LAC LA BICHE - Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made what his supporters called a "whistle-stop" meet and greet on Thursday night in Lac La Biche at a local eatery.
Kenney made the trip with UCP Ministers Nate Horner and Demetrios Nicolaides. Horner is the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development and Nocholaides is the Minister of Advanced Education. The three had earlier been at a news conference in Athabasca regarding government partnerships with Athabasca University.
Lac La Biche County Mayor Paul Reutov said Kenney officials who had planned the Athabasca visit reached out just a day before to ask if there was an appetite for a meet-and-greet in Lac La Biche on Thursday. Reutov told Lakeland Today that anytime there is an opportunity to welcome portfolio-carrying politicians and the province's top elected official to the community, the door is always open.
Attendees at the two-hour social gathering at the Fat Unicorn Tap House included local elected officials and senior administrators, members of the local business community, past municipal officials from across the region, representative of local industrial sectors, senior administration from Portage College and local school boards, and UCP party supporters.Newly-elected UCP Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean was not at the event. Lakeland Today will attempt to reach out to the area's provincial representative for comments. Jean has publicly announced his intentions to challenge Kenney for the leadership of the party. A leadership vote is slated for April 9. With more than 15,000 members potentially ready to cast ballots, an in-person convention in Red Deer was recently cancelled to make way for a mail-in leadership vote.
At Thursday night's event, Kenney did not discuss the recent change in the vote.
