The Alberta NDP have found a standard bearer for the upcoming election, with Smoky Lake resident Therese Taschuk acclaimed as the party’s candidate for the Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock constituency.
Taschuk was unopposed at the party’s nomination meeting March 17 at Clyde Community Hall. She is the fourth candidate to be confirmed in the constituency, the other three candidates being Glenn van Dijken for the UCP, Wayne Rufiange for the Alberta Party, and Buster Malcolm for the Alberta Independence Party.
In an interview, Taschuk said she is looking forward to the opportunity to represent the constituents of Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock.
“That’s assuming I get elected,” Taschuk said. “I did previously serve on council for the Town of Smoky Lake from 2007 until 2013, and some friends have now encouraged me to re-enter the political fray.”
Born in Munchenstein, Switzerland, her family first moved to Canada in 1963, and settled in Alberta just a year later.
“My father worked in the foundries and the factories, while my mother was a hairdresser,” Taschuk said. “Eventually, they were able to buy a farm near Bellis, a hamlet located in the County of Smoky Lake.”
Before opening her day-home in 2007, Taschuk worked for Aspen View Public Schools as a custodian, educational assistant and a pre-school instructor. An NDP press release dated March 17 stated she has served as president of CUPE Local 1461.
“Our government is looking to expand its $25-a-day daycare program to even more areas after opening 77 spaces in Westlock, 51 in Barrhead and 63 in Athabasca,” she said.
Education
Taschuk added that education also remains a priority within the region, especially with schools needing to be updated or replaced.
“H.A. Kostash School is in dire need of a replacement, and it is in the works,” she said.
“Rachel Notley and the NDP have now modernized 244 across the province, including the new Edwin Parr Composite School in Athabasca and a new facility in Neerlandia. As well, Pembina North Community School in Dapp just got thousands of dollars in upgrades done to their facility.”
She said with population increases come increases in enrolment, which she said resulted in 4,000 new staff being hired at schools across all of Alberta.
“When the Conservatives were in government, they let infrastructure diminish once the cost of oil plummeted,” Taschuk said. “But with the NDP, we have invested in that infrastructure. While there are still improvements left to be made, they will get completed if we get a another mandate to govern.”
Resources
Taschuk said that natural resources continues to remain an issue within the region and across the province.
“Alberta continues to ship raw material all over the world, including oil and gas,” she said. “Under previous Conservative governments, our economy rose and fell with oil and gas prices, but now under the NDP, we have begun to diversify, and it’s now created 90,000 new jobs across the province.”
As well, she said the Notley government continues to lead the charge in getting Alberta’s pipeline to tidewater.
“We are working with the federal government in order to get it built,” Taschuk said. “Our lines have already received approval from the National Energy Board to get it built, so it’s only a matter of time now.”
Rural crime
Rural crime is another issue she said she hopes to tackle if she is duly elected as the constituency’s MLA.
“Rural crime across the province has been reduced by 11 per cent due to $10-million we invested to get extra RCMP boots on the ground,” Taschuk said. “When the investment was originally passed, every single UCP MLA voted to reject it.”
She added they are working on getting even more improvements on rural crime reduction.
“Our government has been working with RCMP to bring those improvements into fruition,” Taschuk said.
Representation
Taschuk acknowledged the huge area she would cover if she wins the seat in the upcoming election.
“To be honest, it would be physically impossible to reach every single person within the constituency,” she said. “But I do have a great team to do mailouts and well as phone fan-outs. I also hope to talk to every mayor and reeve from every community in the constituency to find out what each issue is.”
She added that she is also open to having two constituency offices located at each end of the riding, depending on budget.
“I would love to have as many offices as possible to ensure active representation across this vast area,” Taschuk said.
She also said that the current MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater will be a tough act to follow.
“Everywhere I go, I have heard nothing but positive things said about Colin Piquette,” Taschuk said. “He has been a great representative for this area, and I hope to follow in his footsteps should the people put their faith in me during the upcoming vote.”
She said that anyone who wishes to contact her about any issues within the riding can call her at 780-656-6644.