As 2021, comes to an end, it is hard to distinguish it from 2020 with countless restrictions and changes with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Strathmore Mayor Pat Fule explained that 2020 taught him a lot in regard to emergency preparedness. He said he tried to take this into 2021 as well. 

“I'm sure everyone feels this is but I really thought that COVID-19 would be gone.  I really thought that the vaccines and everything that we were doing, that we'd be kind of rewarded with the finish line, but unfortunately, there's still a lot of people who aren't vaccinated.” 

Being an elected official will come with its highs and pitfalls but when a global pandemic is at the forefront, it can cause stress for not only one person but an entire council.  

Along with all of the pressures that came along with trying to navigate COVID-19, Mayor Fule spoke to the Anti-Racism campaign that was run in 2021,

“Well, anytime you have an anti-racism campaign, it has the potential to be polarizing because some people don't believe that we've had those kinds of situations and that we shouldn't be showcasing it too much and it could hurt the appearance of Strathmore.”

Popular or not Mayor Fule felt there was a need to press forward, “We don't take it lightly when our friends and neighbours east of us from Siksika Nations are telling us anecdotal evidence of things that have happened to them in different places at different locations, gassing up and things like that we can't just turn a blind eye to them. We have to take them seriously and we have to have discussions about what we can do to improve Strathmore for everyone.”

Fule explained that he is adamant about bringing a positive atmosphere to the newly elected Strathmore Town Council.  

“You can disagree, but you don't have to be disagreeable, and that's one of the things this Council I think is really going to be good at.” 

“We want to continue to do good work for the Town and to try to improve it and move it forward. We've talked about how we want to really be a professional council.” 

The mayor explained that he hopes to keep things lowkey this year while still getting some great projects moving forward.  

“My goal as mayor is to continue to try to bring a calm demeanor to any emergencies situations that are serious that should arise. A lot of people think the mayor can just do whatever and make decisions, but I'm one vote on Council.” 

Mayor Fule is setting new goals for 2022 he aims to strive to have good governance, to create good policies and bylaws, to oversee projects, and to be careful of money. He has a lot of hope for 2022 witnessing firsthand the resiliency of the Town of Strathmore over the past two years from business owners, local organizations, community leaders right down every student who has met the challenges head-on.

He states that he believes there is strength in this community and is looking forward to helping that grow in 2022 and throughout his term as Mayor.