A Red Deer College instructor is committed to seeking improvements in health care, education and seniors’ services if he’s elected for the Alberta Party in Red Deer South.
Serge Gingras said he believes the current government hasn’t responded to the needs of Albertans in these regards.
He’s been teaching French and Spanish at Red Deer College for 27 years, so education is dear to his heart.
“I’ve had a passion for teaching and learning and over the years, I’ve developed and presented workshops on language acquisition and learning,” Gingras said. He’s had an interest in health care and seniors, and in particular how a second language may affect aging, memory loss, and getting dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. As a university student, he worked in a hospital for six years.
Gingras believes that health and wellness issues of Alberta’s aging baby boomer population will have to be addressed more and more.
He said he’s seeing an increasing number of people in their mid-50s and older who are returning to school. So he believes that the government needs to look after this population, plus at financial and human resources for the younger generations.
Gingras decided to run for the Alberta Party after watching the results unfold in the last election, in March 2008.
“I think four years ago we started to sense a change and I didn’t really see an alternative in the other parties. About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across the Alberta Party and I was impressed with their consultation process in terms of finding out what matters to Albertans, and what they felt government should do for people.”
The Alberta Party built its policies based on what it heard from Albertans, which Gingras really liked.
“I also like that it’s a centrist party,” said Gingras.
Gingras, 53, has had a partner for more than 17 years.
He has been recognized for his excellence in teaching and for his community involvement.
Over the years, he has contributed to various groups, including Central Alberta AIDS Network Society, Canadian Parents for French, Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter and Special Olympics.
He is also a founding member of the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta – Régionale de Red Deer.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com