It has been a year since the Cochrane riding turned from blue to orange.

Ending a 40+ year reign of conservative representatives, NDP MLA Cameron Westhead was voted in to represent the people in the Banff to Cochrane riding.

Cochrane Mayor Ivan Brooker has been happy working alongside Westhead.

"I am very pleased with the response we have gotten from Cam over the past year. He has been very approachable, he is a very diligent individual, if you ever have any questions or requests of him, he gets his answers back to you as promptly as you expect. I think he has done a very good job."

Mayor Brooker says being named the Deputy Whip for the NDP only adds to his credibility.

"That sort of backs up my opinion of him, in that respect, I don't think you could ask anymore of someone."

Westhead's win does not surprise Mayor Brooker in the least; he was more surprised that the NDP party took majority with 43% of the votes.

"I was more surprised just in general that the NDP won with the kind of majority they did. It was more a party vote that I was surprised by, not the individual.

Brooker comments that while there are no regular meetings scheduled with Westhead, the two do get together often if their schedules allow.

"It is more if I have a priority or I have a need that I need to get an answer to, that is more often where we have our conversations . But he is always very approachable."

The biggest advantage that Westhead has brought to Cochrane is his push to fix the road infrastructure.

"He was very supportive of the 1A and 22 intersection being his region's number one priority. He very much helped us push to get that on the  books."

The fact that Westhead represents the NDP is neither here or there, shares Brooker, he is happy with the progress.

"I think all in all so far the NDP has done quite a bit for the municipality in terms of support for projects and MSI funding from a municipal perspective, we were very happy with that. I more look to the individual in what they do, and not necessarily what party they come from."