About Ian

Select this video clip

to hear how to pronounce Ian's name !

My profile

Video - Beliefs that guide me.

"It takes a village to raise a child" and we donate our time as community volunteers.

This interview text was shared with Sylvan Lake News in a slightly abbreviated form to fit press requirements:

Ian Oostindie, a recently retired educator and the 2011 Citizen of the Year award recipient, has decided to throw his hat into the political ring and let his name stand in the upcoming by-election.

A community-minded individual, with a keen sense of justice and a willingness to think outside the box. Oostindie has worked tirelessly behind the scenes as a volunteer ever since he and his wife, Debbie moved to Sylvan Lake from the Yukon in 2007.

His impressive background as a volunteer includes raising thousands of dollars for local cancer support programs, serving on the executive and as chair of Sylvan Lake Friends of the Library and chair of the Sylvan Lake Community Foundation. He also coached soccer and helped out with numerous other youth events.

He presently serves as chair of the municipal planning commission, previously on the municipal services committee which gives him insight into the role of council. It has also allowed him to give feedback to council and he assisted in one of the town’s previous master plan developments.

Known by his colleagues as ‘calm in a storm,’ Oostindie wants to utilize his strength and experience as a leader and a reliable source of new perspectives to ensure government, community and businesses work together to create a strong, diverse community with health support and housing available for every age group. He has a keen interest in maintaining community facilities and programs that support families with healthy youth development.

“As a councilor, I promise to be a voice for fellow Lakers and do my best to ensure services that support our economy are as cost effective and efficient as possible.”

Ian Oostindie and his wife have three adult children and one grandchild. His youngest child attended middle and high school in Sylvan Lake.

For more information about Ian Oostindie check out Facebook and his website, www.ianoostindie4sylvanlake

Why be a councilor now? What motivates my candidacy?

Since July, I was planning to completely overhaul my working career in the next six months. The byelection presented itself perfectly in this time frame. I can finally do council work without conflicting with my volunteer work, family roles and full-time work schedules.

Before July, I usually told people that I am an "educator", a very general term since I have done many different projects in my 'teaching' career. Some of the projects include community consulting work, Ministry of Education curriculum work, negotiations, school administration, as well as classroom teaching in Red Deer Public and Yukon.

During that career, one particular eye-opening experience was working seven years in alternative schools assisting the very brightest who wanted flexibility and the most hard-done-by teenagers in our Central Alberta region, including many from Sylvan Lake. This is why I have a noteworthy platform section I call "Healthy Youth". I campaign to support families raising children. Youth need to be challenged, kept occupied, and mentored by strong parents and adults around them. Town Councilors affect budgets and can collaborate with other groups, agencies, and governments to address healthy youth needs.

Living in the Yukon as a young adult, I noticed that the surrounding wilderness, uninterrupted for hundreds of kilometers, has had a profound effect on me. I constantly try to imagine how we can preserve our very small natural spaces when developing around our town, much like we see in the award-winning area of Sixty West. Using this kind of healthy practice can have a profound effect on our community and preserve what I summarize, "Healthy Lake", both in economic and environmental terms.

Lastly, I bring an ability, second to none, to listen deeply and problem solve with diverse ideas. This makes me especially good at collaboration, a skill that I will use amongst so many layers of government and the challenges we face. There are too many important issues to name all, but there are good approaches to these challenges. I will use a collaborative approach when promoting our community interests.

See much more on the "platform" page.

Some of my Lifelong Learning

Here are some of the certifications and training I have completed beyond my base requirement (B.Sc. - Physics) to be an educator in schools, plus earning a Master's Degree in Curriculum to support that work:

Traumatic Events Systems Model Training, NACTATR - Alberta-based institute (2022)
Alberta School Principal Leadership Certification (2019)
Nonviolent Crisis Interventions (CPI) Certification (2012-2019)
Violent Threat Risk Assessment Training, NACTATR - level II (2017)
Toastmasters International, Competent Communicator & Silver level (2003-2015)
Board Governance (multiple times)
Financial Accounting Course, University of Athabasca (2001-02)
Negotiating Within a Labour Context, Justice Institute of BC (1998)
Conversational French, Yukon College (1995)
Space Science Education Course (1992)
- at NASA California base with University of Oklahoma
Private Pilot License, Transport Canada certified (1992)
Dynamite Safety & Handling Course, Yukon Government (1992)
Yukon Air Brakes Instructor Certification, Yukon College (1991)
Dutch language, Vancouver Dutch Society and my parents :) (since birth)