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Shawna Bryant running for District of Elkford council

Bryant’s focus is housing, retention and recruitment of staff, and economic diversity
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Shawna Bryant is running for a seat on the District of Elkford council.(Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)

Shawna Bryant is running for a seat on Elkford council.

Bryant has lived in Elkford for five years, having moved from Okotoks, Alberta. She is raising three kids in town alongside her husband.

She currently serves as vice president of the Elkford Chamber of Commerce, is chair of the Elk Valley Economic Initiative, and is the owner of Saorsa Business Services.

Before her current positions, Bryant had supervisory and managerial roles in Alberta’s oil and gas sector.

“I’ve sat on different boards and committees throughout Alberta, in natural resources, oil and gas, and got to see how the slopes of change happen with the ups and downs in that resource, and how that also immediately affects Elkford as well, because we have mining.”

The focus of her platform is housing and retention-recruitment for staffing.

She said there have been a lot of problems with accommodation for needed staff, and that every sector in town is having trouble with retention and recruitment of employees.

Another big initiative of hers is some economic diversification in town.

“That way, we’re not just solely relying on one sector of business and we’re able to go out and make sure that we’re able to grow and prosper as a community if anything was to be cut back when it comes to mining.”

She would like to help district leaders work on the downtown revitalization plan, and wants the district have a little more of a Canadian-Global standpoint.

Bryant also spoke about the importance of healthcare.

“Healthcare is a really big point out here that needs to be figured out, especially with losing our emergency services. That is something that I would like to get my heels into.”

From her past experience, she said she is most proud of her leadership.

“I’m really pro on getting leadership to be able to step up and be able to find other leaders to step in, as well as opening communication across boards of non-profit organizations, businesses, local government, and making sure that there’s a connection piece.”

She said she decided to run for council because she believes she can ‘make some great changes and strides’ that the district has already begun. She said they just need to be able to take the next steps, especially on economic diversity and growth, that it’s going to be ‘at a nice, stable pace.’

“I think that Elkford has a really good, prominent future for being able to diversify some of the needs for business growth,” she said.

Bryant fell in love with the town because of the community support.

“It’s an outstanding community where everybody helps out, they stand up and help out,” she said.

“Which is very hard to see in a lot of other communities.”

The municipal elections are on October 15, 2022.