Members of the RMWB Council returned from attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference in Quebec City.
Mayor Don Scott thanked the FCM for the opportunity to present Wood Buffalo to Canada’s elected officials with their hospitality suite.
“The FCM conference was a tremendous opportunity for us to share the story of Wood Buffalo, to advocate for Canadian energy, and to have critical conversations about the future.”
Nearly 500 visitors visited the suite, hailing from every province and the Yukon.
Council also met with other elected officials and participated in workshops.
Additionally, they heard speeches from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Leader of the Official Opposition, Andrew Scheer.
“We look forward to continued advocacy and dialogue as we seek to achieve the vision of a vibrant, sustainable region we are proud to call home.” Mayor Scott said.
The subject of the conference is energy infrastructure.
Krista Balsom elected
Also on Sunday, FCM members elected Councillor Krista Balsom to join the FCM Board of Directors.
Councillor Balsom looks forward to representing the province of Alberta on the board.
“It really gives us an opportunity as a region to put our voice forward, as well as represent the province such as infrastructure, energy, and pipelines, and work together as a country to advance municipal issues.”
The election process began with an endorsement from Mayor Don Scott and council.
Then, FCM members decided between Balsom and five other candidates which two would represent urban municipalities in Alberta.
Balsom is one of seven representatives from the province on the FCM board of directors.
Describing the duties of the board, Balsom recalls their theme.
“We have a theme called ‘Building Better Lives’; most decisions that affect day-to-day lives of citizens happen at the municipal level and making sure those concerns are heard with federal leaders.”
Councillor Balsom will represent the province of Alberta on a one-year term.
“I think it’s a really big opportunity to have Alberta’s message heard loud and clear at the federal level. To have somebody from our region we offer a unique perspective because we’re at the heart of the oilsands.”
Also attending the FCM were councillors Mike Allen, Sheila Lalonde, Verna Murphy, Jeff Peddle, Claris Voyageur, and CAO Annette Antoniak.
Mayor and council will hold a special session tomorrow to discuss project accommodations.
Pleased to attend the keynote address from Leader of the Official Opposition @AndrewScheer at @FCM_online #FCM2019 in Quebec. The audience was extremely receptive to his message which included a commitment to working closely with municipalities to ensure success. #ymm #rmwb pic.twitter.com/IN6S4OStgT
— Mayor Don Scott (@DonaldKScott) June 1, 2019
