Former Premier visits with Viking council

A relaxed discussion covered a wide range of topics when former Alberta Premier visited with Viking Town Council Monday, Dec. 19.

    The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the debt ceiling crisis facing the United States, Europe’s financial turmoil and the reverberating effects these events are having on Canada and Alberta were all open to discussion.

    Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Stelmach was a special guest at the regular meeting of the Viking town council. The MLA was asked to attend, affording council the opportunity to thank him for his years of service to the province and, in particular, the attention he gave this area.

    Council members took the opportunity to present Mr. Stelmach with a donation to The Ed Stelmach Community Foundation. Each councillor, the Mayor and CAO made a personal donation to the foundation as a way of thanking MLA Stelmach for his service.

    The former Premier spoke to the group recalling any number of high-points of his term as Premier that he was able to share with Viking and offered his thoughts on the future of the province.

    On the whole, he said he sees Alberta continuing to lead the country in productivity and commented on the fact that Prime Minister Stephen Harper conceded that fact just this past week.

    However, he did say there were many issues the province would have to face in the coming year.

More see the Jan. 3/12 issue of the Viking Weekly Review