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QUESTION BY EMAIL.
1) Why did you decide to put your name forward as a candidate? I’m running for City Council because I care deeply about Red Deer and the people who live here. This is my home, and I want to see it safer, stronger, and more connected. I believe we need a Council that listens, communicates openly, and focuses on real solutions that make life better for everyone. My career spans over 30 years in retail operations, management, marketing, sales, and team leadership, with experience across Ontario, Nunavut, Ohio, and Alberta. While I studied business decades ago, I’ve learned far more from hands-on, practical experience than any classroom could provide. I’ve been involved in municipal committees and advocacy groups over the years, which reinforced the importance of hard work, listening to people, and delivering results. Living with a disability has given me a unique perspective on accessibility and inclusion, and I am passionate about affordable housing, fair rent, and supporting people who are struggling in our community. I am not a career politician, and serving on Council is my way to give back and fulfill my civic duty while helping make Red Deer safer, more welcoming, and more united. For more information on my experience, platform, and positions, you can visit my website at www.kevinmklerks.ca . 2) Are you a candidate that is closer in ideology to being conservative, liberal (or NDP) ideology? This will not ultimately determine my vote, but is helpful in a broad and more general understanding of how you might serve our community. I do not belong to any political party, so I cannot say how my values and platform might align with them. I believe in freedom, fairness, and common sense. Government should focus on the essentials—operating efficiently, being transparent, and staying out of people’s lives whenever possible. I value personal responsibility, helping others when we can, and ensuring everyone has a fair chance to succeed. I support practical solutions over politics, innovation over red tape, and protecting our community and environment through balance and accountability. People know what’s best for their own lives, and government should make that easier, not harder. Some have labeled me a “small-c conservative,” “slightly right of center,” “populist,” “libertarian,” or “moderate.” None of these labels, however, have any bearing on non-partisan municipal government. Since 2020, after my federal party run, I’ve been clear that political parties—federal, provincial, and especially municipal—should be abolished. Elected representatives should serve the people who chose them, not a party or its agenda. 3) Our downtown needs to be made a priority in the areas of homelessness, as well as drugs and substance abuse which occur openly on our streets, and parking issues. Do you agree? Comments? Downtown parking probably wouldn’t be such a headache if city employees weren’t allegedly taking up street spots, residents downtown who use the street for parking should be issued paid parking permits, and the Bus Terminal Parkade—most of the time sitting 70% empty—was used more. Bringing our transit system back to pre-COVID levels, with more evening routes, would also make it easier for people to get around without a vehicle. Our downtown needs attention when it comes to homelessness, open drug and substance abuse, and parking issues. Do I agree that downtown should be the absolute priority? Not exactly. Simply pushing the problem out of downtown might make business owners feel safer or give the impression that something has been accomplished, but it isn’t a real solution to homelessness. That’s why plans like the Chamber’s, and the work of local organizations, are important—they focus on practical approaches and partnerships to address these issues while the city provides support and oversight. Regarding drugs and substance abuse, the approach should be clear: addicts need to choose rehab or face legal consequences. If drug use is happening openly on our streets, law enforcement should enforce existing bylaws—but that also requires citizens to report incidents rather than just vent on social media. I’ve personally called the police about open drug use here on the Red Mile, and within five minutes there were two marked and one unmarked vehicles on site. If that’s the response I received, I can’t understand why it wouldn’t happen elsewhere like downtown—though maybe people aren’t calling the police when they see issues.
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