A life-long resident of Estevan is gunning for the mayor’s office in his first time running for Estevan city council.
Ray Walton filed his nomination papers for mayor last Wednesday, opposing two-term incumbent Roy Ludwig, who had already filed. Walton’s carrying the slogan of Rebuilding Community Trust, which he said reflects his belief that people can expect he will do the best job possible for them.
Walton said Estevan needs a change at the helm of council.
“I think the incumbent has had many years to say and do what he thought was best, and that it was time for someone else to have an opportunity and new ideas on where are we and where are we going,” said Walton.
His interest lies in being mayor rather than being a councillor.
“I believe the mayor, working with council and through council, has a lot to offer, and I realize that council is a very important part of the system and will have a lot to say and a lot to do,” said Walton.
Walton ran for the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool at one time, and he was the Benson representative for the former Estevan Rural School Board back when his kids were in school, and he farmed and owned land in the Benson area; at the time, he was still living in Estevan. He has also been part of different boards in the community.
Walton said he believes in the importance of small businesses, and in jobs in the energy sector.
“I believe that to have a community, you have to get involved, and it’s time for everyone in town not to depend on the province and not to depend on the federal government for handouts,” said Walton. “We have to take things into our own hands, and do some of the things that we need to do.”
Walton is a trained mediator and has financial mediation certificates – a background that he believes would serve him well on council.
While there are things that he would like to see accomplished as a community, Walton doesn’t have a platform on what should or shouldn’t be done.
“I think that’s where the mediation part comes in, is council plays a very large role in what direction we take. A mayor is probably more of a guidance, or suggests to council that maybe this will work or won’t work.”
He’s also looking forward to working with the people at city hall, and he said that if he’s elected, everyone would have the opportunity to speak with him.
“We need people to make a community function to fill the rink, to go to restaurants. You can have the best roads in the world, but if nobody’s driving on them, because there’s nobody in town, then it’s irrelevant.”
If he can improve Estevan’s way of life, and can bring more jobs to the community, then Walton would be satisfied.
“We’re going head-on into a wall. And there’s going to be issues I want to sit down and talk about, and that’s SaskPower and that’s the mines, that’s the oilfield, the hospital and the nursing home.”
Estevan needs a new regional nursing home. The community tasked with raising the funds met its goal in early 2015. He hears people say that the provincial government has to offer its blessing, and he wants to know why there has been a delay of more than five years.
“My mother spent a few years there. The staff is wonderful. The building is not. She was treated so well by the staff, but they only can work with what’s given to them. Our seniors are a very important part of our community. They looked after us, and I think it’s time we looked after them in the best way we can.”
The biggest thing he hears when walking around the city and visiting with store owners is that they have lost trust in the system.
“I think I’ll be walking and driving around town, visiting businesses and people, and I’ll be a very visible mayor,” said Walton.
