Current Town Councillor Graham Parsons announced his intentions to run for a third term on Council.
He announced his candidacy believing his work as a councillor is not yet finished.
“There is still work to be done. We have come a long way but there is still more to do,” said Parsons.
Parson says the vision for the town was just a dream when he and his wife moved to Sylvan Lake in 1973.
He has seen the vision come to fruition and has been astounded by what he has seen, saying “what a vision it has turned out to be.”
However, a vision needs to be continually fostered to cement it into place, according to Parsons.
”That vision has to be fostered to keep it moving forward, and moving forward it most certainly will,” Parsons said.
He feels a sense of accomplishment when thinking about what has been done over the last two terms he has sat in office.
He identified the downtown area, Pogadl Park and Lakefront Park as three areas that still need work done.
In his announcement, Parsons went on to calls working with and for young people his passion.
“”We have to invest strategically in facilities and programming for all ages, but especially out youth,” Parsons said.
He recognizes working as a town councillor means more then seeing your passions come to fruition.
Working as a councillor is “more than implementing your personal passions.”
“There are situations that require tough decisions, that may adversely affect friends or acquaintances, but for the greater good, have to be done,” he said.
Parsons has been an active member of Sylvan Lake for many years. He has served on the Recreation Board twice as a citizen, his is the current chairman of the Spirit of Sylvan Yuletide Festival Committee and a volunteer for Hockey Alberta where he sat on the Board of Directors for five years.
He says serving as a councillor for the town has given him pride in his community.
“It wasn’t until I made my first successful run in 2010 that I found out how much I cared for my community, our community,” Parsons said.
Nominations for Council and Mayor are accepted until Sept. 18.
Election Day for the municipal election is Oct. 16.
megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com