Outgoing MLA Miranda Rosin’s four-year term as MLA in Banff-Kananaskis has seemingly come to a bittersweet end, to say the least.
Mere minutes after making a victory speech on election night May 29, with what looked to be a locked win, the riding’s seat was swept from under the UCP incumbent as advance and mobile votes finished tallying to put NDP candidate Sarah Elmeligi ahead by 199 votes, according to Elections Alberta unofficial results.
While Rosin declined and has since not responded to requests from the Great West Media Canmore newsroom for another interview after results changed and following the interview she gave shortly after her speech, she did reflect fondly on what was her first term in office.
“It’s hard to pick one thing that stands out, but I think generally, I worked really hard to represent the tourism community,” she said. “Not just the business owners and leaders, but the staff who work in hospitality, those who are overworked because there’s labour shortages, mid-level management, the owners and the entrepreneurs.”
Being appointed as the parliamentary secretary for tourism last November, she added, pushed her to work even harder for the industry, the people and the workers she cares about so much at the decision-making table.
“It was one of my biggest honours my past four years,” said Rosin. “It certainly worked, but I hope I’ll be able to continue into the future.”
On March 23, Rosin introduced Bill 208, which aims to establish a special designation in the Municipal Government Act for tourism communities, something the municipalities of Banff and Canmore have long asked for given the pressures on residents and expenditures to support an ever-growing visitor population.
The bill reached the floor of the Alberta legislature, but the lottery system afforded to MLA’s meant that by chance, it did not get there until the last day of the spring session. Thus, the bill was shelved not having adequate time to pass.
Prior to entering the political arena and running for the Banff-Kananaskis candidacy in 2019, Rosin, who was born and raised in Saskatchewan, was a market development manager with The Coca-Cola Company. Her background is in management and business development, having received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Regina.
Rosin described her first four years as MLA as an enormous growth experience.
“It has been tremendous,” she said. “I think I can probably say the same for all of my colleagues. We all ran for office knowing that we had a lot of work to do, a lot to do to correct the province, but I don’t think any of us expected the hand we were dealt with the collapse of oil and then a two-year pandemic.
“I am so honoured to have one of the few voices at the decision-making table during some of the most pivotal times in our nation’s history,” she said.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
