Community connections key for Cooke

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/10/2018 (2795 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It only makes sense for Nancy Cooke to want to continue to make her connections with her community even stronger.

Cooke, 51, is running to represent the ward of St. Norbert-Seine River in the Oct. 24 civic election. Having lived in St. Vital, two blocks north of the St. Norbert-Seine River ward boundary, for more than two decades, Cooke — who has two children with her husband, Bill — has decided to harness her love for the area and the skills she’s built working in the public and private sectors to bring growth, vitality, and vibrancy to the ward as its representative at City Hall.

“I’ve been involved and engaged and lived in St. Vital for more than 20 years, and I want to continue to work for the community on a greater scale,” said Cooke, whose different hats include being the managing partner of Elm Park Dental, her husband’s practice. She has also worked as special assistant to the provincial infrastructure minister.

Cooke’s other community involvement includes a decade-long involvement with Darwin School’s parent advisory council for a decade, serving as chair for much of that time, and helped spearhead a before — and after-school program that’s still going strong today, and was also a founding member of the Minnetonka Residents’ Association: “some community members wanted a voice, so we came together as a group.” She’s also been on the executive of the Old St. Vital BIZ.

“One of the issues in the ward I want to investigate deeply is the ability for people to be mobile in the neighbourhood,” Cooke said, adding she has been “on leave” from her different commitments since registering as a candidate on June 30.

“I’ve been at bus stops talking to commuters since July, as I believe it’s a priority to be able to move around effectively in the community, especially when people are heading to work or health care appointments. I think there’s room for improvement here.”

“Economic growth and development is also a priority, as is removing barriers for entrepreneurs, as these are these are the kind of things that keep the community attractive, vibrant, and viable. It’s important to keep the conversation going in terms of ongoing growth, and how the community works with the city to thrive, grow, and bring new people in, while making sure we maintain what we have,” she added.

Noting the size of the newly-redefined ward, Cooke said she has thrived on seeing a lot of new faces.

“I’ve been at it since June 30, and I’ve been in pretty much every corner of the ward. I enjoy meeting people.”

Go online at www.nancy-cooke.com for more information.