About Ray

• Ray has lived in Beiseker for almost forty years!
• Ray has been on Village Council for more than twenty of those years. He has held every position on council: Councillor, Deputy Mayor and Mayor.
• Ray retired in 1999 after 31 years as a teacher and school administrator. 30 of those years were spent with Rocky View Schools #41, with 17 years here at Beiseker Community School and 13 years at Crossfield Elementary School.
• Ray is now self employed at his home as a professional photographer and publisher.
• Ray has been involved in most aspects of volunteerism here in the village. He has been and/or is a member of; The Beiseker Recreation Board, the North East Rocky View Fire Association, the Beiseker Station Mueseum Society, Beiseker Recycling, Stage East Dinner Theatre, the Big Country Youth Justice Committee, the Beiseker Airport Society, and the Beiseker Community Education Advisory Council, the Drumheller and District Solid Waste Management Association, and the Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission
• Ray was a founding member of; Beiseker Recycling, Stage East Dinner Theatre, and the Big Country Youth Justice Committee.
• Ray really knows Beiseker!
• Outside the village, Ray is also a Senior Associate with the Calgary Stampede and a Director of the Aero Space Museum Association of Calgary.
• Ray and his wife Madeline recently celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Ray & Madeline have two children who now live in Crossfield and Didsbury.

Issue #5: Trees and Parks

As they reach the end of their life span, our poplar trees are slowly disappearing. Disease has claimed some of our public trees, too!

We also have some very attractive parks, green spaces and sports areas in the village which need care and attention on a year round basis.

If re-elected, I will work toward an extensive plan to replace our aging poplars with other trees AND I will work to create a separate Parks Account within Public Works. In that way we can better monitor the expenses on those public areas and apply those funds to matching grants offered by the provincial and federal governments. There are also a few private organizations out there who offer grants to plant trees!

Issue #4: Development

Development in our residential and industrial subdivisions has stalled! That is partly due to the economic times, but I think developers should be pushed a bit harder to get these subdivisions moving again!

 The Grasslands subdivision on Beiseker's west side has had huge investments made already. It is a shame that Grasslands sits there, its streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure abandoned! It's not making any money for anybody right now.

If those residential lots were developed, the newly generated property taxes would help Beiseker's overall fiscal health immediately! I do not like the idea of a municipality becoming the developer, but if that's the only way we're going to get some action here, especially in the Grasslands subdivision, then I will push my fellow councillors to consider that option!

Issue #3: The Beiseker Airport

I am very pleased to announce that the Village of Beiseker has purchased the Beiseker Airport, a facility valued at more than 1.5 million dollars, from the Provincial Government for the sum of $1.00! Beiseker council insisted on two conditions before taking over ths airport;

1. That the facility be brought up to standard by the province and;
2. That the airport never become a burden to ratepayers here in the village.

Both conditions have been met!

The airport has the POTENTIAL of bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars of business into the Beiseker area and the village in particular!

It is my intention to work with economic development groups and the Chambers of Commerce to explore these potentials. It is the opinion of most aviation experts that Beiseker's airport has huge economic potential for the region. I intend to help realize that potential!

It is also my intention to recreate the Beiseker Airport Commission to advise council on the airport's operation. Rocky View County has already agreed to take part in such a commission and is now turning over the collected tax dollars to the operation of the airport!

 I would also like to see the Town of Irricana and the Village of Acme also rejoin the commission!

Issue #2: Water, water, water!

Beiseker is built in a slight hollow which means we have a very shallow slope from one side of town to the other.  During heavy rains or a large melt, water has trouble exiting the village fast enough.  At times we also get swamped with water coming from the north into the village.  I intend to work on long term solutions to this water problem.  I will do everything in my power to make flooded basements in Beiseker a distant memory!

During this past term, Beiseker Village Council enacted legislation that prohibits the dumping of rain or runoff water into the sanitary sewer lines.  This water should be directed onto the surface and allowed to exit the village on the surface.  If placed into the sanitary sewer line it will overwhelm the force main pumps designed to pump only effluent. 

I will continue to work to make sure these two systems are operating correctly, separately and efficiently!

Issue #1: Water! Water! Water!

Beiseker has many water problems.

 Our drinking water is supplied by the Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission from Drumheller. We buy water from the Town of Drumheller, then pipe it to Kirkpatrick where it is treated and distributed to Carbon, Acme, Linden, Irricana and us.

 The counties of Kneehill and Rocky View are also part of the system. The system was built about 6 years ago funded by the province, the federal government and the municipalities. Each level of government contributed about one-third of the full cost of the system. The municipalities are finding it hard to pay their portion!

Every attempt by the Commission to sell water has been blocked by the Town of Drumheller! That, coupled with water conservation programs have reduced the sale of water throughout the area.

Similar water projects around Alberta have been funded by the provincial government up to 90% of their cost! A water project east of us recently received funding of over 80% of the cost!

I will continue to fight to get Beiseker and the rest of the Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission an equitable funding arrangement, as they rightly deserve!