Cardston Town Council candidate Q & A

Posted on October 14, 2025 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Cardston will be holding their municipal election on October 20 at the Cardston Civic Center, located at 67 – 3rd Avenue West, with voting open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Advanced Polls were open on Monday, October 6, and will be open again on Thursday, October 16 at the same location.

The position for Mayor was secured by Paula Brown via acclamation.

Six vacancies are available on Council and Timothy Court, William Creed, Crystal Haitsma, David Johnson, Ronald Gordon Johnson, Jared Kenly, James Lowry, Heather Ryder, Gerry Selk, Jann Smith, Logan T. Smith, and Kent Wynder are all pursuing a position.

When asked why they wanted to get involved in this particular political arena and what the focus of their campaigns would be, the candidates offered the following responses:

“I was motivated to run for council first by my father, who was very community minded, and served in many positions in the town I grew up in. I was also motivated to run by the students I teach government and economics to. I have a strong feel for this community. It has provided a safe, caring environment to raise my family in, and is now providing the same for my grandchildren. This is an opportunity to give back to the people in this community that have created this safe and caring community. As always, fiscal responsibility is a major part of any candidate’s campaign. I have been part of past Councils that have held the line on tax increases to a minimum while providing the services required in our community, and the wastewater renovation project is also a good example of councils work to provide a needed service without going into debt.” – Timothy Court

Hard work by both Council and Administration has allowed this multimillion-dollar project to move forward using government grants and additional grants for its unique environmental design. There will be virtually no tax increases for this project. We have maintained reserves to help with major purchases and projects. The Town, considering the current economic situation, has done very well financially, and I want to continue to be part of this going forward. Another major focus of my campaign will be to continue to enhance our recreation facilities, and their usage. To attract younger families to town, and bring back some of our younger people, it is imperative to provide good facilities for them and their families. I believe that my experience on Council will provide a needed transition for the new council members, so that also will be a focus.” -Timothy Court

“I feel I have a duty to serve my community. I would like to promote more kindness and welcoming in our community.” – William Creed

“I have always been interested in politics and have stayed educated and active in elections since I was 18. When I was growing up, family dinnertime conversations always centred around current events, and the economy and politics and it turned into something I was passionate about as an adult.” – Crystal Haitsma

“The Town is in dire need of economic development and I hope to be able to help out in that area.” – David Johnson

“I’ve always believed in giving back to the place that raised me. Running for Council is a way to be a voice for residents and to help shape the future of our town. I take pride in representing Cardston and making sure community concerns are heard and acted on. My focus is on healthcare, recreation, economic growth, and community connection. I’ve been a strong advocate for a new hospital and will continue to push for that. I also believe in investing in recreation, strengthening infrastructure, and finding ways to grow our local economy while keeping Cardston family-friendly and safe.” – Jared Kenly

“My whole purpose of entering the political arena is to be a voice for the people in our community. I want to be able to take the public’s opinion and take that to council and make decisions based on what the voters want. I believe that my individual wants and desires should come second to what the public want for the direction of our town. I have actually spoken with several people in town and a couple of the biggest issues that have been brought to my attention are loose animals and the cleanliness of our public spaces. I also want to work together with Town organizations and neighboring communities to handle the loose animal issue that is facing our town. In addition to that, I want to tackle the littering issue in our town. One of the ways I want to do that is ensuring a good amount of garbage receptacles being in place in public spaces. My focus is on the people of Cardston! Every person has an idea of how they want the town to be. I want to get the public’s consensus on what they think the biggest issues are facing our community and then be able to take that to Council and solve the issues that the residents of our town want dealt with.  – James Lowry

“I love the town of Cardston and want the best for this community and its citizens. The focus of my campaign is economic development and ensuring we have a safe, forward-looking community. I serve on the Board of Directors for Community Futures Alberta Southwest. This is a lender that focuses its attention on new entrepreneurs. I have had the privilege of seeing a number of new businesses in this community that are clients of Community Futures.” – Gerry Selk

“I think that Cardston has a lot of wonderful things about it, but I also think that there are some issues here that I think that I could help with. There seems to be a lot of people in town that want there to be significant changes to Cardston, and they don’t feel that their thoughts are being heard properly. I would really like to enhance that communication between the public and the Town to make it so that that communication line is open more.” – Logan T. Smith

When asked what within their community needs attention, the candidates offered the following responses:

“Some issues that may be a challenge down the road is the building of, or complete renovation of our hospital. It’s one of the busiest rural hospitals in the province. We also need to continue to build our good relationship with our neighbors. The Blood Tribe, and the County, are an integral part of our community landscape. Additionally, I will work hard to support new businesses, and new economic opportunities that will come to Cardston.” – Timothy Court

“I have always been an advocate of greater transparency in government. I want to support policies that help everyone, or at least do not benefit some at the expense of others.” – William Creed

“I would love to see economic growth, but keep the quaint, small-town feel of Cardston. I am interested in looking at several issues that have been brought to my attention like urban chickens, a rec centre, revitalizing Downtown and more. I would love to see economic growth, but still keeping the quaint, small-town feel of Cardston.” – Crystal Haitsma

“Economic development, tourism, healthy lifestyles and a family-friendly atmosphere.” – David Johnson

“Healthcare access, housing opportunities, economic development, recreation improvements, and community safety. I also want to make sure residents feel connected to Council and feel confident that their concerns are being listened to.” – Jared Kenly

“The Town currently owns one solar energy plant to the west of town and is working in conjunction with a company that own another solar plant near the town of Cardston. I believe with my background in renewable energy, I would be a real asset in discussions around how to best make decisions regarding our town’s energy production and energy needs.” – James Lowry

‘Cardston has affectionately been referred to as, “The Temple City’. With new temples being built in Lethbridge and Missoula, Mont., a large part of the current Cardston temple district will be attending those two temples. We need to consider now what we are going to do to replace those people who will no longer be coming to town from that large geographic area. I feel tourism needs to be our focus moving forward. We are strategically placed 25 minutes from Waterton, and 25 minutes from Glacier National Park. We need to encourage people from other parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and other areas to ‘come and see, come and stay’. In the previous Council I served on, we determined that our campground needed to be expanded. Ultimately it was expanded and has been very successful. Guess what? In speaking with the current operators of the campground, it was determined that we should expand it again. Campers love this campground, and the operators have had to turn people away because the campground is full.” – Gerry Selk

“I think that there are some economic issues here. One is there is a lot of empty storefronts on Main Street, but the Town has some initiatives in place that are new. I’m happy to support those things, but I think the communication is an issue. One of the main draws to Cardston is the temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And there is a major renovation planned sometime in the next few years where the temple could be closed for years. I think that will be quite hard on Cardston, so I think that’s something that we really need to try to address.” – Logan T. Smith

The candidates also spoke briefly about what their approach to service would be if elected:

“If I’m elected, I will continue to push for the expansion of our trail system, and other recreation projects. We have a beautiful town with lots of green space, so providing trails to enjoy our Lee Creek valley is a major goal. Also, although a lot of work has already been done, the golf course clubhouse is a priority. We have one of the best courses in the province, Now we just need to get it built up at a reasonable cost. Other projects I would like to see go forward is working with the involved groups to put lights up at the pickleball/tennis courts, and the Redford west ball diamond. These projects would be done in consultation with the surrounding neighborhoods. – Timothy Court

“I will seek to learn even more about community governance, and I will work to protect the rights of all citizens.” – William Creed

My campaign is based on understanding. I plan on listening to the residents, having an open mind, and making the best decisions with the information that I have. I don’t plan on making any final decisions until I hear from all sides of each issue, as I’m sure many things are more complex than they seem on the outside.” – Crystal Haitsma

“I’m not satisfied with stagnant growth. We need to be pro-growth period! Cardston has much, much more going for it than any other rural community in Alberta.” – David Johnson

“I will continue advocating for a new hospital, support projects that build recreation and quality of life, and work toward strengthening our town’s economy. I also plan to keep building open communication with citizens and being available and approachable, so residents know their concerns matter. We’ve made progress in many areas, but there is always more we can do. I’d like to see Cardston continue to grow in a sustainable way while protecting the small-town values that make us unique. My vision is steady progress, building on what’s working, and tackling the challenges that still lie ahead.” – Jared Kenly

“My main plan is to carry out what the general consensus is in the community. I have ideas and I have goals, but my ideas and goals are no more important to me the ideas and goals of the community I want to serve. When I’m elected, I will bring any and every concern that a member of our community has to the attention of Council and do what I can to bring a meaningful resolution to those concerns. I feel like there is a lot of good in the town and a lot to be proud of. That being said, there are definitely areas that can be improved upon. One of the main areas that I have heard of from voters is access to indoor recreation especially during poor weather or winter weather and I would love to see the town move towards having a venue where more of our community members can remain active even in times of poor weather and that is something I would push for.” – James Lowry

“If elected I look forward to working with my Council colleagues, businesses, and other community groups in striving to bring people to town. I am especially impressed with the work done by the Ag Society to bring new and bigger events to the Agridome. I think there is untapped potential to bring other events, whether they are rodeo related or not to the Agridome. I believe the Town needs to work with the Ag Society to see what can be accomplished. We also have a topnotch golf course. When I talk to golfers from other communities and ask them what they think of our golf course, they are very positive and complimentary about the beauty and layout of the course. That’s just a couple of examples of community groups we need to work with to help promote our town. Additionally, I want us as a town to be open to new ideas and not be afraid to pursue them.” – Gerry Selk

“I think the main thing that I think is within the power of the Council is to increase communication and maintain strong communication with the public.” – Logan T. Smith

Ronald Gordon Johnson, Heather Ryder, Jann Smith, and Kent Wynder were unavailable for comment at the time of this interview.