The former head of the Heartland task force hopes to bring his deep roots in Division 6 to council during this fall’s election.
Ronald “Ron” Shaw filed his papers to run in the Division 6 Sturgeon County election last week.
Shaw, 54, is a teacher at Gibbons School and a proud lifelong resident of Division 6. He is a distant relative of outgoing Division 6 Coun. Karen Shaw.
Shaw said he got a taste for public office last term as chair of the Heartland Residents Task Force, which council commissioned to address ongoing concerns from the 30-odd county residents still living in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland region.
The task force’s final report made 14 recommendations and called for tax relief, enhanced bylaw patrols, a dark-sky policy, and other measures. Shaw said he hopes to see more action from the county on these recommendations, if elected.
Shaw said he has deep family roots in Division 6, where the Shaw family has lived and farmed for more than a century, and plenty of problem-solving and people skills from his time as a teacher.
“I’ve taught their kids for the last 32 years,” he said of Division 6 residents, and he was in touch with what they needed.
Shaw said he has about 25 years of experience as a minor hockey coach with the Gibbons Broncos, Crows Nest North Minor Hockey, and other organizations. If elected, he hopes to focus on sustainable development and environmentally responsible growth.
Also running in the Division 6 election as of Sept. 17 is Jason Berry.
Sturgeon County voters head to the polls Oct. 18. Visit sturgeoncounty.ca/election for details.
