By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Shelby MacLeod brings public service experience to race for city council

Oct 4, 2017 | 11:12 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A desire to help others has motivated Shelby MacLeod to join the race for a spot on Lethbridge City Council.

In an interview with Lethbridge News Now, MacLeod explained that she has always viewed herself as an advocate for the people, with a career in the public service that spanned 25 to 30 years.

“I turned 66 and I said, ‘you know what, if I don’t run now, I’ll be 70 at the next iteration of the election.’ So, I thought, I have intelligence to offer, I have drive and compassion, and I think now is the time for me,” she explained.

After managing the Chamber of Commerce in Taber, MacLeod came to Lethbridge where she worked in the constituency offices for MLAs John Gogo and Clint Dunford.

“The role of the constituency office is to try to find a resolution for [people],” said MacLeod. “And then when I went to Edmonton and worked in the ministries of Advanced Education, Human Resources and Economic Development, it is the exact same formula: you work with people to find a resolution, be it a people problem or a building problem.”

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As for her priorities if elected, MacLeod says her main focus will be on Lethbridge residents, especially those in need.

“I sit on the Canadian Mental Health board – both locally and provincially – and I sit on the Lethbridge Food Banks board and also Food Banks Alberta board, and my passion is for people.

“Everyone should be able to have a room with a door. That is one of my goals,” she continued. “Can we shelter people better? Can we help people who don’t have a home? Can we find them a decent place so they don’t have to loiter in the downtown core?”

MacLeod added that if done properly, helping the less fortunate can end up benefiting the entire community.

“My goal is to help people, even if it’s a business coming to town. Maybe there’s a job opportunity in that business. Cavendish Farms, maybe they can hire some people that haven’t had an opportunity before. So, economic development and community growth and taking care of people, they go hand-in-hand.”

On the economic front, MacLeod acknowledged that there’s one initiative in particular that she would like to help advance.

“One thing that I’m really passionate about on the economic development/sustainability side is a conference centre… They’re saying it’s $95-million, but it’s a renewable resource. Every week a new function can come to that facility, be it a trade show, be it competitive gymnastics, be it a judo competition. With those types of things coming to town, it brings people.

She then singled out the Canadian Indian Relay Race at Bullys, saying the event drew roughly 1,000 people to the grandstand.

“If you stop to think, they bought goods and services, they probably bought a tank of gas before they left town, and it’s a good economic developer and it’s fun to watch.

“That’s what we really need, we need to be able to attract certain types of events and shows that we’re missing out on right now because we just don’t have the right footprint building.”