Brittany Smith outside Prince Albert City Hall. (Submitted)

By Nigel Maxwell

Municipal election

Prince Albert realtor aims to be elected Mayor

Oct 11, 2024 | 1:00 PM

Brittany Smith, a local business owner in Prince Albert, hopes to be elected mayor.

And while her last minute entry took some people by surprise, she explained to paNOW her plan to run started months ago.

“I was always said, even six months ago, if there was a candidate a little more like me, I would’ve backed off and just supported them but that’s why I was watching and I never saw that person step forward,” she said.

After completing her Bachelor of Dcience degree at the University of Saskatchewan, Smith was hired by Correctional Service Canada and worked at both the regional psych. center in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Penitentiary. In addition to gaining management experience, she also worked closely with offenders, helping them get more job skills.

Around 2020, Smith moved back to Prince Albert, and wanting to explore her entrepreneurial ambitions, became a realtor. She believes her background can be a real asset to help the city address its housing crisis. She explained landlords need the backing from the city, knowing they are protected from their properties getting trashed.

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“We have good tenants who need space and they can’t get it because someone has ruined it for them,” she said.

Smith also noted some of the problem is not even the tenants, but rather gang members who have made moved in and then wreak havoc on the neighbourhood.

Her campaign platform includes 24-hour bylaw enforcement with cameras in high-crime areas, targeted support for landlords/tenants improving housing, partnerships with Indigenous agencies to solve social problems, and stronger supports with the provincial justice system.

Noting her support for a homeless shelter in the city, Smith also acknowledged she was aware and understood the concerns of the residents who are worried about crime. She explained this can be addressed with custom made security systems with live camera watching.

“One of my projects, we had four arrests in the building and they left it alone. We also stopped it from getting burned down,” she said.

Smith added the cameras are very affordable and by crowd sourcing, you could also create opportunities for the greater community to be involved.

“People talk about how they can volunteer, and I’m like, yeah why don’t you log on and watch some cameras for us?” she said.

Smith’s platform also includes supporting local businesses, and re-vitalizing both Second Ave. and the downtown.

“I’m can’t believe people drive through Second Avenue and don’t stop and they are hurting all of our businesses. Nobody is stopping anymore, because they don’t feel safe,” she said..

When asked why people should elect her, Smith acknowledged she is a lot younger than the other candidates, but added she is not afraid to speak up and will always be truthful.

“I am who I am and I am a little different than the other candidates and I also joke that I have a lot of energy, I’ll put in the hours, no problem,” she said.

The other two mayoral candidates are the incumbent Greg Dionne and Bill Powalinsky.

Election day is Nov. 13.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell