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| John Barlow C. Davis photo |
On November 6 of this year Macleod electoral district Member of Parliament Ted Menzies announced he was immediately retiring from public office. Since that announcement four people have declared themselves as candidates for the Conservative Party of Canada nomination to replace Menzies prior to the upcoming byelection, which must be held within six months of his resignation. John Barlow is one of those nomination candidates. He was in Pincher Creek on December 4, a guest at a meeting of the Pincher Creek Rotary Club, and sat down with me afterward for the following interview.John Barlow is the Associate Publisher and Editor of the Okotoks Western Wheel, a Great West Newspapers publication. He ran in the Provincial election two years ago as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Highwood. He ran against WildRose Party leader and lost, but by a smaller margin than many pundits expected. "I was very proud of what we accomplished," he said of that experience. "I think we gave her much more of a challenge than anyone could have expected. I learned from that experience. It inspired me to take on this task. I think it still comes down to having roots in the community. Having that network, that relationship with your constituents."
"I also learned what a substantial commitment it is to take this on. It's not for everybody, that's for sure, but I relish it, I enjoy it. The opportunity to meet people and listen to their concerns their issues, and provide feedback, I loved that. I thought it was a fantastic experience."
I asked him how his experience as a journalist might inform his campaign, and if successful, his role as an elected official. "You don't go into something if you don't have a passion for it, and I've had a passion for newspapers for 25 years," he explained. "It's been my life. This my next, my new passion."
"As a journalist you are intimately involved in your community, you know everything that's going on. Sitting through a million council meetings over the years, and different levels of government issues, you always have your opinions. I felt, 'Well, I want to take my ideas and the things I've learned and take it to a different platform'. That's politics."
I asked him if it might be hard leaving journalism behind, and if the door was open for him to return to it in the event of an unsuccessful campaing. "My boss has been wonderfully supportive. Paul Rockley is our publisher there. It's going to be extremely difficult to leave, but we do have a transition plan in place. He was the second person after my wife to make sure it was okay for me to do this. His support has been unbelievable. I'm pretty sure that I couldn't do this without him behind me, that's for sure."
"Non-editorially, we don't do stories on me."
Family life
Barlow is a family man, so I asked him if he wanted to talk about his family, and about any potential impact a public life might have on his family life.
"I'm married, and have three kids. My kids are older, 22, 20, and 15. We have one done, one in university, and one in high school."
"If my kids were younger, I probably wouldn't do this, it's too much time away. The fact that I have one that's gone, one in university, and pretty self sufficient, and one that only has a few years in high school left, I know I can do this."
"I have the support of my family behind me, 100%. If you don't have support of your family, it's not something you should do. You need that support network behind you. It's not a single man's game. Raising a family teaches you a lot of lessons, and I think you have to have that behind you. My wife is a staunch supporter, and she's just as important to this process as I am. Probably, if this all works out, she'll stay here until my youngest is done high school, university, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. The byelection will be in the spring, then the election will be in 2015. So if everything works out, she might be done, or in grade 12 at that point."
Representing Alberta on the federal stage
I asked Barlow what he would be bringing to the federal table as a representative from Alberta. "I've grown up in southern Alberta, raised my family here, I want to make sure that southern Alberta isn't forgotten when it comes to flood mitigation and flood relief. As a journalist, you know how things work. A year from now, it's yesterday's news."
"I want to make sure that we have a strong voice in Ottawa, that the issues that we're facing in southern Alberta will still be at the forefront."
"It's such a diverse constituency, a diverse riding. Up where we are, it's water, growth, infrastructure. You get to the central part of the riding, it's agriculture. You get down here, and there's more industry in terms of mining, and lumber. They all have their issues, whether it's finding new markets, championing, removing obstacles for them, value added for agriculture and industry."
Employment issues, handling growth, and sustainablility
Barlow mentioned the temporary foreign workers program as an important issue. "As the mining in this area starts to boom again, and I feel that's coming, employment is going to be an issue. Where are you going to find those workers?"
"Whether it's a large agricultural business, a feedlot, a coal mine, a large commercial endeavour in one of the urban centers, they're all having a crunch with staffing. They access the temporary foreign workers program, but it is onerous. We have to find a way to streamline that. We need employees now, they can't wait. Those are just a couple of the issues."
According to Barlow the Okotoks area has some employment issues related to the above. "It's not too bad, but we have a couple of the larger agriculture industry people that are really having a tough time. They rely a great deal on temporary foreign workers, Mexicans, Philippinos."
"We've lost the next generation of farmers and ranchers. There's a real fear that they've gone, and they're not coming back. I'm sure there are some everywhere (staying on the farm or ranch), but is it enough to sustain? That's the concern."
Environment and development issues
"I think our riding is on the crest of doing some pretty special things. I want to make sure that we're poised to take advantage of those things. We have healthy industry, we have a healthy ag center. We embrace oil and gas development with the provision that we do take care of our natural resources, and there is always an eye on environmental stewardship."
"We are in a unique area with the eastern slopes, the Sheep and Highwood River valleys. We do have to be careful with want we do in terms of development."
Barlow expressed optimism that the divide between environmental groups and industry can be narrowed. "I think it comes down to getting these groups together, and they are working together," he said.
"The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan is coming, and that's in it's infancy. I think we can have a large role in driving that. It's a provincial document, but I say as a federal representative I want to take an active role in developing how that takes shape."
"I've been following that since it's inception, and it's definitely going in the right direction. People are starting to see the potential that it has. It's huge. For us, I think there's definitely a win-win. You can't always have these two groups being at odds. We're not going to survive. We've got to find a happy medium, a medium ground."
The future of print
Because I'm always curious about what people in the news industry think of the future of print, and because Barlow works in the print media and has for years, I asked him for his thoughts. Keeping in mind the issue isn't necessarily directly relevant to his present campaign, I thought his response was interesting enough to include here.
"As partners with Glacier Press we just built a 12.5 million dollar press in St. Albert. We wouldn't have done that if we thought there wasn't a future. Print will definitely continue. I think that what you have here (the Pincher Creek Voice) is an anomaly that a lot of publications can take a look at as a template, but the rest of Alberta, probably the rest of North America is starting to realize they've put a lot of resources, a lot of money into online and websites, and it's not paying off. For whatever reason, they're losing their roots. They are losing what built our industry, and that is community news, being a part of your town, being the roots of your town, being the voice of your community. Instead, we've tried to be everything, to everyone, and you can't be that."
"It's not necessarily how you're delivering your content to the readers, but who's delivering that content to the readers. That's the secret. Unfortunately, a lot of other media companies aren't seeing the forest for the trees."
Do your homework
"It comes down to community journalism. People are in such a rush to get the news out first, and such a rush to get the scandal out there first that it isn't actually accurate. Take a moment, do your research, take a look at what the issues really are and who represents those issues when it comes to politics. Find out who you think would be your best representative, whether it would be me or somebody else. If you've done your homework and you choose somebody else, I respect that."
The Senate
I asked Barlow what his thoughts were on the scandals enveloping certain members of the senate. "I think the entire conservative party is being painted with a brush that three people or four people made. They made their own moral decision. whether they are right or wrong, whether they are guilty or not guilty, they made a moral decision that I don't think should blot a black mark on the conservative party itself. These people made a moral choice, and they are the ones that should take responsibility for it."
"The Prime Minister should step up and say 'This was a mistake'. Hopefully, those three, four I guess now, will make the right decision on their own."
Thoughts on Prime Minister Stephen Harper
"I think the Prime Minister has overall done a fantastic job. He's addressed our deficit, and now we need to address the debt."
"What really impressed me about Stephen Harper... when he first was elected to Prime Minister, he went in with five things he was going to do, and he did those five things within months. I haven't seen too many politicians do that. I've seen a lot of promises, rarely have I seen promises fulfilled. So that was really invigorating to see someone with that strength of character."
"I hope he can continue to be that strong, and I hope that he can be a little bit stronger with the senate issue. As a leader, you have to take responsibility, and I think he has taken some responsibility for what has happened. They should be held to higher standards. I am very disappointed that it was those two, of all people (suspended Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin)."
History in the community
According to Barlow it's the people and their stories that have sustained him during his 25 year career as a newspaperman. "I've been in that High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Okotoks, MD of Foothills community for 20 some years. People know me, and respect me. They know what I stand for, my character, my integrity."
"It's trust."
He also believes in the interpersonal network he's built as a result of his career. "I guess it's that through all the years I've been doing this I've made such a strong connection, made such a strong network, with all the different levels of government, which I think will definitely be an advantage when you have have to steer your way through bureaucracy, and get things done."
"I think the most important reason is I've been so involved in my community, for so many years, that this is my opportunity to give something back and be a voice for all those people that have confided in me over the years with their stories and their issues. This is my chance to give back."
"I'm very passionate about my community, and Macleod is my community. I know that I can be a representative they can be proud of."
"Whether it's a large agricultural business, a feedlot, a coal mine, a large commercial endeavour in one of the urban centers, they're all having a crunch with staffing. They access the temporary foreign workers program, but it is onerous. We have to find a way to streamline that. We need employees now, they can't wait. Those are just a couple of the issues."
According to Barlow the Okotoks area has some employment issues related to the above. "It's not too bad, but we have a couple of the larger agriculture industry people that are really having a tough time. They rely a great deal on temporary foreign workers, Mexicans, Philippinos."
"We've lost the next generation of farmers and ranchers. There's a real fear that they've gone, and they're not coming back. I'm sure there are some everywhere (staying on the farm or ranch), but is it enough to sustain? That's the concern."
Environment and development issues
"I think our riding is on the crest of doing some pretty special things. I want to make sure that we're poised to take advantage of those things. We have healthy industry, we have a healthy ag center. We embrace oil and gas development with the provision that we do take care of our natural resources, and there is always an eye on environmental stewardship."
"We are in a unique area with the eastern slopes, the Sheep and Highwood River valleys. We do have to be careful with want we do in terms of development."
Barlow expressed optimism that the divide between environmental groups and industry can be narrowed. "I think it comes down to getting these groups together, and they are working together," he said.
"The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan is coming, and that's in it's infancy. I think we can have a large role in driving that. It's a provincial document, but I say as a federal representative I want to take an active role in developing how that takes shape."
"I've been following that since it's inception, and it's definitely going in the right direction. People are starting to see the potential that it has. It's huge. For us, I think there's definitely a win-win. You can't always have these two groups being at odds. We're not going to survive. We've got to find a happy medium, a medium ground."
The future of print
Because I'm always curious about what people in the news industry think of the future of print, and because Barlow works in the print media and has for years, I asked him for his thoughts. Keeping in mind the issue isn't necessarily directly relevant to his present campaign, I thought his response was interesting enough to include here.
"As partners with Glacier Press we just built a 12.5 million dollar press in St. Albert. We wouldn't have done that if we thought there wasn't a future. Print will definitely continue. I think that what you have here (the Pincher Creek Voice) is an anomaly that a lot of publications can take a look at as a template, but the rest of Alberta, probably the rest of North America is starting to realize they've put a lot of resources, a lot of money into online and websites, and it's not paying off. For whatever reason, they're losing their roots. They are losing what built our industry, and that is community news, being a part of your town, being the roots of your town, being the voice of your community. Instead, we've tried to be everything, to everyone, and you can't be that."
"It's not necessarily how you're delivering your content to the readers, but who's delivering that content to the readers. That's the secret. Unfortunately, a lot of other media companies aren't seeing the forest for the trees."
Do your homework
"It comes down to community journalism. People are in such a rush to get the news out first, and such a rush to get the scandal out there first that it isn't actually accurate. Take a moment, do your research, take a look at what the issues really are and who represents those issues when it comes to politics. Find out who you think would be your best representative, whether it would be me or somebody else. If you've done your homework and you choose somebody else, I respect that."
The Senate
I asked Barlow what his thoughts were on the scandals enveloping certain members of the senate. "I think the entire conservative party is being painted with a brush that three people or four people made. They made their own moral decision. whether they are right or wrong, whether they are guilty or not guilty, they made a moral decision that I don't think should blot a black mark on the conservative party itself. These people made a moral choice, and they are the ones that should take responsibility for it."
"The Prime Minister should step up and say 'This was a mistake'. Hopefully, those three, four I guess now, will make the right decision on their own."
Thoughts on Prime Minister Stephen Harper
"I think the Prime Minister has overall done a fantastic job. He's addressed our deficit, and now we need to address the debt."
"What really impressed me about Stephen Harper... when he first was elected to Prime Minister, he went in with five things he was going to do, and he did those five things within months. I haven't seen too many politicians do that. I've seen a lot of promises, rarely have I seen promises fulfilled. So that was really invigorating to see someone with that strength of character."
"I hope he can continue to be that strong, and I hope that he can be a little bit stronger with the senate issue. As a leader, you have to take responsibility, and I think he has taken some responsibility for what has happened. They should be held to higher standards. I am very disappointed that it was those two, of all people (suspended Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin)."
History in the community
According to Barlow it's the people and their stories that have sustained him during his 25 year career as a newspaperman. "I've been in that High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Okotoks, MD of Foothills community for 20 some years. People know me, and respect me. They know what I stand for, my character, my integrity."
"It's trust."
He also believes in the interpersonal network he's built as a result of his career. "I guess it's that through all the years I've been doing this I've made such a strong connection, made such a strong network, with all the different levels of government, which I think will definitely be an advantage when you have have to steer your way through bureaucracy, and get things done."
"I think the most important reason is I've been so involved in my community, for so many years, that this is my opportunity to give something back and be a voice for all those people that have confided in me over the years with their stories and their issues. This is my chance to give back."
"I'm very passionate about my community, and Macleod is my community. I know that I can be a representative they can be proud of."
Related stories:
An interview with Macleod riding hopeful Phil Rowland
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