ROB MURRAY: Karen Marra is running for re-election to Canmore council. Tell us a little bit about your background and your related experience for the job.

KAREN MARRA: I’ve lived in Canmore for more than 45 years. I’ve lived in the Valley for 50-plus years. I finished high school here. I married here. I worked in a family business that was here for many years and I raised my two sons here who are now raising their kids. I’ve really enjoyed being on council. I like being part of the community vision and community decisions. I love Canmore. I love the community. I love the people, and I just want to be involved in the future decision-making. The last term was a very exciting term. It had a lot of events and big decisions during that term. That’s pretty much why I’m running.

RM: What would be one of the top or your top issue that you’re really passionate about, and some ideas that you have around it?

KM: One of my biggest passions is affordability and how it plays out in the community. Housing, food security, even different programs that help affordability for young families, for seniors, and for everybody. Roam free transit. How we approach that is collaboratively with all of our business partners and our community partners, and how we move that forward is by coming together and discussing the issues.

RM: Looking back on the last four years, what’s something that you’re particularly proud of as part of council or something you feel council did a good job tackling? Conversely, what’s something you feel that missed the mark a bit?

KM: The thing that I’m proud of is moving forward with the organics program. I think that was a big success. We started out just with an idea – I know it was on the community’s mind for awhile. Now it’s even been expanded to add ten more bins around town. I was very happy with the uptake, that the community was accepting of it and the engagement with it.

I’m not sure if there’s anything that we missed the mark on. There are always things that you can improve and do better. I can’t think of one particular thing, but if there is, I’m always open to hearing from people. That’s what I have always put out – my accessibility to the community and hearing what the concerns are.

RM: That leads right into the next question – how do you stay engaged with people in the community? What do you find works well?

KM: Everything. I listen, and read emails. I have phone calls. Over the last four years something that I’ve been very proud of is individual meetings. I’ve met on my birthday. I’ve met on July 1st. I’ve met in coffee shops. I’ve met people just walking on the path who stop and say, hey, what about this, or here’s an idea I have. In the grocery store, waiting in line…sometimes you’re in a long line and you can have a full discussion. That’s what I pride myself on – being accessible to the community in any way.

RM: What’s another part of your platform or another issue that you’d like to chat about we haven’t really touched on yet?

KM: One of my platforms is tourism. We have established the Tourism Task Force. There was a report that just came to council and there was a recommendation to come forward with a round table, which would be, I believe, headed by TCK, to get the conversation going and listen to the community. We have a very polarized view on tourism in our community, It has its positives and negatives, but I think we are a tourism community and how we move forward with that is a conversation to be had.

RM: Where can people find out more about you?

KM: On Facebook. They can email me. My phone number is (403) 678-8043 if there’s anything they would like to talk to me about or have a meeting with me. I am going door to door, knocking and campaigning.

RM: Why should people vote for you in the upcoming municipal election?

KM: People should vote for me because I’m committed. I’m dedicated. I’m a listener, and I take all of that input. I research all of the topics that come to us at council. I listen to the community, and I put that in the toolbox to come forward with a decision that benefits the majority of the community.

Filed under: Canmore, Municipal Election