Drumheller–Stettler MLA Rick Strankman may have a bit of competition as Drumheller’s Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk is attempting to seek the nominations to be a candidate to run in the next election for the Wildrose Party in the Drumheller-Stettler Riding.
 The Drumheller Town Councillor and business owner is in her second term, and has been involved with the Wildrose Party since 2010, only recently stepping down as president of the constituency association.  She has deep roots in the valley. She has watched the party grow and develop its policies and directions.
     “I want to be able to help meld the future for our next generations,” she said. “Being a fifth generation Albertan myself, I strongly believe in bringing back the Alberta Advantage. I feel with the right person in the position with the drive to succeed, we can see Alberta making history and getting us back on the right track.”
    At this point, her name is not yet on the ballot. She says she has filed her papers and is awaiting the “official ok.”
    Some of her main areas of concerns are rural economic development, proper funding models for municipalities and freedom of speech. She also feels strongly about keeping ridings static, rather than adjusting their borders after each election and would call for vicennial adjustments.
    “I’m prepared to give the people of this riding the most productive years of my life and do it with integrity, honesty and a will to put the constituent’s views ahead of my own,” she said. 
    Right now, she is collecting Wildrose member signatures to become eligible to challenge the current nominations.
    Nominations open on June 4 for nine days. If she is successful in gaining the nominations, there is a period of 21 days for the campaign, and Election Day would be on July 4.
    To get involved or to learn more, Hansen-Zacharuk can be reached at  lcand-a@hotmail.com, or through her Facebook page.

Residents are invited to learn more about all the valley has to offer to its visitors at Travel Drumheller's tourism expo this Thursday, June 5 at the Badlands Community Facility (BCF). 

 Chris Curtis of the Drumheller Destination Marketing Organization is inviting area operators for a casual meeting with two goals in mind. One is for operators to network.

“We would like to get together the players in the tourism industry in Drumheller to meet each other, learn more about each other’s business and look for ways to work together to create more profit,” said Curtis.

The other goal is to reacquaint residents with what the valley has to offer. 

“We want the citizens of Drumheller to be our best tourist guides and our best spokespersons,” said Curtis. “We would like them to be knowledgeable about the individual tourist operations in the valley and be able to help tourists find their way.”

Chris Curtis and Jacy Calon of the Drumheller DMO, Travel Drumheller. They are hosting a tourism expo this Thursday at  the BCF. On June 5, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. there will be a meet and greet session with stakeholders, allowing them to familiarize themselves with each other’s operation and to network. 

At 6 p.m., the doors will be open to the public to discover. Curtis says it will be structured much like a mini-trade show where operators will be able to have a display on what they offer.

The event is free for both exhibitors and the public. There will be door prizes for visitors, with the grand prize having a value of over $400.00.

To learn more or how to get involved, contact Curtis at 403-820-0662.