St. Albert NDP MLA Marie Renaud has been voted the community's best local politician in the St. Albert Gazette Readers' Choice Awards, an honour she says is meaningful because it comes directly from the people she serves.
"It's really, really meaningful. I mean, it's super meaningful when you win elections and things, but because readers and the Gazette are so close to home that it just feels really, really good," said Renaud.
Renaud, who has represented St. Albert in the Alberta Legislature since 2015, said her connection to the Gazette goes back to when she first moved to the community.
"I've got really great ties and memories to the Gazette, like when I first came to St. Albert to work in 2001 I really didn't know the community well, and that was actually one of the ways I got to know St. Albert really well," said Renaud. "I got to know, like, which ringette teams were really great, or which fastball teams are doing well, or, you know what, what was going on at the different high schools."
Renaud said she still reads the Gazette, especially the letters to the editor, as a way to stay informed about the residents' concerns.
"It really helps explain how people are feeling, and it often matches what I hear when I go door knocking," she said.
Renaud said that staying connected to the community is a critical aspect of her job.
"I'm nothing without them, and so I take very seriously the fact that I represent about 50,000 people," said Renaud. "You know, that's a lot of it's a lot of work to try to be sure that it's not just my voice that I'm representing or my beliefs in something, but that I do represent, you know, the majority of the people that I am making decisions for."
Being chosen by readers as the best local politician, she added, is a sign that she is on the right path.
"It lets me know I am doing the right work and that is really helpful," she said.
With the provincial legislature not in session over the summer, Renaud said her team will be focused on community outreach, attending events like the upcoming Canada Day celebrations, and door-knocking in St. Albert to hear directly from residents.
"Our big focus will be connecting with people and just finding out what's important to them," said Renaud.
Renaud said being recognized by residents through the Readers' Choice Awards feels rewarding because she is being recognized by the people she directly works for.
"When I go through that list myself, you know, whether it's what's your favourite painter or which traffic stop is the worst?" said Renaud. "All these things make me think about the community, and then I think about all of those people voting for me when they're going through that list, and, I'm just incredibly grateful."
