Following his early-February announcement that he would run for council in the upcoming municipal election, Dan Cunin is moving into the second phase of his campaign after an arduous door-to-door introductory effort.
“I was fairly confident that I would enjoy talking to people and discussing Cochrane,” said Cunin, “but was pleasantly surprised with just how much I enjoyed it.”
If Cunin did not knock on your door, the 43-year-old is no stranger to politics, having run as the Green Party in the 2008 provincial election. A former British Columbia resident who moved to Cochrane almost a decade ago, Cunin said he believes the community needs to think of both seniors and youth moving into the future, as well as finding that balance between accepting that the Cochrane area relies mightily on the oil and gas industry, while at the same time, taking the necessary steps to ensure the environment is not put on the back burner.
Cunin served two terms on the Cochrane Planning Commission, is employed by the Alberta Government as a children’s services worker and holds a degree in social work from the University of Victoria.
As for what was one of the most prominent issues raised during Cunin’s discussions with residents, it may not come as much of a surprise: transit.
“The conviction with which people were either 100 per cent for or 100 per cent against transit was the biggest surprise for me,” said Cunin.
Cunin added that those who were the most ardent detractors of transit did not seem to oppose the service itself, but were more critical of the tax implications attached to transit.
“Most of these people were not against paying a little bit of extra taxes,” he said, “but were against paying a lot of extra taxes…as long as they weren’t paying $50 to $100 extra per month.”
Long-term viability and ridership numbers were also concerns Cunin heard about a transit system.
Now that he has met a throng of Cochrane residents, Cunin wants to keep his momentum going.
“I’m now trying to follow up with certain groups of people, seniors and business owners,” he said, “to refine my campaign platform, but also hope to start a more prolonged door-knocking campaign if time permits.”
Cochrane’s October election has seen some action as of late, with Mayor Truper McBride announcing he will not seek re-election and businessman David Smith declaring his candidacy for mayor.
Cunin said whether you agreed with McBride’s views or not, he was clearly committed to the community.
“I personally always found (McBride) to be willing to discuss areas of concern and to be open to hearing different viewpoints,” Cunin said. “Admirable traits in my opinion.”
Cunin also said he had little doubt that McBride would have been one person he could have worked effectively with if voted to council.
“That being said, I’m confident in my ability to work with whoever is now voted to be the new mayor,” Cunin affirmed.
For more information, email Cunin at [email protected].
