost of these roads.”
Sawchuk explained, that a few years down the road, the pavement could become a liability as they start to break down.
“We do have to look at those costs. What I would like to see is a break down of what it costs for the MD to do the paving and would cost for another company to do that paving.”
Sawchuk also addressed the increasing concern of public safety.
“There are some bad people out there and they are wreaking havoc on everyone. You can't protect everything 24 hours,” he said, adding peace officers within the MD of Bonnyville are beginning to work on this area of concern through a new safety program.
The job of a reeve lies on more than just on the shoulders of one man, but the community as a whole, Sawchuk noted.
“I don't think this is a one-person job. I see it as many people giving input to that one person, and that person just putting those ideas together and trying to make the best decision for the majority.”
