Alberta Senator Doug Black (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Liam Verster

Virtual Tour

Senator Black to speak with Grande Prairie leaders, groups as part of virtual tour

Sep 23, 2020 | 12:57 PM

Doug Black, an elected senator for Alberta, is doing a virtual tour through Alberta that will see him meet with local leaders and representatives from various sectors in a number of communities, including Grande Prairie.

Black, who would normally do in-person trips across Alberta, has changed his course and decided to do virtual tours because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risks of catching or spreading the virus while travelling.

His virtual tour started on Tuesday, with a stop in Lethbridge, and will take him to Medicine Hat on September 30, Red Deer on October 1, Edmonton on Oct. 7 and 8, Grande Prairie on the 14, Peace River on October 15, and Fort McMurray on the 21st.

Though his schedule isn’t set in stone quite yet, Black says he hopes to meet with the Mayor of Grande Prairie, the Superintendents of the local school divisions, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Grande Prairie Regional College. He also hopes to have meetings arranged with Student Leaders, First Nations Leaders, and local Union representatives.

He says through these discussions, he can get a wide scope of how the community is doing.

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“That’s why I want to talk with, for example, the guy that runs the school board. Like, how is school integration going? Tell me how it’s going. I want to talk with the college, [find out] how’s it going.

“As you know the post-secondary system in Alberta is going through a re-think right now led by consultants. I want to know how does that look for Grande Prairie, how does Grande Prairie feel about that. What’s the Chamber of Commerce got to say about the business mood? How’s that going? What does United Way have to say about the demands on social services in the community?”

Black says through these conversations, he usually takes away a few concerns or issues, and he will then try to work with those individuals or groups to resolve their problems, and “advance the interest of Albertans.”

He says his first stop on the tour saw him hold conversations with a half-dozen groups and people, and discuss multiple topics ranging from social services, business interests, agriculture, and education. He says it’s tough for everyone right now with the economy and the health crisis, but he says he sees a lot of hopeful and resilient people in Albertans, which is very encouraging.

Black adds that he usually likes to travel across Alberta in-person, which allows him to hold open houses or discussions with members of the public, to hear any issues that residents have, and see if he can help address them. He says that because he can’t host a video call open to the general public, he encourages anyone with concerns or ideas to reach out to him directly.

“If members, citizens and residents of Grande Prairie have concerns or observations or suggestions, they should reach out to me at my office in Ottawa.”