From left to right: Kelli Hawtin, Wayne Semaganis (Baptiste), and Terry (Terence) Caldwell during the municipal election forum hosted by the Battlefords Chamber at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club on Wednesday. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

2024 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

City’s mayoral candidates share visions during chamber’s forum

Nov 1, 2024 | 2:30 PM

Three people in North Battleford are fighting for the honour of being named mayor on Nov. 13. Although they come from different backgrounds, they all share a vision for prosperity benefiting the city and its surrounding regions.

During the candidates’ forums on Wednesday night, the mayoral candidates shed light on different issues they hope to address if elected.

Wayne Semaganis (Baptiste) focuses on economic growth and development:

Semaganis, the former chief of Little Pine Cree First Nation, suggested that more lands be utilized for economic development by granting them treaty status. He pointed out that it ensures non-Indian businesses receive similar tax protections as First Nations, making these areas more appealing for commercial investment.

“We have to become friends, we have to become working business partners, we have to learn to succeed together, ” he stated.

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He believes, if elected, he can leverage his expertise to help the city bring the long-discussed Northwest Regional College and new arena projects to fruition.

“The reason I know we can do it right. Look at the Dakota Dunes Casino, $80 million; Swift Current Casino, $65 million. Yorkton casino, $63 million, and I fought with FSIN (Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations) to build the casino in Lloydminster, ” he explained.

“I built that brand-new casino at Lloydminster for $23 million. We have learned to do things in the best business practices because we want to prove we’re as smart as everybody, but we also want to prove that we have to learn and build things right and do things right, and those are the things that I can bring as a mayor to the city,” Semaganis noted.

Terry (Terence) Caldwell calls for ‘aggressive’ changes.

Caldwell highlighted a concerning trend in the city’s annual reports—since 2016, the population has declined, with nearly 759 residents leaving, primarily due to ongoing crime issues and a lack of development.

He stressed that if the city seeks to foster greater commercial growth, it must address these urgent crime challenges to build the foundation for future prosperity.

In his vision for tackling crime, he believes that focusing on the city’s future -its youth – is important. He plans to draw inspiration from a program in the United States that supports at-risk youth and their families during eight critical years, ages 11 – 19.

He explained that the initiative aims to reduce crime and foster a safer community by offering adolescents financial assistance, counselling, and educational support. Caldwell said the goal is to influence them and steer them away from negative paths positively.

“We need to reach out to the federal government and the provincial government to assist us in that,” he said.

He understands that achieving lasting change is a gradual process that may not see immediate results during his tenure as mayor if elected. To address concerns, he aims to enhance collaboration with Community Safety Officers (CSOs) and the RCMP to design strategic safety measures that could effectively tackle criminals.

“We just have to do things differently, which means change aggressively, change, not pilling around. We have to make this work, and it doesn’t matter how we do it, we have to get all together, all the First Nations too,” Caldwell stated.

Kelli Hawtin has vision for positive leadership and sustainable growth

Hawtin said that she doesn’t look at social issues with ‘rose-coloured glasses,’ but will always stay positive when facing challenges that burden the city’s growth.

“If we have a challenge, how can we overcome it? If we have a barrier, how can we remove it? If somebody says, ‘We can’t,’ I see ‘Why not?’ “ she said.

“It’s not about glazing over issues like taxation, homelessness, social issues, drugs, mental health issues, business taxes, zoning issues. Still, it’s about seeing the opportunity, and that’s the way I like to look at issues.”

She is committed to revising commercial zoning for more development flexibility while enhancing the downtown business district with innovative incentives. She said every taxpayer, both businesses and residents, has invested too much in the downtown infrastructure over the years, and she aims to use it wisely.

She also noted that she would advocate for improving safety initiatives that support community members, who she said are the businesses’ most vulnerable population. These initiatives include preventative measures and enforcement.

“I plan to live here for a long time. I want to see this city grow, and I don’t want to continue to pay a higher cost at my property for services delivered. The only way for us to be a sustainable business is to grow,” Hawtin stated.

Voting is scheduled for Nov. 13 at the Access Communication Centre. Advance polls will kick off on Nov. 2 at the Don Ross Center Gym, with two additional early voting dates set for Nov. 7 and 9.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com