Sherwood Park Minute: Issue 82

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

📅 This Week In Sherwood Park: 📅

• It’s Election Day for Sherwood Park / Strathcona County! Polls are open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. In case you missed it, check out our 2025 Municipal Election Survey, revealing where Mayoral and Council candidates stand on key issues like safety, affordability, taxation, and accountability. We have published their unedited responses so voters can make informed choices. Some candidates answered, others declined - but all responses, or lack thereof, offer insight into their priorities.
  
  
• Our friends at the Alberta Parents’ Union have officially launched the School Board Trustee Survey 2025! After extensive research, outreach, and review, this survey offers the most detailed look at school board candidates’ positions ever compiled in Alberta. It covers key topics like parental involvement, student safety, academic performance, and transparency. You can access it here.
  
  
• Mayoral candidates Benjamin Biel and Rod Frank shared their visions for the County as part of the Sherwood Park News’ municipal election coverage. Biel emphasized improved connectivity, communication, and service efficiency, proposing modernized digital tools, greater public input on projects, and streamlined construction processes to reduce red tape and costs. He envisions a more unified and engaged community, aiming to foster respectful political discourse and strong citizen involvement. Frank highlights his eight years of Mayoral experience, focusing on leadership excellence, fiscal responsibility, and maintaining high-quality municipal services across fire, policing, roads, transit, and recreation. He stresses economic prosperity, responsible development, and community safety, pointing to significant investments and low regional taxes as foundations for growth.
  
  
• The Art Society of Strathcona County (ASSC) celebrated 40 years of supporting local artists with a special exhibit, The Threads that Connect Us. Held at the A.J. Ottewell Community Centre, the exhibit featured a collaborative piece made by 40 artists, each contributing a canvas connected by a blue thread, showcasing a variety of mediums including painting, felting, metalwork, and collage. ASSC, founded in 1985, has grown from a small group into a membership of 179 artists, many of whom have practiced a range of mediums for decades. The society has also contributed public artworks, such as murals at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex and the Strathcona Olympiette Centre. 
  
  
• The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has resumed limited mail delivery after shifting to rotating strikes, following a nationwide work stoppage that began on September 25th. This marks the second strike in less than a year, as negotiations with Canada Post have been ongoing for two years without resolution. CUPW says that workers prefer to deliver mail rather than strike, but say prolonged bargaining delays have left them with no choice. The union is calling for fair collective agreements and a strong public postal service while maintaining pickets outside facilities like the one in Sherwood Park. Canada Post has faced financial losses, including a $407-million deficit in the second quarter, partly due to decreased parcel deliveries and labour uncertainty. CUPW also criticizes Canada Post’s ownership of Purolator, which they argue has shifted parcel work away from the public service. Union members acknowledge public frustration but insist their actions are necessary to press for a negotiated contract. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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