The Lethbridge municipal byelection is set for Feb. 1. There are 10 candidates running for the spot on city council left vacant by Bob Babki who was elected in the Oct. 18 election but died before he could be sworn in.

Throughout the month the candidates have been attending forums and meet and greets to talk about what they would like to see happen to this community.

Kay Adeniyi

From housing options and downtown revitalization to a youth recreation centre, Kay Adeniyi is a great listener and understands the hard work needed to accomplish things.

He was the student council president of Notre Dame Collegiate in High River and was elected campus director and board of governors representative at George Brown College in Toronto.

Adeniyi runs a small cleaning business and volunteers at the homeless shelter. He tries hard to bring the community together through events he organizes annually.

Bal Boora

Boora, originally from India, works as a financial advisor in the communities of Brooks and Lethbridge and volunteers with the Brooks and District Ambulance service. He was the past-president of the Coulee Commentator Toastmaters Club in Lethbridge and was a construction volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Boora was a part of the committee on the Whoop-Up Drive expansion and pedestrian bridge project over Oldman River. Boora is passionate for serving and speaking-up for people on issues for common good.

Jeff Coffman

Coffman works as a sessional instructor at the University of Lethbridge and is a self-employed policy researcher. He volunteers at the John Howard Society of Lethbridge, University of Alberta Alumni Association and at the Lethbridge Public Library.

Wade Galloway

Galloway is the creator of Lethbridge Accountability. He is an entrepreneur and business owner. He started a successful e-commerce company which he sold in 2008. Galloway currently is an investor local retail and restaurant ventures.

Rod Hoeg

Hoeg believes in a community decision. He wants to hear the community’s opinion. He believes Lethbridge is on the right track when it comes to the new plant that will convert waste into fuel. On the subject of environmental initiatives, Hoeg would create a work force with volunteers who will be put to work for companies or combing the alleys and parks to gather all trash. Bike trails will work in with his master plan to cut back on emissions.

Blaine Hyggen

Having studied business law and accounting at Lethbridge College, Hyggen is now the owner of Copy Express. He served as president, vice-president and board

member of the Agnes Davidson School parent council. He was the vice-president and director for the Lethbridge Figure Skating Club and currently works for Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association as the Treasurer.

Hyggen loves Lethbridge and sees it as a great place to do business and would like to see it become the best place it can be for his family.

Kevin Layton

Layton has experience in accounting, radio, print and other media and politics. For Layton, the most important job in the city right now is filling a seat on council

Layton asks for support from the community so he can show them what Lethbridge needs.

George McCrea

Originally from Hanna, McCrea has lived in Lethbridge most of his adult life. He owns Bridge Diamond Drilling Ltd. and Windy City Cutting and Coring Ltd. and has worked as an RCMP officer. He was a coach and on the board of directors of Lethbridge Minor Hockey. He was on the board of the Lethbridge Construction Association for two terms and sat on the board of Economic Development Lethbridge as the liaison to the construction industry.

McCrea currently sits on the board of the Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club.

He promises to provide honest, open communication with the citizens of Lethbridge and to represent the community, basing his decision on what is in the best interests of the community at large.

Lea Switzer

Switzer has worked as an advocate of co-operation to deal with escalating costs, duplication of services and integration of programs for the past 15 years.

She has experience teaching in university and public schools and co-ordinating literacy programs for adult English-as- a-Second Language students. She has worked with many governance groups to encourage and facilitate broad range collaboration in policy and mandate groups.

Switzer was chair and co-chair in the establishment of the Governance Council of Southwest Alberta.

Switzer’s main goal in public service is to streamline access, remove roadblocks and ensure public accountability through open communication and public input.

Ken Tratch

Tratch has Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Calgary and a Master of Education Degree from the University of Lethbridge.

He has held several positions with the Alberta Teachers Association, including local president. He served as the board chair at the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division before being elected to Lethbridge city council in 2007.

Tratch is a member of The Knights of Columbus and has served in several offices.

A total of 1, 436 residents have already voted in advance polls.

That is a 55-per-cent increase from the advance voting for the municipal election in October.