Christmas is just around the corner and the children of St. Albert have two more sleeps until Santa’s annual visit. Now Mr. Claus knows if you’ve been bad or good and this year there’s been plenty of both. In a year with an election campaign, the naughty is often more noticeable than the nice, but most of us won’t be expecting coal on Christmas morn. (The provincial government is phasing it out anyway, but that’s another story). As we’ve seen in the most recent city budget, our wishlists are possibly a bit too much for Santa to afford in the current economy, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop wishing. No doubt the city is abuzz today as last minute shoppers purchase gifts for their loved ones and we too have a few presents left on our list. Although it’s cutting it close, we hope Santa will see our wishlist and have his elves make a few late adjustments. For mayor Cathy Heron, we know what’s on your list. Your inaugural address brought forward the goal of ending homelessness in the city. As this is the season of giving, we hope you get your wish. We also hope that St. Albertans will open their hearts to the less fortunate. For St. Albert city council, we hope the man in red can deliver something to keep us out of the red – especially as we look at the wishlists of some St. Albertans and the list of unfunded capital projects. We hope the city’s non-residential tax base will grow so we can all be a little merrier and have many Christmases with more green than red. For MLAs Marie Renaud and Trevor Horne, there’s been an item on both your lists for quite some time, but not on the list for provincially-funded projects and that’s the twinning of Ray Gibbon Drive. We’re not certain this gift will be delivered, but sometimes Santa can work magic – particularly as we get closer to that the 2019 election date. For Member of Parliament Michael Cooper, you’ve pushed for several reforms to the justice system this year, including removing zombie laws from the Criminal Code and stricter impaired driving legislation. We hope the government will deliver these changes, for the benefit of all Canadians. While it’s always difficult to get legislation through as an opposition member, perhaps the prime minister, like the Grinch, will see his heart grow to see this legislation through. Of course, this wishlist isn’t just for politicians. We have a special wish for all the residents of St. Albert. We hope the holidays will be filled with happiness for you and your family. From all of us at the St. Albert Gazette, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
