My name is Blake Campbell, and I am running for Town Councillor and am asking for your support. I currently serve on the Gull Lake Tourism Committee, which I was appointed to by Town Council. In addition, I am a member of the Gull Lake Economic Development Committee and sit on the Community Action Planning Committee. I've previously served on town council and numerous local, regional, and provincial organisations and boards. Campbell's Accommodations is owned and operated by me and my wife. I also operate the Gull Lake Events website and social media platforms.

Our town's growth and sustainability is a concern of mine. It was one of the reasons I worked with the previous council to hire our Economic Development Officer and adopt a community plan. The most pressing issue confronting our town today is depopulation, which necessitates community planning and economic development initiatives. The current Town Council has recently resumed the critical process of community planning, which will aid in identifying community needs and initiatives that will assist Gull Lake attract more residents and businesses over time. Communication from Council will be critical to the success of these vital initiatives.

When I was on the council and even now, one of the most common comments I hear is that the minutes posted to the town website don't give enough information. Minutes are only council decisions and do not offer residents with a complete picture of everything the council is working on at any given time. A lack of communication with residents leaves them feeling removed from Council's decision-making process. The inclusion of a community newsletter and information updates on the town website has been beneficial. However, a good communications strategy would greatly improve a council's accountability with it’s residents.

To help improve communications during my time on Town Council, I wrote regular website posts on Councils' behalf keep to provide residents with information that went above the minutes to keep them informed. Many of the posts were also picked up by local media giving our community positive regional media coverage. If elected, I would work with the council to develop and implement effective communication policies to improve the dissemination of information. Improved communication will increase resident satisfaction, trust, and confidence.

As an individual member of council, communications with residents would be my primary concern. I would encourage residents to approach me directly if they have any problems or concerns. As a candidate for Council I will also be reaching out to residents in the coming weeks to hear your concerns. If you would like to discuss your concerns, please contact me at 306-672-7499 or email blakecampbell@myaccess.ca.

I care about the future of our community and need your vote on September 27, 2023.

Blake Campbell