What Matters to You – Albertan Community News

It’s that time of year again: the leaves have turned color (let’s hope they cling to their respective branches as long as possible)! Most of the garden is out, the majority of the crops are off, and the kids have probably brought home a cold or flu bug to share with the rest of the family lovingly. Like many, I’m hoping for a long warm fall. Last year was such a nice treat that I would love to repeat it.

Good, Bad, or Ugly, it all makes me better at what I do, and to know in my heart when I speak on your behalf in caucus or the chamber, that I’m providing the best perspective I can for the folks I represent. We go back into the house on October 31, and I would once again love some honest feedback and suggestions to share. You’ll find an online survey on my website, and I will drop off paper questionnaires again at various local gathering spots. Please take the time to fill them out and help keep me pointed in the right direction; it’s a team effort to move the ball downfield… so if you can, help me to help you and our community.

Logistics, Economic Corridors, and Labor Shortages

There have been several events I’ve attended over the last few weeks, and again, specific themes keep coming to the forefront: logistics, economic corridors, and labor shortages. Regarding logistics, we can’t get our products to market! There is literally a backlog in the supply chain from a local or interprovincial standpoint and globally. It has been brought to light that our supply chains are far too thin and far too reliant on other countries. Although we are in a rough patch right now in this regard, there is a massive opportunity to correct these issues and become a stronger player in our region. When you have major trading partners keen to ‘shop local’, we must adapt and make these deals. Trains, train cars, junior rail companies, and capacity partnerships are very much needed (and wanted) going forward. I believe our region is in a very strong position to fill the evident gap in supply chain and logistics.

Discussion with a Local Brewer

I was pleased to be able to sit with the owner of Anohka Distillery near Carvel last week (if you’ve never been, you need to go!). He educated me on the business of fine spirits, all the good things happening in the industry and, quite frankly, the gaps that can and should be filled. He holds degrees in Physics and Law and, most recently, a Master of Science Degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He understands the spirits industry. Earlier this year, his distillery won the award for the ‘Best Canadian London Dry’ at the World Gin Awards. Their whiskey is in the works and has also won an IWSC award, even before aging! Not bad for an Alberta upstart! As it turns out, Alberta has all the top-quality raw materials to make the absolute best products in the world. Even better, we have yet to develop the at-home supply chain items we need, so the local agriculture industry is an excellent opportunity to adapt and grow. Developing agricultural sectors such as barley, grain, and peat moss (used for the smoking treatment of grains), as well as the apprenticeship opportunities that go along with these sectors, presents a massive opportunity for Alberta. It’s a 5-billion-dollar industry in Scotland alone, and we have an order of magnitude of natural resources that is far larger. We could not only supply local companies but international ones as well.

 Watch for Our Podcast

Soon, our office will be trying our hand at a podcast so we can help share the success stories, opportunities, and challenges in our area. I’m looking forward to getting that up and running, and I am open to suggestions, as I want it to be an open line for feedback and discussion. 

Firearms Education

Regarding the Firearm File, we are going to be helping with and hosting a couple of events to not only bring awareness to the community on firearms and provide education on the many different related sports and disciplines out there but also to get folks together again. Our Zombie Shoot will take place on October 29 at the Canadian Historical Arms Society range, with a supper and silent auction to follow at the Genessee Hall. We only have the capacity for 150 people at the range, so grab your tickets early when they become available. We will also be helping with an event in Ponoka at the arena to help bring awareness of the Mounted Shooters discipline and to let folks try their hand at it. It’ll allow folks to ride horses and shoot balloons with old-school western firearms. We will keep you posted on that as well. 

Until next time, keep safe, keep an eye out for one another, and keep letting me know what matters to you.

Sincerely,

Shane Getson