Skye Vermeulen
City of St. Albert, City Councillor Candidate
Email:
Address:
St. Albert, AB T8N 1E4
Hello! I'm Skye Vermeulen
I am running as a candidate for the St. Albert City Councillor role in the upcoming 2025 election. Raised in a small town rural community, I recognize the value in bridging the generational political gaps within the community to ensure a fiscally responsible, culturally diverse community. St. Albert was once named one of the best cities to live in in Canada, and I hope to bring that title back to our beautiful city!
About Me...
What to know about me...
My father always told me growing up that if I wasn't willing to vote, I had no right to complain. Much to his chagrin (but not to his surprise), I took an early interest in politics and a career led by public service.
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I am a full-time working wife and mother to three amazing children. For the past decade, I have worked as an Investigator on behalf of many of the health regulatory colleges, ensuring that health professionals are acting in the best interests of the public. More recently, I have conducted investigations at a federal level for Immigration and Citizenship Consultants engaging in allegations of unprofessional conduct against the public. This has strengthened my understanding of various cultural perspectives and the challenges faced federally, provincially, and municipally by both the government and new Canadians.
My professional career has been devoted to ensuring the protection of the public, by those who serve the public. I took an interest in politics and serving my community when my experience in accessing government and community services and advocating for my neurodiverse child faced significant challenges at both a provincial and municipal level.
It should come as no surprise that it was an easy choice for our family to move to St. Albert, which is known for its rich investment in education and community. As a resident of this community, I believe my role isn't just to "take", but also to give. In this belief, I have decided to run for City Council so that instead of just complaining about what could be better - I actually do something to make it better.
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I believe it is important for all generations to take an active part in their communities so that we can bridge the political generational gaps that have become ever more present in the past few years. Our community has become increasingly more diverse and faced with political challenges beyond our municipal control; this is why I believe it's important that everyone has a voice, now more than ever.
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I also believe in the importance of integrity and honesty within our municipal government, sheltering ourselves against increasingly prevalent misinformation within the news and social media. We can do this through active community involvement with residents and Council members. We can create better transparency in our municipal processes by using plain language and being more responsive to resident's concerns. We can ensure the integrity of our representatives by holding them accountable not only for what they say, but what they do. I want to be a Councillor who embodies these qualities.
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If you have any questions about my values, what I stand for, and how I will best serve this community, please feel free to reach out and I would be happy to discuss my views with you.
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I would appreciate your vote and look forward to serving as your City Councillor!
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RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
2024-Present
City of Edmonton, City Council
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Public Member, Community Standards and Licensing Appeal Board
Appointed as a Public Member, to sit and conduct a public appeal hearing, filed by residents of Edmonton who are subject to bylaw violations.
2024-Present
Public Member, Complaints Review Committee
Government of Alberta
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Appointed by the Justice Minister as a Public Member, to read and review Investigation Reports and determine whether acts of unprofessional conduct warrant a Hearing.
2016-Present
Regulatory Investigator and Investigations Coordinator (Immigration and Health)
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2019-Present
Hearings Director
Served as the Hearings Director for several health regulatory colleges under the Health Professions Act.
What I want for St. Albert...
Some of My Priorities for St. Albert:
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St. Albert residents have long suffered increasing property tax rates that do not seem to stretch as far as they once used to in keeping up with our amazing treed boulevards and lush parks that we are known for. To keep up, the city has increased its urbanization and densification which has increased the tax base, but many residents miss the small community feel that sometimes gets lost in multiplexes and high rise buildings.
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As some of you have pointed out, St. Albert has very little (if any) industrial tax base. Exploring a partnership with the Villeneuve Airport which offers proximity and convenience could open up industrial opportunities for St. Albert businesses in offering lower airport and transportation fees than YEG. This would allow industrial and commercial businesses to access shipped parts and goods at a lower cost, and would also draw commercial businesses to St. Albert to bolster the commercial taxes collected.
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There are a lot of finer details required for this type of partnership and project, but I think St. Albert residents are owed another look at ways to increase our tax income to maintain the level of services previously enjoyed, without the burden resting solely on the residents and mass urbanization.
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I hope to speak with many of you over the next few weeks to get your thoughts and ideas on how I can serve St. Albert.
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See you soon St. Albert!
INITIATIVES
- Revisiting Sturgeon River Development for recreational use such as kayaking, paddleboards and skating
- Partnering with Villeneuve Airport to increase industrial growth and commercial tax base thereby stabilizing residential taxes
- Prioritizing the development of a new High School to serve over 1500 students, with a view at looking forward
- Increasing access for seniors and youth to safe transit solutions, including dial-a-ride services
- Working collaboratively with Indigenous groups, the LGBTQ community and other vulnerable minorities to maintain a safe and inclusive City.
- Finding innovative solutions for youth to gather and be involved in positive community engagement
VALUES
EMBRACING DIVERSITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE
Committed to a diverse and inclusive community that not only embraces, but advocates for people of all backgrounds and ensures a municipal government that represents these qualities.
Ensuring that community leaders are accountable not only for what they say, but what they do, and that those actions represent the community as a whole.
Dedicated to fostering an inclusive government that represents the voices of all community members.