Neil Tuazon is the latest to put his name forward to run for a seat on Grande Prairie City Council this October (Photo supplied by Neil Tuazon)

By Shaun Penner

Neil Tuazon

Furthering community service the goal for latest Grande Prairie City Council candidate

May 5, 2021 | 12:55 PM

Since spending most of his life involved in volunteerism and community service, Grande Prairie’s latest candidate for city council says getting a seat in council chambers is a natural next step to helping better serve his community.

Neil Tuazon is the latest to officially submit his nomination forms at city hall ahead of October’s municipal election.

Tuazon says there are many things he would like to accomplish as a councillor but says his main motivation to run is to help his community.

“I just want to continue to help people in the community, make their lives easier in the form of public service.”

He says one of his key advocacy goals, if he is to make it onto city council, is to bring in a city-subsidized youth sports program.

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“To help with the financial strain of parents,” Tuazon said, adding there are many other things he wishes to push for.

“Building better roads and infrastructure. And, of course, the construction of a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre facility,” he added. “I want one like the state-of-the-art one in north Edmonton.”

Tuazon feels having that additional addiction treatment facility is much needed, given the grip the opioid crisis continues to have on the community.

In 2020, 33 people in Grande Prairie died of an opioid poisoning, which is a five-year high.

“If that’s the case, we need to have a very good facility here for rehabilitation, for mental health, for all of this kind of stuff, so that we can help these people to get back on their feet, and their lives.”

Among his community service roles, Tuazon currently serves as the president of the Filipino Association of Grande Prairie and Area (FAGPA) while working in other various volunteer roles.

Tuazon says he came to Grande Prairie from Vancouver about a decade ago after some of his friends convinced him to move north, where he says he found a home.

“I love it here. I fell in love with the place, so now serving Grande Prairie, I fell in love much more.”

Tuazon is the seventh resident to put their name forward for council in this fall’s election. Others running include:

• Shae Guy
• Ejibola Folashade Adetokunbo-Taiwo
• Ngemital Paul Rovin
• Michael Patrick O’Connor
• Solomon Okhifoh
• Grant Berg

One mayoral candidate has submitted their nomination forms, that being Bryan Petryshyn.

The next municipal election takes place on October 18, 2021.