Sherwood Park Minute: Issue 80

Sherwood Park Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Sherwood Park politics

📅 This Week In Sherwood Park: 📅

• Former Strathcona County Councillor Ken Lesniak was honoured with the renaming of the Cascade Park lookout to Lesniak Lookout. The ceremony, attended by Mayor Rod Frank, Council members, family, and friends, celebrated Lesniak’s decades of public service and community involvement. Lesniak, who served two terms on Council and held leadership roles with the Elk Island Catholic School Board and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, emphasized that his work was driven by a philosophy of servant leadership. Beyond politics, he has contributed to numerous local organizations, including chairing the Strathcona Community Hospital Foundation and leading community clubs. He has received recognition such as the 2022 Strathcona County Award of Excellence for Community Service and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
  
  
• The annual Cram a Cruiser event returns to Strathcona County on October 9th, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, to support the Strathcona Food Bank. Organized by RCMP and Enforcement Services, volunteers will be stationed at Superstore (Baseline Road), Save-On Foods (Broadway Blvd), and Safeway (Sherwood Drive) to collect donations in three police cruisers. The food bank’s most-needed items include canned and ready-to-serve foods, personal hygiene products, baby supplies, and dry pet food. Last year’s event collected 4,742 pounds of food and $941, and organizers hope to surpass that total this year. The Strathcona Food Bank has seen a 30% increase in demand from 2023 to 2024, serving 24,458 people through 7,824 hampers.
  
  
• The Sherwood Park News did a Q&A with Mayoral candidates regarding affordability. Incumbent Rod Frank emphasized affordability as a top priority for residents. He highlighted his approach of minimizing taxes while maintaining high-quality municipal services, noting that cumulative tax increases during his tenure have been 10% lower than inflation. Frank stressed fiscal sustainability, pointing to a debt service ratio under 5% and over 95% of revenues going directly to citizen services. He also emphasized careful budgeting and program reviews to ensure municipal efficiency. Frank highlighted significant industrial and agricultural investment in the region, creating jobs while maintaining environmental responsibility. He framed his approach as “municipal excellence built on sustainable economics,” aiming to balance low taxes with top-tier public services. Benjamin Biel, the other Mayoral candidate, did not provide a response to the News.
  
  
• Sherwood Park native Jesse Harink and his best friend Jonathon Braun have been crowned the winners of The Amazing Race Canada Season 11. The duo, who began their journey at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, raced more than 19,000 kilometres across the country from British Columbia to Newfoundland, with the final pit stop in Collingwood, Ontario. Their victory earned them $250,000, two Chevrolet Blazer EVs, and multiple trips around the world. Harink said the experience was “absolutely incredible,” allowing him to explore Canada with his closest friend while maintaining their motto: “have fun and the wins will come.” Filmed from April to May 2025, the season required the winners to keep their success secret until the finale aired in September.
  
  
• Strathcona County is offering drive-thru advance voting for the 2025 Municipal Election, returning after its successful debut in 2021. The Broadview EnviroStation (101 Broadview Road) will host the drive-thru polls from today until Wednesday, October 8th and Monday, October 13th to Wednesday, October 15th, open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day, accommodating up to eight vehicles at a time. Designed for accessibility, the option benefits residents with mobility challenges and parents with small children, providing privacy through clipboards with pop-up tents. Voters on the list need photo ID, while those not on the list can register on-site with government-issued ID showing their address. Although wait times may occur during peak hours, all in line before 6:00 pm will be able to vote. The facility will remain operational for recycling, but public washrooms will not be available.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Advance voting begins today, and runs until October 18th. 

You can find all of the times, locations, and additional voter information online:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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