We head to the polls in just a few days and now is the time we can expect more serious campaigning from our 22 council candidates and 3 candidates for mayor. In this report we feature Jim Whyte and Sharice Billet-Niedermayer.

 

After 31 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, Jim Whyte decided to settle down and call Moose Jaw home.

Now, Whyte is looking for a spot on city council to give back to the community he's called home for 14 years. "I'm surprised by the issue of the hospital that we don’t have more hype. When you hear the hype that they have for the multiplex I'm surprised that we as citizens, everyone in this room will need that facility sooner or later and we should be more concerned about what we are doing here."

But Whyte supports a multiplex as well as expanding the Union Hospital, but what he doesn't support is a downtown sports facility. "I've gone to the rink only three or four times so I made it a point to go on a tour. Before I was thinking we don’t need a new rink and now I know we do need a new rink."

Whyte believes we can find a better location than downtown to build the facility and is sure we can save seven to ten million dollars by doing so.

A fairly new resident to Moose Jaw is ready to take on the daunting task of becoming a member of City Council, that is if elected on October 25th.

Sharice Billet Niedermayer relocated from Saskatoon to Moose Jaw in 2005 and brought her family with her to enjoy what our city has to offer. "I envision a grand Moose Jaw with strong community value, flourishing economy and a safe, close knit city with small town appeal. To survive and move forward we must no attract and welcome others with open arms but not forgetting those that are here now. Across the province Moose Jaw is known as a nice city. I'm not satisfied though with being a nice city. I want us to be the best city."

Billet Niedermayer says our community needs to be proactive and not reactive to growing concerns in the community like poverty, crime, and addictions. "As a council we must be financially, ethically and morally accountable. We must strive to grow and do what’s best for the city as a whole for the long term. Reactive is far too costly on to many levels. We must be a city that is fiscally attractive and plan for long term expenditures that arise as our city grows older."

We head to the polls this Wednesday to elect six candidates to city council and one new mayor from three candidates.