Alan Cox believes that Cochrane needs to be better prepared to meet the demands of its growing population.

He's one of 19 candidates seeking a seat on Town Council in the upcoming Municipal Election and he believes he has what it takes to be a strong advocate for Cochrane residents.

Cox commends members of the current council for stepping up during turbulent times throughout the pandemic, but he says that it's time to look ahead and bring about some change.

"If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward," says Cox. "As with any team --it can always be better and I think it's time for the citizens of Cochrane to reflect on the past four years and decide how they want to improve the team."

Cox's platform is based on sustainable growth. He believes we can maintain Cochrane's small-town appeal while laying the groundwork to make it a complete community. 

He would like to see some more post-secondary options here and believes that it needs to be a priority.

"Having post-secondary satellite campuses closer to us has its advantages," explains Cox. "I'd really like to challenge Bow Valley College to expand their campus, perhaps even Sait. I see our youth --I want to give them opportunities to stay in our community and be able to afford to stay in our community."

Cox strongly believes that Cochrane needs to expand on the healthcare services that are available to us locally. He says that while Urgent Care is currently meeting our needs, our population is growing at a rapid pace.

Cox says that the ongoing issue of Cochrane's water rights needs to be at the forefront.

"Our limitation right now is our water rights," explains Cox. "We just overtook Okotoks as the largest town in Alberta and one of the limitations to Okotoks is the water rights. To my understanding, I believe we have the capacity for up to 40,000 so we're not that far away from looking for alternatives or we'll be in the same spot as Okotoks. We really need to prepare ourselves."

Cox says that he's ready to challenge administration and would like to be a voice for Cochranites. He wants to see the groundwork being put in place for long-term goals that will benefit the community.