Ali Aladra’s goal, if elected as councillor of Division 5 in Brazeau County, is to ensure residents have a say in council decisions.
Aladra says he’s running in the election not because he has something specific he hopes to accomplish, but because he doesn’t.
“I have no agenda that I’m trying to push. For me, it’s all about building relationships and getting to know the residents in Division 5, then representing their concerns to the county council,” says Aladra in an email interview.
Aladra has called Brazeau County home for 15 years. He and his wife have five children and live on an acreage. When he’s not busy with his family or volunteering in the community, Aladra spends his time working with their horses, goats, and chickens.
He and his family have enjoyed life in Brazeau County, and he would like to see it continue to be a place where people want to live. He says he’s not going into the election with any particular agenda because he believes his job is to communicate the needs and desires of his fellow residents. So, if he were to have an agenda, it would be to make sure residents are being heard and their needs are being met.
He got his first taste of what it was to serve a community when he accepted a position on the Church Council at his church in Breton. Aladra says once he joined he found that he enjoyed working with others and serving the congregation.
When a position on the Drayton Valley Library Board became available, Aladra decided it was a cause he was interested in.
“My family really enjoys reading, so I wanted to support the library by being on the board,” says Aladra.
Once on the Library Board, Aladra looked for other boards that he felt drawn to. His next role was on the Municipal Planning Commission, where he works alongside councillors Anthony Heinrich, Dallas Ekstrom, Kara Westerlund and member-at-large Don Fash.
“The MPC is important because I can help to maintain a balance between residents’ concerns and development projects and the impact on quality of life,” says Aladra.
In his positions on the boards, Aladra gets to hear about the different challenges each organization faces. Working with his colleagues and problem-solving for a solution brings him joy, he says. He believes the skills he’s developed within these organizations and the rapport developed with other county councillors would be beneficial to a role on council.
With his positions on the Church Council, Library Board, and MPC, Aladra has already gotten to know some residents in the county. Now that he is running for council, he has been speaking with many more residents.
“So far I’ve campaigned about halfway across Division 5, and I have met some wonderful people, so it’s been an enjoyable process, a great experience,” he says.
Anyone who has questions for Aladra can reach out to him by email at ali5689@gmail.com.
