Myles Chykerda is an archaeologist who has lived in both rural Alberta as well as Edmonton. After studying for his Ph.D. in Los Angeles, for the love of his hometown brought him back to Lacombe, so representing the Alberta Party in the Lacombe-Ponoka riding is something he is very passionate about. 

What policies are you looking to stress during this election?

That’s a tough question because there is province-wide stuff and local constituency issues. What we really hope is that all of our candidates can work together. There’s a big concern about healthcare issues that we’re only getting $200  per capita instead of $2000 like the cities are getting. Our smaller towns and cities aren’t getting equitable funding compared to the cities. Just making sure that Central Alberta and rural areas and that those areas are being heard. In the Alberta Party, it has been wonderful to talk to Stephen Mandel, our leader and to anyone in the top and bringing those concerns up.

What is something you are most proud of about your party?

Two things there, I am incredibly proud of the caucus we had in the legislature in the past few years. They performed admirably, and they did their best with being a smaller party and with less funding. I think the outperformed the UCP and any other parties by far. It wasn’t aggressive it was always collegial. They suggested amendments to bills which got passed. I think they were really effective so that I am just proud of the slate of 87 candidates that we have right now. It is a wide birth of Albertans people like archaeologists, we have two EMT’s running, business people, we have lawyers, we have teachers, we have moms, males, females, and every single kind of person and background you can think of.

What is the area of expertise within your party?

I think our area of expertise is that we’re in the middle here. We’re not beholden or stuck in any political ideology. We don’t have ties to any federal party we’re not led by a former minister of the CVC and we’re doing our best to make sure all of our policies do something to push Alberta forward. It’s not about left or right it’s about moving forward and putting the people of Alberta and the province before politics.

What do you think is most important to Lacombe area residents about your platform?

That’s a tough one because Lacombe and Ponoka is so diverse. I don’t think there is any one thing. Healthcare affects us all whether it’s a newborn baby or your 90-year old grandma. We need to make sure that we have options here for healthcare and that we’re not just throwing them into an ambulance and sending them to Calgary and Edmonton.

I think education is vastly important as well because education is an economic enabler. If one industry is in a bit of a recession, there are options for growth for learning and developing new processes and new industries.

What is your attachment to this area?

I was born in Stettler in ‘82, my family moved to Lacombe in ‘94 when we bought what was then the White Goose Restaurant, it’s now Sherry’s and we owned that for three years. My parents weren’t necessarily the best business people so that didn’t really last but Lacombe has always been home. I spent some years in Edmonton and other places for my education and L.A for my Ph.D. I chose to move back because Lacombe is my home and I absolutely love it there it is a great community. I am so proud of it being a friendly community, one that donates and it the most charitable cities in Canada.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I just hope everyone does their diligence here, I think it’s a huge election there are choices to be made it’s not a two-party race and there are options out there. I hope everyone takes time to look into things, read party platforms, all of our stuff is on albertaparty.ca, and we’re adding to that every day0

as our platform is rolled out. Ultimately, get out and vote it shouldn’t be 50% of people making these massive decisions.