Serving as a school trustee with the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools since 2007, improving public education is high on the list of priorities for UCP candidate for Red Deer North Adriana LaGrange.

LaGrange is also the former president of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association, as well as the former vice-president of the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association.

She hopes to unseat incumbent NDP Kim Schreiner in the riding of Red Deer-North, who first won the seat in 2015.

What policies are you looking to really stress during this election?

“Improving the economy. We have over 180,000 people out of work and we really need to get people working, lower taxes, get rid of the regulatory burden that has been hindering individuals and businesses. We are looking at actively improving health care…especially in Red Deer we have issues regarding our hospital needing an expansion and cardiac catheterization, so those are two of my priorities. I have been a trustee with the school board, provincial President for three years, and national Vice-President of the school trustee association, and education is high on my priority list to ensure we have the highest quality and most effective [public] education out there.”

What is your area of expertise in your party/what are you most keen on?

“I’m just really excited about the ability to attract quality candidates, who have a very diverse background and skill set that comes from a wide variety of ethnic groups and diverse backgrounds. We have lawyers, teachers, farmers, and just a multitude of people that have worked in the public sector, private sector, we have young and old. We’ve been able to really ignite an interest and a real commitment to moving this province forward. There’s hope that the future is going to turn, that we will be able to build those pipelines, that we will be able to provide jobs, good quality, long term, full-time jobs…that we can have the best publicly funded healthcare system and that we can strive for the best, highest quality, effective education system.”

What part of your platform do you think is most important to central Albertans?

“Health care in particular. Red Deer Regional (Hospital) needs an expansion. The 2015 Needs Assessment really highlighted that we needed 98 beds, 3 operating rooms, and 18 emergency rooms, and we need cardiac catheterization, and those improvements that we desperately need, will affect all of the central zone. Lacombians ability to receive urgent care in Red Deer with a cardiac catheterization would benefit all of our constituents and residents. So health care, definitely… we are looking at developing a coalition to move the needs of all central Alberta zone needs in health care forward.”

What is your attachment to this area?

“I actually came here in 81’, I have a diploma in rehab studies working with mental/physically challenged and I was recruited in Ontario to come out after I graduated with my rehab program to work at Michener Centre…I met my husband in 83’, and he was born and raised in Red Deer, and we have a family farm that’s been here since 1942, so the LaGrange family has roots in the Red Deer community. I have 7 children so I’ve been very active in the school systems.”