Lori Carr is no stranger to running for office but after years of swimming in the relatively small fishbowl that is Estevan, she is attempting a move to a bigger pond.
The member of Estevan city council has announced she plans to seek the Conservative Party nomination for the Souris-Moose Mountain Constituency.
Carr said she has long harboured an interest in federal politics and with current MP Ed Komarnicki announcing that he will not run for re-election she has decided to take her shot.
"When I initially got on city council about 10 years ago, one of the reasons I ran was because I was interested in this position and I just wanted to know if I even liked politics," said Carr, who added that the timing also worked out perfectly from a family perspective, as her son is about to graduate high school while both her daughters are in university.
"Once I got there, I enjoyed it so much I knew that this was the path that I wanted to work towards."
Carr is currently serving her third term on city council after reclaiming a seat in the 2012 municipal election. She said her experience on council has given her a solid base in politics and has also shaped many of her beliefs. In particular, Carr would like to see the federal government come up with a sustainable funding model for infrastructure projects including roads.
"It would be really nice to twin and all that, but we've got some roads in the rural areas and highways that are barely passable. We really need to focus on some of that; it's not all about the big centres, we have a huge area and I would like to see something that works towards some sustainable (funding) so these communities know that it is going to be fixed."
Carr said policing and crime is also an issue of concern for her. With many communities throughout Souris-Moose Mountain enjoying times of prosperity, there has been a corresponding increase in crime. Carr, who is a member of the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners, feels it is incumbent upon the federal government to provide forces with the proper resources to do their job effectively.
Carr's entry into the nomination race brings the number of candidates to six as she joins Dr. Robert Kitchen, Phil Zajac, Mike Strachan, Randy Schiller and Lyndon Dayman. In looking at her fellow candidates, Carr said she brings experience to the table in a number of areas. Along with her duties on council, Carr is also a member of the Sun Country Health Region board of directors and is heavily involved with Air Cadets both locally and provincially.
"I've had an opportunity to be out (in many communities within the constituency) so I won't be a stranger to everybody when they see my name," she said. "Being (on the Sun Country board) has shown me the importance of working together as a region to get what you need.
"It's a big, big area and I know that I am going to have to get out there and meet people. It will be a lot of travelling between now and the nomination but I'm up for it. I know it is going to be a lot of work to get the nomination but it is something that I really want to do, and I know if I get there I am going to do a good job, and I will work hard for this region."
