Community
Re-Elect Tanya Handley to City Council 2017

Get to know me!
First and foremost I am a wife and a mom to three great kids! I try to instill in my children a sense of community pride and a desire to give back. I have called Red Deer home for over 26 years. I have a background in banking, having worked for RBC Royal Bank for 10 years. I am also a Journeyman Hairstylist. I was elected to City Council in 2013 and love serving the citizens of Red Deer. I would love to serve another term with your support!
I think City Council’s most important role is to be a voice for citizens. To listen and represent your wants and needs to the City Administration. I have no problem standing up and saying no when it is warranted, no matter how much pressure I am under. I am not afraid to stand alone on issues, if that is what I have heard from citizens. (It could be the Irish in me!)
I take the spending of tax dollars very seriously and am fiscally conservative. I believe we need to deliver our core services well, and then worry about the “nice to haves”. I use common sense when making decisions as I am a tax payer too and want to see our dollars spent well.
Taxpayers have seen tax increases from all orders of government and I will continue to try and keep our municipal taxes low. One of my greatest accomplishments this term was introducing a successful notice of motion to lower the City’s allowable debt limit. This is now a policy that helps keep spending in check.
I have served on many boards and committees in the last 4 years and gained experience and insight. Some of those include:
City of Red Deer Audit Committee- financial oversight
City Council Governance and Policy Committee –policy development
Nomination Committee-Chair
Red Deer Subdivision and Development Appeal Board
Red Deer Appeal and Review Board
Red Deer Public Library Board
Westerner Board
Waskasoo Environmental Education Society
Central Alberta Regional Trails Society
We have many important and varied issues facing the City during the next 4 years. A few priorities based on feedback from the community would be continuing to improve our Snow and Ice Management plan. Also supporting the full roll out of our Community Safety Strategy to help combat the increase in crime that we have seen in the City. I also recognize that expanded health care services and facilities are desperately needed, not only for Red Deer but all of Central Alberta. While this is a Provincial mandate, I will continue to add my voice to advocate for these needed improvements.
On October 16th Vote TANYA HANDLEY!!
Community
Red Deer family rocked by cancer diagnosis seeks support from the community

From the Facebook page of Nicole Maurier
From GoFundMe
Business
Business leaders decide it’s time to reduce the number of homeless in Red Deer

News release from the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce
Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce to form Task Force on Homelessness in Red Deer
The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be convening a Task Force of community and business leaders to address the issues of homelessness and identify actionable steps which can be taken to tackle this generational challenge in Red Deer.
“With the release of the City of Red Deer’s Point in Time (PIT) Report on homelessness last week we are very concerned and disappointed with the effectiveness of the strategies currently in place, and the urgency by which we need to turn this situation around within our city,” commented Scott Robinson CEO of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. “Clearly our current strategies are not enough, and we need to elevate the urgency by which we get things done to reduce the number of citizens who are without a place to live. The growing number of people who are homeless is not sustainable and is impacting on our sense of pride, safety and attractiveness of our city to business and industry.”
“We will share more about this Task Force and the next steps in the coming weeks. Time has run out to act with conviction, courage, and clarity. Our community and citizens deserve that from our community leaders, and we are ready to bring the business community and the urgency required to the table.”
Over the next 60 days, the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be reaching out to its business and social agency partners to build the Task Force on homelessness and establish a strategy to address the critical steps that need to be taken to reverse the trends and further our community’s vision as a vibrant and healthy city.
Matt Cassidy, Chamber Board President. remarked “Our Chamber is positioned to be the collaborative leader in connecting our business community, social agencies, and elected officials together, to find tangible progress on this complex issue. All businesses rely on the vibrancy of our community as they strive to be sustainable, innovative, or grow, and the results of the PIT Report indicate that we need to do much more. This task force will help hold our leaders accountable for the actionable progress needed and engage one another effectively.”
“In speaking with our membership, and those working closely with the vulnerable populations there are best practices and models for delivery that are successful in other parts of the world that we need to start implementing” says Robinson. In addition, we need to look at ways that our private sector can get more involved and bring their expertise and strategic thinking to the table. As a collaborative community we also need to ensure that governments at all levels are delivering on their promises of affordable housing and eliminating barriers to expediting these investments.
Established in 1894 the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan, collaborative business leader representing over 825 member businesses. As one of Red Deer’s oldest and most established membership organizations we are striving to build a vibrant community that fosters an environment where businesses can lead, be innovative, sustainable, and grow.
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