So much fun for the family in Lagimodière this summer
As the summer rolls on, my team and I have been focused on a few projects, but the overall theme has been about being in the community. Whether it's through connecting with folks at their doorstep or through organizing local events, our priority is simple: to be accessible, to listen, and to ensure we're on the right track. I believe that good representation shouldn't depend on your schedule matching mine; it's our job to meet you where you are.
This summer has been filled with many memorable moments. We've continued to host our regular 'Tea with Tyler' gatherings at Charito Bakery & Pastry in Sage Creek, where we welcome people to discuss issues that resonate with them, while building community over drinks and snacks. The Bonavista neighbourhood has also been hopping with activity, from our popsicle and face-painting party in the park, to the well-attended consultation for the development of the Bonavista Community Centre.
And of course, we had the pleasure of joining the Canada Day celebration in Sage Creek, at least until the thunder rolled in! A big thank-you to the Sage Creek Residents' Association and all the volunteers who continue to make it a vibrant, growing tradition.
Lagimodière MLA Tyler Blashko had a great time celebrating Canada Day with the community in Sage Creek.
This August and September, our office is excited to continue bringing the Lagimodière community together through fun, family-friendly events. Join us for a popsicle party in Island Lakes on Aug. 14, a storytime hike through the Bois-des-Esprits trail on Aug. 28, and a pet parade in Sage Creek on Sept. 7. Keep an eye on our social media for full event details, or if you're not on social media, feel free to contact our office anytime for more information.
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A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities.
While we've been hearing positive feedback from the community, we also know the work doesn't stop here. Your government is making investments to rebuild health care, including undergoing public consultations to ensure that when the new Victoria Hospital Emergency Room opens, it will meet the community's needs, and we've also introduced a new tool called Medinav.ca that allows you to book hospital appointments and avoid unnecessary waits.
Whether it's at your door or in the community, my team and I are here to listen, advocate, and help in any way we can. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us at 204-583-7423 or Tyler.Blashko@yourmanitoba.ca, or swing by our office at 6-567 St. Anne's Rd.
Tyler BlashkoLagimodière constituency report
Tyler Blashko is the NDP MLA for Lagimodière.
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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
So much fun for the family in Lagimodière this summer
Lagimodière As the summer rolls on, my team and I have been focused on a few projects, but the overall theme has been about being in the community. Whether it's through connecting with folks at their doorstep or through organizing local events, our priority is simple: to be accessible, to listen, and to ensure we're on the right track. I believe that good representation shouldn't depend on your schedule matching mine; it's our job to meet you where you are. This summer has been filled with many memorable moments. We've continued to host our regular 'Tea with Tyler' gatherings at Charito Bakery & Pastry in Sage Creek, where we welcome people to discuss issues that resonate with them, while building community over drinks and snacks. The Bonavista neighbourhood has also been hopping with activity, from our popsicle and face-painting party in the park, to the well-attended consultation for the development of the Bonavista Community Centre. And of course, we had the pleasure of joining the Canada Day celebration in Sage Creek, at least until the thunder rolled in! A big thank-you to the Sage Creek Residents' Association and all the volunteers who continue to make it a vibrant, growing tradition. Lagimodière MLA Tyler Blashko had a great time celebrating Canada Day with the community in Sage Creek. This August and September, our office is excited to continue bringing the Lagimodière community together through fun, family-friendly events. Join us for a popsicle party in Island Lakes on Aug. 14, a storytime hike through the Bois-des-Esprits trail on Aug. 28, and a pet parade in Sage Creek on Sept. 7. Keep an eye on our social media for full event details, or if you're not on social media, feel free to contact our office anytime for more information. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. While we've been hearing positive feedback from the community, we also know the work doesn't stop here. Your government is making investments to rebuild health care, including undergoing public consultations to ensure that when the new Victoria Hospital Emergency Room opens, it will meet the community's needs, and we've also introduced a new tool called that allows you to book hospital appointments and avoid unnecessary waits. Whether it's at your door or in the community, my team and I are here to listen, advocate, and help in any way we can. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us at 204-583-7423 or or swing by our office at 6-567 St. Anne's Rd. Tyler BlashkoLagimodière constituency report Tyler Blashko is the NDP MLA for Lagimodière. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
04-08-2025
- CBC
Alberta cities face higher election costs this fall after province bans electronic vote counters
As municipalities around Alberta prepare for local elections this fall, some cities are projecting higher costs and longer wait times in light of new rules set out by the province last year. When the Alberta government passed Bill 20, it banned the use of electronic vote tabulators, a method some cities have used to count ballots in every municipal election for decades. The vote counting machines speed up the process, allowing municipalities to save money and offer results to the public more quickly, compared to counting votes manually. But counting votes by hand is what every municipality will need to do this fall, and some cities are looking at costs double or triple what they spent in the 2021 municipal elections. The rise is partly due to increased staffing municipalities will need to count ballots in a process that could last much longer than the public is used to waiting to hear results. Since introducing Bill 20, the province has maintained that manually counting votes will better maintain voters' trust in election integrity. But Alberta Municipalities president Tyler Gandam said he hasn't seen evidence to back up that assertion, and he's frustrated municipalities weren't consulted more about how to run their own elections. "We're using automated tellers for grocery stores and retail, we're using these kinds of machines for testing in schools. I'm just not seeing the data that supports that there's going to be a higher level of confidence in an election result through hand-counting versus a voting machine," said Gandam. He added that large population centres will especially feel the strain of manual counts. Voter turnout in Calgary and Edmonton in 2021 saw hundreds of thousands of votes cast, and with the population growth Alberta has seen in the years since then, Gandam said the strain of even more ballots to count could be placed on elections staff this fall. 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The City of Calgary said will not publicize how much it expects to spend in this fall's election until it can confirm a final number, which it expects to do in September. The municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 20. Added cost a burden we pay for transparent democracies: provincial minister Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said he's "very happy" even despite increased costs, to improve election integrity "That's the burden we pay here in the west for having transparent and open democracies," Williams said in an interview on Thursday. "I think it's business as usual." Williams argued only five or six municipalities have raised the vote counter ban as an issue to him since he became municipal affairs minister in May, adding that it's how federal election ballots are already counted. Most Alberta municipalities aren't worried about having to count votes by hand, Williams said, and are instead "dealing with work they should be dealing with," such as water delivery, filling potholes, attracting investment and keeping taxes down. "I wish luck to every single [municipal] candidate so that they can do the work that they need to, which is, to be honest, not worrying about if we should have vote tabulators," said Williams. "The province has decided for certainty in our elections and confidence in the way that we run our municipal elections, this is the best way to do it. It's how we decide to do it at the federal level, it's how we decide to do it at the provincial level, it's also good enough for our municipalities. That's the priority of this government, and the priority of municipalities should be making sure that those basic services are being rendered to all the ratepayers." But Bonnie Hilford, Lethbridge's city clerk, points out her city has used electronic tabulators in every election for more than 30 years without hearing concerns about election integrity. "We've been using tabulators in the city of Lethbridge since 1989, and we've never had a challenge or a contested election," said Hilford. "We're kind of wondering why we have to move to hand-counting, which will take a lot longer [and] cost a lot more." Because voters in Lethbridge select more than one candidate for city council and school trustee roles, Hilford said the city expects the public won't receive full election results for two days after polling stations close. The added wait time for results, coupled with increased staffing costs, has pushed Lethbridge city council to advocate for the province to reverse course. Hilford said she expects council to take that same position after this year's election, as a way to try and save taxpayers' money. Advocacy expected to continue after election Along with his role at Alberta Municipalities, Gandam is also the mayor of Wetaskiwin, a city of roughly 13,400 people. Wetaskiwin previously counted votes manually as a cost-effective alternative to vote tabulators, but Gandam said they paid for it in the length of time it required. When the city struggled to recruit enough reliable elections staff in 2021, Gandam said they decided to begin using vote counters in its next election as a more efficient and reliable method. But now the province has blocked that move. Last fall, Alberta Municipalities members voted to adopt a resolution calling for a reversal on the province's ban of vote-counting machines. Gandam said the organization plans to connect with its members after this year's elections, and bring any relevant concerns to the province to potentially make changes before the next election in 2029. Williams said he's interested in seeing the vote tabulator ban continue, but that he's open to having that conversation with municipalities. "If municipalities do bring it up as their biggest concern, not funding for wastewater, not making sure they can lower taxes … then I'll hear that conversation, if this is their priority coming out of the election," said Williams.
Calgary Herald
04-08-2025
- Calgary Herald
Summer reading: How a Liberal toppled Pierre Poilievre and won Carleton riding
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