Sandy Lake has one seat and three candidates: Kevin Bigstone, Stuart Troy, and Tahirih Wiebe (incumbent). The polling station is Sandy Lake Community Hall on October 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Two of the three candidates responded to requests for an interview by press time. The candidate profiles are below in alphabetical order.
Troy Stuart for Sandy Lake
Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader
Troy Stuart is hoping to snag the one Sandy Lake seat on the M.D. of Opportunity board.
“I have been on some volunteer boards,” he says, “but I’m leaning mostly on my work background of being a land manager.”
Stuart worked locally as a land manager.
A land manager oversees the development of residential, commercial, and industrial land.
Through his work, Stuart has met with various provincial and federal ministers, assistant and deputy ministers, and industry leaders.
“I’ve built a network of people who keep our economy going,” he says.
These are many of the same people that councillors interact with to do their work.
Asked why he is running, Stuart says, “my wife and I believe that now is the time to help out our community at a higher level.”
Stuart grew up in Sandy Lake.
He says, he would like to see kids and families “enjoy the same quality of life I had when I grew up here.”
“Over the past couple of years,” he says, “we’ve seen a lot of decrease in programs, and we’ve experienced the loss of our school.”
Stuart is running to stop this downward trend and maintain the services still in the community.
If elected, Stuart says, he plans on going to each person’s home to gather a list of concerns from community members. These will be his main focus on council.
Stuart has two main concerns of his own.
Number one he wants to ensure that the water and sewer transition continues as planned.
“Some people think it is taking a bit longer than it should,” he says.
Stuart’s second priority is improving existing policies and plans so that they promote growth.
Asked about the population of Sandy Lake, he says, “It’s decreased in size since I grew up here. There are more houses, but it seems that the population has not really grown.”
Wiebe running for re-election in Sandy Lake
Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader
Tahihih Wiebe is running for a second term on M.D. of Opportunity representing Sandy Lake.
Asked why she is running again, Wiebe says, “to continue to be a voice for the community, so that Sandy Lake can get some projects done and show them that Sandy Lake is its own community and has its own needs and wants.”
Asked about highlights from the last four years, she says, “community beautification, being able to be a voice for the community, and helping to make sure things are being done for our community.”
Other highlights include fibre optic internet cable coming to Sandy Lake homes soon, the Sandy Lake gasification program, which included upgrading appliances for those people who signed up, a new outdoor rink in Sandy Lake, reopening the Sandy Lake waste transfer station, the new Sandy Lake lagoon which is required to example the water and sewer, and the soon to be finish park on Fox Drive in Sandy Lake.
Wiebe also supported the free spay and neuter clinic that was in Wabasca in early October and new safer ice plants in all three M.D. arenas.
Wiebe advocated for Sandy Lake with various provincial ministers and the rest of M.D. council.
“It’s one voice on a table of 11,” she says, of council, “so negotiating and that kind of thing.”
While on council, Wiebe got the word out to seniors in Sandy Lake about the M.D.’s seniors emergency heating repair program and senior utility grant. Not many people knew about the programs.
If elected, Wiebe says, she plans on “continuing to advocate for the mainline water and sewer for the remainder of the community, continued beautification, getting our community programmer to have access, so that they can do whatever they have to do.”
Wiebe moved to Sandy Lake when she was a child in 1979. She has only left for her or her children’s education.
