Clayton eager to continue serving Grande Prairie after unofficial mayoral win

Clayton says being elected mayor for the City of Grande Prairie has been a goal she has been working towards, especially after stepping in as interim mayor back in January.

“It just really sparked a fire in me, of how much I love this city and how important that was for me to be the mayor in my mind. I was just extremely excited to be here, and extremely excited right now.”

Clayton says stepping in as the interim mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic was overall a great experience, although she suggests it was anything but ordinary.

“I often call it the longest job interview in history in the worst of times,” she said.

“Having the opportunity to be interim mayor was a great experience that gave me the opportunity to see some great things that the organization does and some really hard-working staff that the city has,” Clayton said

“But it also gave me an opportunity to see somewhere we can improve and what could be different.”

With three incumbent councillors re-elected for another term, those being Chris Thiessen, Dylan Bressey and Kevin O’Toole, the new council will see five new faces at the table.

The five new councillors unofficially elected include Grant Berg, John Lehners, Wendy Bosch, Gladys Blackmore and Mike O’Connor.

Clayton believes it will be a great mix of people on the team.

“The three incumbent councillors that are there are great team players, but I also think that the new councillors bring a lot of information, a lot of history, a wealth of information.”

Over the next four years with council, Clayton says she is hoping to fine-tune a plan with council to allow for a wide variety of growth in the region, as well as show a good representation of the city.

“So that it becomes beneficial for everyone in the region. Not just about creating economic development, not just about creating a lean organization, not just about making our community safe and friendly for people, but a little bit of all of it,” she said.

“And bringing Grande Prairie a place where you’re proud to call it home.”

Clayton says she hopes to also bring unity between municipalities across the region.

“Bringing the Peace Country together, and not just the municipalities of northern Alberta, but including B.C. as well my relationships across the border with other mayors, as well as relationships in Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa, will open those conversations for council and the city, and that is a big part of it,” she said.

“The collaborative approach between the municipalities is improving on a regular basis. I think that we’re going to continue to see opportunities and we just need to be working hard to take advantage of the opportunities in our region.”

With that unity, Clayton says she hopes it will help highlight the diverse, multicultural community of Grande Prairie.

“We are so rich in our resources, but we’re even richer in our people. Our people are truly our number one pride piece,” she told EverythingGP.

“Many people including myself moved to Grande Prairie for work, and they stay for the people, so I’m just really, extremely proud to be the leader of this council at this time, unofficially, but I look forward to Friday where I can say that it’s official and look forward to getting to work.”

Clayton says she is beyond thankful for the support she has received, not only during her campaign and the election but during her time as interim mayor.

by Abby Zieverink

Clayton eager to continue serving Grande Prairie after unofficial mayoral win

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