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Mayor Sean Nolls reflects on the richness of community

‘Here your neighbours are…well…everyone, and that’s really what makes Stettler such a special place’
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For Mayor Sean Nolls, Stettler is, simply put, the best place he has ever lived.

“I moved here in 2004 for work, and I just knew there was something about this town that made it special. But I couldn’t put my finger on it.”

He said that the longer he lived here, the more he realized it was the people here that made Stettler different from anywhere else he had lived before.

“Here your neighbours are…well…everyone, and that’s really what makes Stettler such a special place.”

Nolls pointed out that in Stettler, that sense of community is alive and well, and volunteering is not just a thing that happens - it’s a way of life and how, “We get things done.

“Just recently we won our category for Communities in Bloom, and that board is comprised entirely of volunteers who just want everyone to know how beautiful Stettler really is,” he said.

“We have the Festival of Lights (the Stettler Health Foundation) again with volunteers who work so hard to make sure we have a state-of-the-art facility that makes life a little easier for everyone around us. We also have the Hospice Society, again who’s selfless efforts are for those they know and for strangers, at a time when family matters the most.”

He also explained how at first, the Town was thought by some to not be big enough to host the Scotties.

“Steve Gerlitz and his clan from the curling club, said, ‘Oh, yeah…we don’t think so’, and got well over 100 volunteers and put on the best event most of the curlers/spectators had ever experienced. I can go on and on and on about all of these events, (IODE Rummage Sale, HYC Awesome Auction, Steel Wheel Stampede, etc.)”

There are indeed plenty of groups in the community, as Nolls pointed out, that are dedicated to service including the Kinettes, Kinsmen, Rotary, Elks, IODE, Royal Purple, etc.

“There are also a lot of great partnerships - we just recently embarked on a partnership with the Clearview School Division, and the County to refurbish our Legacy Running Track from the 1991 summer games, and again the whole community came together to make sure it was done with donations from individuals, businesses, and even a Grade 6 class raised money.

“That’s what Stettler is, a community that gets done what other communities larger than us can’t, and with world-class, selfless volunteerism that in itself makes us stand above other communities,” he added.

Nolls also mentioned the state-of-the-art hospital which just completed Phase 1 of a three-phase renovation.

“So what was great will soon be awesome.

“We also have great walking paths, great schools, and state-of-the-art recreation facilities, plenty of ball diamonds, soccer pitches, the aforementioned school track, and the Stettler Golf and Country Club.”

From a business perspective, Stettler of course makes for a great place to do business as well, he said.

“We have a vibrant business community, and we are located on a highway that provides a lot of traffic. These are just a few reasons why Stettler is a great place to live, and why I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

“We also have a really beautiful County that loves this town, and the community they are in,” he explained.

“This all comes with a warning for others who come here for the first time…you may never want to leave…I didn’t.”