Throughout the next few weeks, we'll be featuring interviews from the fifteen Moose Javians running for city council in this year's municipal election. Earl Swalm is one of those candidates.

Each candidate was asked the same list of questions. Here are Swalm's answers.

Q: Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

A: I was born and raised in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, and from there I graduated with a bachelor's of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary. When I was younger, I travelled extensively. I was living and travelling to places like Newfoundland, Indonesia, Turkey, Morocco, Peru, England, Wales, Scotland, Argentina, northern British Columbia, Montreal, and I first came to Moose Jaw in 1990 and I worked as an assistant golf pro at the Hillcrest Golf Course. This is where I met my wife Christine who's from Moose Jaw. We moved to Calgary for seven years where I worked as a draftsman with an architectural firm. We came back to Moose Jaw in 1998 when the opportunity to buy my father in laws Carpet One flooring store presented itself.

Q: What do you think is the most significant accomplishment from the current city council?

A: I think that the start of the modernization of the city hall, with the new internal communication software, that is a big deal in my mind.

Q: What could be improved?

A: We mentioned communication software and I think there's still plenty of work to be done in that area. Most of us think that roads and infrastructure is important, and they are, but internal processes and software to aid in that communication between departments is also infrastructure, and I think it's just as important. The better the communication, the more efficient the work orders and coordination can become, and that's going to lower labour costs, and of course, we want to increase job satisfaction too. If you have better communication, then transparency flows from that. I think everybody at city hall does a very good job at being as transparent as they can. If the system can work better, then transparency will increase as well.

Q: What experience or knowledge do you bring to the table?

A: During my time at the flooring business, I represented my business interests on many high-level boards, namely the Moose Jaw Construction Association, the Saskatchewan Construction Association, the Carpet One Advisory Council - which oversees over a thousand independently owned retail flooring stores across Canada and the U.S. I was also on the Carpet Coop of America product council, which helped aid in choosing products for our members. Also, owning a business and being the current treasurer of the Moose Jaw Shrine Club has taught me all about financial controls because you don't have a successful business without a tight control on your spending.

Q: What do you think are the biggest issues facing voters right now? How do you envision the city coming out of the pandemic?

A: I believe that Moose Jaw is entering a watershed moment. With the fundamental thought process of working remotely and communicating efficiently via video, location is no longer a top-of-the-list item for businesses. I think we can leverage Moose Jaw to our benefit so we can promote our city as a great place for businesses to work remotely.

Q: What are some of the biggest issues facing Moose Jaw right now?

A: That has gotta be growth. We have to shift our perspective on Moose Jaw as a city of growing concern. We have to ask the questions 'Why not Moose Jaw?', 'Why not live here?', 'Why not thrive here?'. All that has to be driven basically by development, growth in business, and a shift in attitude as a great city to live and raise a family.

Q: What is your overall vision for the city of Moose Jaw?

A: We need prosperity. We need productivity, a sense of happiness that goes along with that. So prosperity, productivity, and happiness. I think we can achieve that.

Election day is on Nov. 9. 

*(Some answers have been edited for clarity and length.)*