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6TuesdayOctober152013TheNWTMtisNationrecognizesthehardworkanddedicationofcommunityVolunteerFireDepartmentsthroughouttheNorth.THANKYOUFIREFIGHTERSMelissaBlakeMelissaBlakethecurrentmayorofRMWBfornearly10yearssaysshedidnotplantoseekre-electionthisyearbutsuccessoverthepasttermchangedhermind.Anytermbeforeitwasmoreaboutovercomingthechallengesthatwehad.Nowwerejustembarkingonareallybrilliantpathforwardwhenitcomestotheoppor-tunitieshereandourcapabil-ityofcapitalizingonthemBlaketoldTheJournal.ItsthersttermIcansaythatImdoingbecauseIreallywanttobecauseitsanexcitingfuturethatwehavefortheregion.Blakesaidformerlythere-gionalmunicipalityhadlittleinuenceontheindustrialde-velopmentofthearea.Duringherrsttwotermsshestrug-gledwithgainingameasureofcontroloverthatdevelopment.AfteronlyayearinofceBlakesaidnumerousfailedat-temptstoreceivesupportfromtheprovincialgovernmentforcedhertoleadthecounciltoparticipateintheEnergyandUtilityBoardhearingswhichwasthestartofamassivechangeintermsofhavinganimpactonindustry.Notthatwedeverwanttostopindustrybutwedenitelyneededtobeabletobetterac-commodatethepopulationthatwascomingbecauseofitBlakeexplained.ThisyearthecityofFortMcMurrayachievedamile-stonelandagreementallowingthecityaccesstosurroundingprovincially-ownedlandinordertoexpandattractnewbusinessanddevelopafford-ablehousingBlakesaid.WhenyoulookthentotheruralcommunitiesIknowthatwehavesomechallengesstillbutweresoexcitedaboutwhatwearecapableofdoinginthesecommunitieswhenitcomestoimprovingwhatItermasthequalityoflifematters.Withyearsofsomewhatfrus-tratingexperiencenowbehindherBlakesaidshesnallyinapositiontocapitalizeonoppor-tunitiesforthewholeregion.ThebenetofservingthethirdtermisallofasuddenImcompletelyreinvigoratedseeingawholeworldofop-portunityandanxioustobeapartofthataswellshesaid.IveachievedwhatIsetouttodobutnowIcandoawholelotmoreifthecitizenswantmethere.GeneOuelletteGeneOuelletteabusinessownerandelectricianbytradesayshesreadytoleadhiscom-munityonapathofchange.BornandraisedinFortMc-MurrayOuellettesinvolve-mentwithmunicipalpoliticsbeganrecentlywithoppositiontothecityswaterfrontplanafterperceivinganapparentlackofpublicengagementandrepre-sentationinthecitycentrere-developmentinitiative.FromthereOuellettesaidhisdiscussionswithcouncil-lorsbothpreviousandcur-rentencouragedhimtorunforofceinthisyearselection.Whilehiscampaignwaslaunchedwiththegoalofre-evaluatingFortMcMurraysredevelopmentplanithassinceevolvedintoaregion-widedesireforchange.OnceIstartedgettingin-volvedthedoorsjuststartedopeningandtheunderlyingissuesallaroundtheregionarereallystartingtocometolighthesaid.IthinkattheendofthedayalotofcitizensoftheRMWBarestartingtorealizethatachangeisneededbecausetheirvoicesarenolongerbeingheard.Ouellettesaidruralcom-munitieswouldbeafocusforhimastheyarecurrentlybeingneglected.TheRMWBhastolookateverythingasawholeandnotjustwhatsgoodforFortMcMurrayhesaid.OuelletteiscurrentlytheownerofFourSeasonsPowerSupportandQuadraTruckServiceAccessoriesLtd.Withabackgroundintradebecomingabusinessownerwasahugechangeforhimbutadaptabilityishisstrongsuithesaid.BeforeIbecameanelec-tricianIknewnothingaboutthatbeforeweboughtthebusi-nessesIknewnothingaboutbusiness.WhenIchoosetoreallytackleaninitiativeIgoinfullsteamaheadandIhaventbeenunsuccessfulyethesaid.WiththatbeingsaidImlookingforwardtothenewchallenge.AttheendofthedayIrecognizechangeneedstohappenandIknowfullwellIcandothejob.WillIknoweverythingoffthebatNobutitsalearningexperienceandIfullyexpecttobelearningthingseverydayheadded.Supportforhiscampaignhasbeenoverwhelmingandgrowingrapidlyasmoreandmorepeopleagreethatchangeisneededinthemu-nicipalityhesaid.JimRogersAt67years-oldJimRogerscallshimselfanidealist-butittakesidealstomakechangesandthatswhathewouldbringtothetableasmayor.Iminterestedinseeingavisionofthefuturethatlooksmoreandmoresustainablewithasmallerandsmallercar-bonfootprintandbetterqualityoflifeandabettersensecom-munityhetoldTheJournal.Thewayitispresentlytheincumbentcouncilandmayoraregivingtheimpressiontheyareactuallyinvolvedindeci-sionmakingwhentheyareputtingtheirrubberstampontheseinitiativesthatcomebeforethem.Infacttheout-sideconsultsandinsidepowerplayershaveactuallyputthethingtogetherandarerun-ningtheiragenda.Thepub-licarejustgettingthebillsRogerssaid.AsayouthRogerslivedforfouryearsinAklavikNWTandstillmaintainstiestothearea.Forthepast10yearshehasspentmonthsatatimeinthebushlivingandlearningontheland.HisrelationshipwithAboriginalpeopleisclosehesaid.IveneverbeentreatedbadlybynativepeopleandrightlysobecauseImactu-allyahighlyqualiedartic-ulatefriendhesaid.Rogersbackgroundin-cludesadegreeinEnglishandpsychologyandformeremploymentastheenviron-mentalrepresentativefortheAlbertaTrappersAssociation.RogerssaidhisvisionfortheRMWBasmayorwouldseesignicantdevotiontoenvironmentalinitiatives.Theenvironmentalemis-sionsarenotcontrollableoncetheyreouthesaidalludingtotherecentconcernsaroundanoilylmfoundontheAtha-bascaRiver.Itsveryimpor-tantthatourglobalcitizenshipbeginsrightathome.RogerssaidhefeelsthevotersintheRMWB-thepeopleactuallypayingthebillsandlivinghere-arenotgettingenoughofasayintheplanningoftheirfuture.Theso-calledhousingbub-bleinFortMcMurrayasanexamplehasledtothebuild-ingofcrazyrecreationalfa-cilitiesthatarealmostunsus-tainableandhomesthatareinappropriateforthenorthernenvironmenthesaid.AsmayorRogerssaidhewouldbemoreopentodirec-tionfromthecitizensoftheRMWBwhethertheybeintheurbancoreorthebushandifhisidealismrubsoffsomuchthebetter.ThreecandidatesvieforRMofWoodBuffalomayorPoliticsMunicipalElectionThreecandidatesarelookingtoleadmunicipalpoliticsinthreedifferentdirectionsthisOct.21electiondayfortheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffalo.TheJournalbringsyoumoreabouteachcandidatesdirectionofchoice.ByMARIACHURCHIncumbentMayorMelissaBlakeandchallengersGeneOuletteandJimRogersareintherunningtobevotedthenextmayoroftheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffalothisOct.21.