Shannon Dean for Mayor of Chestermere

Shannon Dean is a leader in the not-for-profit community and an uncompromising voice for the people of Chestermere. Born in a small town in Newfoundland, Shannon has lived in Alberta since 1997. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in education leadership and served as a teacher with the Calgary Board of Education and a vice principal with Palliser Regional Schools. He pursued further education through Government of Alberta courses in grant writing, board development, and community facility enhancement. Shannon and his wife Michelle felt the close and neighbourly atmosphere of Chestermere made it the perfect place to raise their two children Evan and Julia. Over the last decade Shannon Dean has proved his passion and deep ties to Chestermere by serving on 15 boards and committees focusing on economic development, small business development, recreation, seniors, mental health, organized sports, childcare and enrichment, agriculture, charity, and the library. 

Shannon really stepped up as a leader in Chestermere during the COVID pandemic. As the president of the Chamber of Commerce he helped local businesses apply for the grants that allowed them to survive COVID and continue to serve the community. As the Executive Director of Camp Chestermere during COVID he wrote and implemented a camp operation strategy that was distributed by the Government of Alberta to camps across the province that allowed the camp to stay open and serve thousands of children with zero transmission cases. Because of Shannon Dean’s leadership, businesses were able to keep their doors open, parents and young people were able to keep their jobs, and children were provided with safe and enriching care. In 2021 Shannon successfully ran for council and earned the most votes of any councillor in the history of Chestermere. Shannon remained on council until his resignation to run for Mayor.

Shannon Dean is running for Mayor because he has a plan to move Chestermere forward. Chestermere is one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta and the local government needs to execute short and long-term infrastructure projects that will facilitate growth while also preserving what makes Chestermere – Chestermere. 

Chestermere is a city for families and to encourage more families to call Chestermere home we need to build more schools so our children have access to world class education with small class sizes and specialized care. We need to build and fund recreational facilities so that children have a safe and affordable place to play, to learn, and to grow. We need a transportation system so that young people can get to work and spend time with friends without relying on parents driving them.

Chestermere is a bedroom community, the majority of people that live in Chestermere work in Calgary or in neighbouring communities. We need to upgrade our transportation infrastructure to accommodate the heavy traffic flow in and out of Chestermere, this begins with twinning 17th Avenue. Chestermere needs to increase the number of commercial properties and implement business friendly local policies to attract small and medium sized businesses so that Chestermere can become a place to live and work.

Chestermere needs a government that listens to the people and fosters collaboration and input in the spirit of moving Chestermere forward. When policies and bylaws are developed, council needs to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are consulted and involved in the policy development process. Public consultations must also be made for major policy decisions and avenues of communication such as question period, coffee with council, and scheduling time to speak to council must be opened. Council works for the people, not the other way around.

Shannon Dean is the best choice for Mayor of Chestermere. His passion for the community, his experience in government, and his skills as a leader and as a public servant distinguish him among his peers. Shannon Dean will listen to you, fight for you, and be accountable to you. 

Shannon Dean will move Chestermere forward!