Mayor Sean McIntyre was at H.J. Cody this week to speak to the students about local government, and the role of mayor and council.
He began his discussion on Sept. 28 with the students be explaining the three types of government, municipal, provincial and federal, and how they interact with one another.
He fully explained this to the student using the lake as a example.
The Town is responsible for everything south of the north sidewalk along Lakeshore Drive. North of the sidewalk and a ways into the lake is the responsibility of the Provincial Government. The rest of the lake, toward the middle, is the responsibility of the Federal Government as they are in charge of water ways.
“You see we all have to work together,” Mayor McIntyre told the students.
McIntyre told the students to ask questions about what is happening in government as well as bringing issues faced to local government.
Because the lines are a little blurry when it comes to government it is important to ask questions, he said.
Sometimes the issues faced are not the responsibility of the Town, but McIntyre said he is always willing to help find a solution.
“We don’t always get a say in what happens,” McIntyre continued, using the cell phone tower as an example. “The federal government said they were going to put it up, we asked them not to and they said “Um, yeah we are going to do it anyway.”
When when it comes to asking questions, McIntyre encouraged the kids to speak to the MLA’s in the area as well.
“We all love Sylvan Lake and we want to see it be great,” McIntyre said. “That’s why we work to do what we think is right for the Town and the people living here.”
The students were also given the chance to ask the Mayor questions of their own. These questions ranged from “what would happen if no one ran for Mayor?” and “what is being done for arts and culture in town?”
Theatre Arts and Leadership teacher Jacqui Renwick said she was excited to see the students engaging in conversation with the Mayor.
“There were a couple students that I was actually surprised to see them as questions,” Renwick said.
Renwick was happy to have the mayor come to speak to the students as the Mayor, without connections to the upcoming election.
She said it was good to see him interact without it having to be about the election, though the election was mentioned through questions.
McIntyre was invited to the school to speak to the students as part of an ongoing series of guest speakers in the community.
Renwick says she tries to hold these session a few times throughout the years for the students.
megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com
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