By Amy Cardozo

It’s hard to believe we are already nearing the end of summer. It feels like we were just welcoming warmer weather, longer days and the start of another busy summer in Sparwood.

Earlier this month, the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board made the decision to end our twice-yearly clock changes and remain on Mountain Daylight Time year-round. For Sparwood, that means we will stay on the same time as Alberta throughout the year and will no longer move our clocks forward or back.

In Sparwood, 1,007 people responded to the survey, with 83% supporting an end to the twice-yearly time change. For comparison, a recent District survey on zoning and off-street parking received 228 responses. With that level of participation and such a clear result, my decision at the RDEK table was an easy one.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate. You gave me a very clear picture of what Sparwood wanted and I was proud to take that voice with me to the RDEK.

With August quickly coming to an end, September will bring a change of pace. Kids head back to school, routines return, fall events begin and, before we know it, the leaves will start changing. I won’t say the four-letter “s” word just yet!

With September approaching, I want to remind everyone that school zones will be busy again. Buses will be making their regular stops, and our kiddos will be on the roads. Please remember that when a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing, traffic travelling in both directions must stop.

Back to school also has me thinking about some of the great things we’ve seen from our local students over the past year.  We heard about Capstone projects from Grade 12 students at Sparwood Secondary, and it has been awesome to see the creativity and thought they put into their ideas.

A special thank you to Sparwood Secondary teacher Stephen Larson for encouraging your students to explore their interests and take on something meaningful. There were many projects we saw that gave great value to Sparwood.

On October 2, the Sparwood Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Fall Harvest Vendor Fair, with youth ages 10 to 18 invited to participate as vendors. If you have a young entrepreneur at home, encourage them to give it a try! Applications are available through the Sparwood Chamber of Commerce.

All that being said, the 2026 municipal election is quickly approaching, and September marks the beginning of the nomination period. Nominations for Mayor and Council open September 1 at 9 a.m. and close September 11 at 4 p.m. If you have ever considered running, nomination packages are available at the District of Sparwood office.

Election season is approaching, and there is still work for this council to do. Some of the topics currently underway will extend into the next term.

Our job over the remaining weeks is to keep moving things forward and to leave the next council with good information, options, and next steps. Some decisions will belong to the next council, but we can make sure they have the vital information they need to make them.

For anyone considering putting their name forward, serving on council is incredibly rewarding, and I won’t pretend it’s always easy. There are difficult decisions, long meetings and times when you quickly learn that making the right decision and making the popular one aren’t always the same thing. You definitely won’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t expect to. But you will certainly have an opportunity to listen and learn.

As summer winds down and fall hunting season approaches, I’d like to wish our local hunters a safe and successful season. Enjoy your time in the wild, stay safe and good luck.

To everyone heading back to school, have a fantastic year! Try something new, be kind to the kid who looks like they could use a friend and remember that nobody has everything figured out on the first day.

As always, I’m here to listen if you have comments, questions, or concerns. Feel free to reach out.

– Amy Cardozo is a District of Sparwood Councillor and is currently acting Mayor following the departure of David Wilks.

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