Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Sorry. Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac CD morning show. We're going to start the show off the same way we start every show off with a moment of gratitude. Thank you for tuning into us. I know you could be doing anything else. You could be in a million other things today. So the fact that you're spending with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner.
Speaker 1 00:00:22 Oh, she caught me, loves near listen to the next then morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:31 All right. And we're back. Okay. We got a fun one today. Um, I'm not going to introduce our guests, uh, cause I never do that. Could, they can do a better job than I, but this gentleman is running for mayor. Um, so I'm very excited to have him on the show. We're going to have a great conversation, just like I have a great conversation with everybody. Uh, but on that note, sir, can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about?
Speaker 2 00:00:52 I'm Sandy Bowman. I've been a resident here for Murray for almost 30 years and at a small business here for almost 30 years. And I'm currently running from air.
Speaker 0 00:01:00 There we go. Very cool. So that's a big deal. Yes. That's a big deal. Now, before we talk about you running from mayor and your politics and all that stuff with you that you stand for, I'm interested to find out of like you've been here for so long. You've always had the business that you ran
Speaker 3 00:01:15 Or did you use to work out at site or like, what's your story here? It's a good story.
Speaker 2 00:01:19 Um, and honestly it's pretty close to a lot of former stories. Um, yeah. So in 1993, um, I left my hometown and punish and me and my buddy, actually, we decided on a Friday that we were going to move to, we're going to move out west for Monday. He talked to his buddies in Vancouver. We had a job job lined up in Vancouver. We were pretty pumped. We pumped at pop. We put everything we had into a Honda civic holding two bikes and we took them apart. We had everything we owned. We barely had room to sit in the front seat. Um, it took us eight days to get here. Um, we took the long route with New York city. First. There you go. And we went across the Midwest and through there every landmark you could find, we slept at truck stops in the Honda civic or on the ground.
Speaker 2 00:02:03 Um, stayed in one hotel in, uh, in, uh, South Dakota, somewhere in the holy days. And we finally made it here. Um, went to Western them all first first stopped. My brother checked that out. Um, and then, uh, we started driving towards port Marine, um, after three and a half hours driving, I thought this was when it was single lane road. And I was thinking, where are we going? What are we going to see oil Derrick? And my uncle's house is that all we're going to find out here. We just came here to visit a family. Cause I have a lot of aunts and uncles that have moved here back in the day. And so we ended up forming Marie. Um, the first weekend I met a girl and first weekend as a family get together. Um, and yeah, so that then kind of wrote itself.
Speaker 2 00:02:47 And I first got here. I went and went. I wasn't actually, my intention was never to open a martial arts school. I've been training quite a bit. Um, before that, since I was nine years old. So the first thing obviously being here and thinking about staying for a little while, I'm going to check out the clubs and I checked them all out and I met some great people on the shoulder. Can karate group, the judo club, martial arts academy of Steve Bergeron, who we're still close friends. There's a Vegas now. Um, and, uh, it wasn't really what I, what I was doing at the time, his Olympic type endeavor. Um, so my cousin, uh, Jason leis and, uh, Lincoln, his whole crowd were like, oh, Sandy's coming to town. They're all excited. I was moving here cause I was a black belt. So right away they wanted me to teach them. So I started teaching a couple of people at Mac island when Mac island was me. I used to rink one rec room and a multi-purpose room. So that multipurpose room a couple nights a week I taught there. Um, and then just kind of kept building and building and building until it was, that's what I was my, that was one of my career turned into. That's awesome.
Speaker 0 00:03:51 So when you're doing the teaching, I'm assuming on the side, what career were you working at at the, um,
Speaker 2 00:03:57 Well really, I just, I need a job, so I haven't drawn. So first my buddy, Jamie got on Wilson construction, cleaning up, uh, the waterfront there where the tire and staples is now. He got a job Wilson construction there and I went over to Canadian tire and I walked in and uh, the service manager there who I'm still friends with now, today he has his own tire shop. Um, I wasn't even, I just went in there and asked if they were hiring. And he said, uh, what do you know about cars said, well, my dad's a mechanic and I helped him in the graduate field you're hired and I became the parts guy. That's awesome. And then, uh, kind of a mentor, there was Steve Martin. Uh, he was the back part Scott at the time and he kind of showed me the ropes of, of that.
Speaker 2 00:04:36 And then I went on there, worked for Quadro truck after that and some different places. And then I decided it was time to make the jump to just being a small business owner and just doing that alone. And me and my wife sat down and talked about it a bit. And basically we came down to, I want to try it now and don't want to look back in 20 years and say, what if I did, right. So I just pulled the plug in and went 400%. And what you see is what we have today. There we go.
Speaker 0 00:05:01 And so the gym is like quite successful. Like there's a little, you, you have a lot of like children, adults. There's a lot of people coming through your facility.
Speaker 2 00:05:10 Like, honestly, it's, uh, I couldn't have, when I started running my gym as my primary business back in 93, that wasn't something anyone did in the world. This is before UFC. The UFC started that April one. So no one, no one had a martial arts gym as their career. Right. That wasn't now it's, that was quite normal because of the popularity of martial arts. But at the time it was in, you've seen that in gymnasiums or graduates, you never seen a facility directly for martial arts where it was someone's career. Um, so it was really a groundbreaking thing and I I'm, I'm happy and have been so successful and blessed that the cities never give that to me. That's
Speaker 0 00:05:51 Awesome, man. So as a trendsetter doing something like that, like it wasn't before, like you said, like, what gave you the idea? What gave you the passion to be like, I think there's something here,
Speaker 4 00:06:03 Cause there's no blueprint. It's the people.
Speaker 2 00:06:05 Um, and you look back in interviews the last 30 years I've done with radio, with TV, with everything over, even across the world, people ask me about it. And so it's what I love about this region. It's the people we have, no matter what we have around us, the people in Fort Murray are the best of the best of the best. We've been through ups and downs of everything, but everybody's there to help everybody. And that's what it was me back in the day, um, like go back to people that helped me back back years ago when I knew nobody was, uh, Dennis Bertrand was, uh, he stepped up and he was my best man. He was the guy, he was, uh, he helped me out. Uh, um, Andy Robinson passed away a few years ago. These guys had careers, but they seen what I was doing with their children. They were like, Hey, we need to, this is what you need to do. You need to be doing this full time. Right. And so I had a few people like that that stepped into my life that I'll never forget and I'll pay back every, every chance I get.
Speaker 0 00:07:03 So now you're running for mayor. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:07:07 Yeah. It was a big step where my wife has said, don't look back at 10 years and say, yeah, I wish I had, so that's
Speaker 0 00:07:12 Cool. I wouldn't do it personally. I think like it it's, it's a big deal. It's a big deal. So as mayor, I guess, or potential mayor, my question to you is first off. Why do you want to do this? And let's start off with the why?
Speaker 2 00:07:26 Um, well originally my reasons for running for mayor, the same reasons I have to run for council, um, we need to make some change right now and take us in a different direction and we're going and really happy working for the people. And I want this place here to be here for my kids, for my kids' kids, their kids. I want them to have the same experience I had. I don't, I sees see the city kind of slipping. Um, and we need to step up and fix that. And my original, uh, was run for council. Um, but after hearing from the people, like I said before, that's my, the golden thing of our work is the people, right? It's not anything else. It's the people that live here. And they came to me, everybody came to me and said, we want you to run for mayor talking to local businesses.
Speaker 2 00:08:10 They were like, we need a leader like you to run for mayor. It wasn't something I took lightly or thought, Hey, I'll just try this. It was, it was a long thought decision. And my first answer was no, my first answer was, but after consulting different businesses and stuff in town and the people calling me, the people coming to me on the street, and this is what we want you to do. And, and my thought, and what I want to change is I want to be evident that our municipality, our mayor and council work for the people. That's my biggest thing. I wanted evidence. I don't want it where there's anything going on that you think is shady. You don't want anything going on that you think is not right. Or you don't are the people. The people don't want. I want it to be obvious that my employer is the people that work. There
Speaker 0 00:08:54 You go. Okay. Second question. Is, is there any platform that you have? Is there something that like you're yeah.
Speaker 2 00:09:02 Um, not really. I mean, I'm not running a platform. Okay. I mean, that's, I'm not, I'm doing this for, I'm not doing this for us, but before Marie, I want change. I want, so whenever a, a new council mayor go in, they all sit around and they do a strategic plan. That's a plan of what they want to accomplish the next four years. Right. Which is great. But first thing I want to do is get that. That's going to go on the back burner. I want, there's always been a talk of improprieties for festival funds. First thing, a full forensic audit. Maybe they find something, maybe they don't, they don't put that to bed. That's not a thing that's done. Second day, a corporate, a corporate audit of a corporate, uh, like a survey of the employees of municipalities. That's something I don't think has been done.
Speaker 2 00:09:52 And I hear from a handful of a lot of them, this will employees that are, they don't even want to give me the name, scared of repercussions. So I think there needs to be a corporate culture survey of all the people that work from this pallet. What are the issues like? What are the real issues take that do a citizen survey. Last one was done in 2018. A lot's happened since 2018, 2021 do a citizen survey. What do the people really want? What do they sees lacking? Where do they see the problems are? And take that. Then I want to do a, a, a miserable governance review, get a third party to come in and see how we're, how the Ms Pallia is working, how we're running the city, how the councils working, operating it's been going the same way for so long. You can get in a rug and doing the same thing over and over again, and getting the same result, expecting different results. Yeah. Isn't going to happen. Right? So I have a third. That's my, I wouldn't do that. When we have all that data combined, then we'll sit down to a strategic plan. We know what the people them want, where the problems are. Um, I've been going to every business in town being here for almost 30 years. I, I know most of the business owners so I can meet them for coffee, can drop in and see them and see what their issues are. Nice. Like it was not, it's not a platform,
Speaker 0 00:11:06 But you gotta apply it. Like that's what you want. That's it. There you go. So, um, okay. We're part of the show. Now it's called the Mac CD minute. Tanner has some questions for you. Perfect. I have no idea what he's going to ask you. So I wish you nothing but the best Tanner in with the Mac city minute. All
Speaker 5 00:11:19 Righty. Question. Number one. What was the most enjoyable part of getting your international Olympic committee referee certification,
Speaker 2 00:11:28 But learning how to use chopsticks? Easy question,
Speaker 5 00:11:33 Question. Number two. What was it like? Fighting butter, being
Speaker 2 00:11:37 Terrifying.
Speaker 5 00:11:39 Question number three. What was the most memorable moment you've had with a student in your gym?
Speaker 2 00:11:45 Oh, that one's tough. Um, probably achieved their black belt. Uh, when I see the students that you black belt and just whether it's a child or adult, they just look in their face and they're, they're under a surprise and shock that they arrived with to do that
Speaker 5 00:11:59 Question. Number four. What do you think is harder gaining your first black belt or your first run for mayor?
Speaker 2 00:12:07 Definitely. First run for mayor.
Speaker 5 00:12:09 And your final question, what challenges do you think are unique when it comes to being a mayoral candidate in Fort McMurray?
Speaker 2 00:12:17 Uh, the biggest challenge I think is just, uh, being able to get industry province and the people all working on the same page. And those have been your five questions.
Speaker 0 00:12:26 So we run in the same circles. We have a lot of friends that are mutual. And after being here for this long to do so, I was actually with my cousin yesterday and he knew, I said, Hey, Sandy's coming on the show. Oh, Sandy's awesome. Ask him about roulette wheels. I was just like, all right, I'll ask him about a roulette wheel. Also. Let's hear, I guess you have an awesome story about her. It's just a
Speaker 2 00:12:46 Lot of really wheels and I don't advocate gambling whatsoever by the story. I don't really gamble. You can tell by it. So back in the day, when I started training in mixed martial arts, we were going to Vegas. I was training with pat Milton. Matt used him, Sylvia, Rory mark, and all the guys down in Vegas. So I'd go down and I'd be with my friends. So it was Justin, Adrian, Jason, Joey, that whole crowd. Um, and I had thing and I, every, they must sort of, I don't know how to play cards for one thing. So I'd walk by a lot wheel and I'd take a, I throw it on either red or black and I'd win. So I throw a hundred dollars down, walk in the casino bank, throw a hundred dollars down when I dogs walk away. Yeah. And then, uh, we were walking by and another one and I was with Joel link actually. And I parked in red seven Edmonton parking lot. And he said, I was going to put it on black, a hundred dollar chip. He said, no, we're parked in red. Some put it on. We parked our 700 red sense. I did. And I hit with one side of the hundred dollars. Sorry. Oh,
Speaker 3 00:13:47 Huge. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:13:48 Uh, the next trip, um, Andre Lawsky is fighting Tim Sylvia. And I was training with Tim silver in the whole crowd at military fighting systems. Iowa kind of knew their, their plan. And I also knew where Alaska is kind of plan was to try to wrestle Tim and Tim's plan was the box. And he'd been working on boxing with the boys down there and Tim was away, underdog, Gary lost twice. So he went in there to box and I kind of knew the plan. So I told all the guys, this is what we're gonna do. We're going bet on Tim. We all put in whatever few dollars and we won on jock. Then I've said, Hey guys, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna take this winning and throw it on black. No, no, no. We did. And we hit it. Yeah. So those are the good stories about the roulette wheel. And then that I would just walk by and everything. It became a thing. When I would walk by our lot, we all had to throw a hundred dollar bill on the rudder block and win, but I wouldn't stay. I just keep walking, keep walking. That was kind of intrigued everybody else. Cause I had no intention to gambling or you just don't have to play cards or anything at all. So it just not a good idea for me. That's
Speaker 0 00:14:44 Awesome. No, Justin was telling me about the same story when you guys literally were just walking by you threw money, a number and then it hit and everybody goes wild and you're like, okay, sweet. And you just keep walking into the table. It's just like looking like what? Just happen.
Speaker 2 00:14:59 Yeah. No that's that happened a lot. That's all the loss of kept walking too. Yeah. You don't remember the ones who went that's right.
Speaker 0 00:15:06 Cool. Will do. Thank you very much for coming today. Really?
Speaker 2 00:15:09 I appreciate it. Appreciate it. I've been trying to come for a while.
Speaker 0 00:15:11 Pretty crazy lady. Oh, no doubt. So I tell this to all the guests, so don't feel special about this, but um, if you want to come back again and again, this is something that I'd love for you to come back on. So don't think just because you've come once you can't come again. So if you want to come and chat about anything may be as the candidacy keeps going or your gym, or just be asking myself, Tanner, please feel free to come back as many times as you want.
Speaker 5 00:15:36 You tell him he's not special. We don't try to make anybody feel special here. Everybody's
Speaker 2 00:15:41 Special. Everybody's special messenger. I thought it was you on Facebook and messaged your white player out of the way. So I'll message her. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:15:47 She'll be like, Hey, it happens a lot. That happens a lot. So at the end of the show, um, everybody gets a shameless plug shameless, shout out. So this is your time to shine. Whatever you want to talk about. This is it. So who do you want to say hi to? What do you want to promote obviously? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:16:03 Yeah. And my mother's actually here first time. I've seen her in two years because of COVID she's a month. So say hi to her. She'll be tuning in I'm. Sure. Yep. And uh, yeah, just, uh, I mean, when you, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. I'll just see what you vote for me. Um, but just get out and vote. I see a lot of young people want to go out and they're telling me, oh, we can't wait. We're going to where we support you. And I tell them, you need to vote. Oh yeah. Vote every year. I'm like, no, you don't. You need to vote. You need to use your right to vote and get out to vote. Whether it's me or not just get a vote.
Speaker 0 00:16:34 That's awesome, man. Great message. Sweet. Well Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. That's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Once again. Thank you so much for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. Um, have a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
