Greg Dionne (left), Brittany Smith and Bill Powalinsky took questions from a local mom's group in the run up to this year's civic elections. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Election 2024

P.A. mom’s group questions mayoral candidates

Oct 29, 2024 | 5:22 PM

All three candidates for mayor in Prince Albert spent some time this morning answering questions from mothers of young children at a local church.

The questions ranged from creating a city composting program to crime, homelessness, developing The Yard, and allowing backyard chickens.

Kristi Stolee hosted the forum at the Prince Albert Alliance Church and helped plan the event.

“We gather every Tuesday morning. We have some lovely volunteers who look after our kids for the hour and a half and we bring in different presenters or just have time and community and time to get away from our children,” she said.

Because the civic elections are approaching on November 13, they decided – at the suggestion of former councillor Terra Lennox-Zepp – to make it political for the first time ever.

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“It’s sometimes hard for us to find opportunities to engage in these sorts of things, so bringing them to us is very helpful,” Stolee said.

About 15 women were at the forum. Toddlers played in a different room while their mothers grilled mayoral candidates on their policies. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

She appreciated the very respectful discussion between the three candidates and said it really highlighted the main concerns the members raised.

Brittany Smith, Greg Dionne and Bill Powalinsky all agreed that having a composting program is a challenge and that watching to see how it works in Saskatoon is a wise move before investing city resources into creating a Prince Albert version.

As far as the backyard chickens are concerned, a recent effort to have them allowed went nowhere at the council table.

“It is a part of food sustainability,” admitted current Mayor Dionne. He then joked that “one day you can have eggs and the next day chicken dinner.”

Powalinsky raised similar concerns and said that keeping birds in town would increase problems with their predators, such as coyotes, rodents and skunks.

A laying hen will lay eggs for about three years but will live a lot longer than that, laying no eggs and still needing to be fed and housed.

“Are you going to be cruel enough to succession plan,” he asked?

Smith said that while she is a big proponent of sustainability, the costs need to be considered, especially when it comes to things like bylaw infractions – such as free-roaming fowl.

“I’m not sure bylaw should be chasing chickens,” she said.

Swimming lessons, pools and the ability to access them were also raised.

Dionne said that once the new Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre is opened, the Frank Dunn pool will be closed.

However, because the new pool is modern, annual maintenance shutdowns will be shorter, allowing for more time for swimming lessons.

The city also implemented a rule last year that allows city residents to book lessons for two weeks before rural residents can – citing the RM’s lack of willingness to pitch in money for the centre as the main reason.

Powalinsky discussed a national shortage of instructors for swimming lessons.

Smith, a business owner, agreed that there is a staffing shortage for swim instructors but said, like a business, if you have a shortage it’s because the pay is too low.

All three were asked about support for The Yard, the subdivision at the south side of the city where the pools and arena are being constructed along with a number of commercial ventures.

A specific question about a second city phase to build a WHL approved events centre met with different responses. The WHL has said that Prince Albert needs to build a larger rink (minimum 4,500 seats) or they could risk losing the Raiders, a team that pulls $11 million annually into the city economy in the most recent estimate.

READ MORE: Outgoing WHL commissioner optimistic about P.A. rink plans.

Bill Powalinsky said he sees the value of having the Raiders in the city but would support pausing the rink project.

“We might have to pump the brakes a little bit,” he said, citing increased costs of construction during the pandemic.

Smith said she supports the rink and that in order to attract working professionals, they need to have entertainment options.

The maintenance costs on a new building are pretty minimal, she said, and she is more worried about keeping up with the work needed on older buildings.

The Raiders are too important to risk losing and having development is very important to the city and a prime plank of her platform.

Dionne has always supported the entire development. The city looked at upgrading the Art Hauser Centre, but the cost was not justifiable in the older building.

A potential buyer for the Art Hauser has stepped forward but Dionne shared no other details except that it would be education-related.

He pointed to a recently-signed deal with the Woodland Cree First Nation to work together and said that is the best hope for the funding for the arena to come through. Currently, the plans are to cost share with the federal and provincial governments when they can get funding secured.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com