Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! I hope your holidays were filled with family time and great food – I know mine sure was! It filled my heart to see the holiday magic and warm feelings that fill the streets of Banff and the rest of our communities at this time of year. Moving into January, like every year, as I try to cross the mental bridge of remembering that it’s not 2023 anymore, I’m struck by how quickly time flies!
It’s been a big first seven months as your MLA. I got to meet so many of you face to face at events in every community in our constituency. Hearing your ideas is just as inspiring as your concerns are motivating. Our riding is filled with people who are smart, creative, and passionate about their community. I look forward to continuing meeting and learning from you throughout the year ahead.
December saw the conclusion of an intense legislative session. My colleagues and I spent many hours fighting against Bills 5 and 8, nicknamed Gravy Train 1 and 2, which lifted the spending limit on gifts that MLAs receive and salary caps for boards and commissions. Unfortunately, this points to the government’s priorities on things that will only benefit them and do nothing for the people of Alberta.
Even though the snow has finally come, we’re only six months away from another fire season. The need to be proactive about building community resilience to wildfire was central to a crucial meeting I had with Minister Loewen. We will need to work together across communities to address this significant risk. The Minister and I also discussed the logging in Kananaskis, which remains an important issue for you and for me. I will continue to work with the Minister to find solutions that more thoroughly engage our communities
in the conversation.
After six weeks of back and forth to Edmonton, it was a treat to return full time to Banff-Kananaskis on December 8. The beauty of the snowcapped mountains is always a reminder of what is at stake if we aren’t good stewards of this land. Every breath of fresh mountain air fuels our fight against coal mining in the Eastern Slopes and the UCP’s refusal to take effective measures on emissions reductions. See my video message to Brian Jean on my social channels to learn more about my thoughts on coal mining developments!
In some exciting news, I’m also thrilled to announce that Andrew Seal, our new part-time Constituency Assistant, joined us at the office starting December 9. Jumping right into things, he joined me at the Annual Seniors Holiday Tea at the Banff Springs, where we got to enjoy carols and connect with our oldest and most experienced community members.
I spent a great afternoon in Bragg Creek enjoying coffee with folks and then getting back to door knocking. There is nothing better than connecting with constituents one on one on the doorstep and I will be getting back to regular door knocking in the New Year. I look forward to chatting!
With the mild temperatures for much of the month, it was perfect conditions for the Elbow Valley community hike and visit on December 14. The idea of a Clearwater Regional Park and regional pathways that connect the communities in the east end of the riding is swirling through my thoughts. I look forward to finding ways to make this happen. It was such a great afternoon meeting folks in Elbow Valley. The only problem was that I needed more time! Next time, I’ll plan for that.
We continue to receive a river of emails from constituents against the UCP’s proposed Alberta Pension Plan. It remains resoundingly clear that Albertans do not want this and see it as not only unnecessary, but a major risk to a key social safety net.
Our office opens again on January 3, and as always, we’d love for you to pay us a visit. My team and I are ready to hit the ground running after a nice holiday break. You’ll see us busy across our communities, getting as much done as we can before the next legislative session.
Welcome to 2024!
Sarah Elmeligi
