[ad_1]
Wooden Buffalo’s new mayor hasn’t been in politics earlier than however he is able to combat for change.
Sandy Bowman, 50, was sworn in final week and is getting ready for his first council assembly. The well-known martial arts teacher defeated council incumbents Mike Allen and Verna Murphy to win the vacant mayor’s seat final month.
Like many Fort McMurray residents, Bowman is just not initially from the area.
Bowman moved to Fort McMurray in 1993 from Nova Scotia. He and a good friend had determined to maneuver to B.C, however they stopped in Fort McMurray on the best way to go to household.
“I used to be right here for six days, I met a woman, fell in love, ended up getting married,” Bowman mentioned.
“Once I say house now, that is house.”
Bowman’s ardour is martial arts, which he began practising when he was 9.
He introduced that to Fort McMurray, educating household and mates Taekwondo at MacDonald Island Park.
“It steamrolled to youngsters preferred it, youngsters wished to get entangled with it,” mentioned Bowman.
In 1995, he determined to open a studio referred to as Bowmans Martial Arts. He plans to maintain educating throughout his time period as mayor.
“If I am completed for the day and need a couple hours to de-stress and exercise I will simply are available right here and prepare and train,” mentioned Bowman.
Though Bowman is new to politics, he has plenty of notable expertise with the Western Canada Summer season Video games, the Arctic Winter Video games and Alberta Taekwondo.
Massive combat
One stand-out second in his martial arts profession was an MMA combat towards Eric “Butterbean” Esch, a widely known boxer and MMA fighter.
Bowman mentioned in 2010 the corporate wanted a win and one thing to take it out of debt. The plan was for Bowman to combat somebody who was “virtually unbeatable.”
“Win or lose, folks would come to the occasion,” mentioned Bowman.
On the time, Butterbean, an achieved boxer, weighed 377 kilos. Bowman weighed 209 kilos.
Bowman received the combat. He mentioned it helped launch “the beginning of combined martial arts period in Fort McMurray.”
Two years later, the municipality handed its combative sports activities fee bylaw, which Bowman helped write.
Flood troubles
Bowman hopes to place that very same combating spirit to get the municipality’s flood mitigation completed. It is a difficulty that has affected Bowman’s enterprise.
In 1997, he did not have flood insurance coverage. He misplaced his studio and needed to rebuild the enterprise on his personal.
“We have been instructed after that the flood mitigation was executed,” mentioned Bowman. However in 2020, the downtown flooded once more. And Bowman’s studio, which is in a basement, flooded.
Bowman mentioned he is grateful to his landlord who helped put in a sewer backup system, which allowed him to get insurance coverage, however is aware of not everyone seems to be so fortunate.
“I do know a number of the buildings downtown are empty they usually’re empty as a result of folks cannot get insurance coverage,” he mentioned.
Bowman misplaced his house to the 2016 wildfire. He mentioned he needs to make it easier for folks rebuilding, as a result of many individuals battle to fill out the allow types.
Bowman mentioned he needs to begin caring for the folks in Fort McMurray, fairly than specializing in attempting to draw new folks to maneuver to the neighborhood.
“As soon as we try this, I feel our inhabitants goes to develop,” mentioned Bowman.
He additionally needs to wash up Fort McMurray’s downtown and make investments in beautification.
“Making it appear like a spot we wish to dwell. And make it appear like a spot folks wish to do enterprise.”
The primary council assembly is scheduled for subsequent Tuesday.
[ad_2]
Source link
0 Comments