The foot soldiers for the UCP Highwood Constituency Association have been selected, now it has to decide who it wants to lead into the next provincial battle. Laurie Rennich, a former Okotoks town councillor, was selected the association’s president at its annual general meeting on June 23 in Okotoks. Rennich, who had PC leanings prior to the formation of the UCP in July of 2017, became more involved after hearing new party leader Jason Kenney speak at a town hall speech in January of 2017. “After that I felt that there was hope for Alberta again,” Rennich said. She said one of Kenney’s comments she wrote down was: “Politics is consequences.” It stuck with her. “It means we have to get out do the work and get Alberta back on track again,” she said. “It motivated me to get involved, and look at being part of the constituency association and see where I could help to put my talent and experience to the highest and best use.” Rennich has worked with Alberta Urban Municipalities Association in its energy aggregation program. She added she also worked with international organizations to big projects together. “I worked with very high level groups of different backgrounds,” Rennich said. “So I am really good at consensus building and bringing projects forwards and getting results.” With the UCP a creation of a PC and Wildrose parties merger, some consensus building may be needed. “For myself, I am relatively new to the board and today is a new day,” she said. “This is our AGM and I am interested in working with all of our constituents and our board members to move forward for success in 2019 and get behind our leader and restore the Alberta Advantage. “We do all have to work together, any differences in the past need to be put aside, we are United Conservatives. A board of approximately 30 members was selected at the AGM. Work has to be done with the association before the scheduled election sometime in the spring of 2019. “We do need to grow our membership, we need to re-engage past members and begin our fundraising immediately and build our war-chest,” she said. “I would also like to elevate the professionalism of our constituency association.” She said the next step is to select a candidate for the 2019 election. At present there are four candidates running for the nomination. They are incumbent Wayne Anderson, former Okotoks town councillor Carrie Fischer who works in Foothills MP John Barlow’s office, Foothills area businessman Dean Leask, and businessman RJ Sigurdson, a former Highwood PC and UCP constituency president. Leask is a former columnist with the Okotoks Western Wheel. A date has not been set yet for the nomination. However, Rennich said the party has to be ready if the NDP call a snap election in the fall. The new Highwood constituency runs from just west of Millarville to east of Okotoks at Range Road 261. It includes Heritage Pointe, De Winton, Turner Valley and Aldersyde. High River, which was once part of Highwood, is now part of Livingstone-Macleod. [email protected]
