The Town of Pincher Creek has a new bylaw enforcement officer. Alex Maund arrived on the job Sept. 20, ready to roll up his sleeves.

Raised on Vancouver Island, the newcomer already has a connection to the community.

“My sister (Eleanor Maund-Stephens) actually lives here and works as a paramedic,” explains Maund, who is not all that new to our province or the area.

“Started working for (B.C.) Parks and then as a wildland firefighter for the forest service before getting into the whole park ranger background in Alberta … Writing-on-Stone and then Pincher Creek.”

Other stops since then have included Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon, but for Maund, the job opportunity and timing were right to move back to Pincher.

Did we mention he has a connection to the community?

“I’m also engaged. Have a fiance that lives here and works out of Waterton so I felt it was time to come back and stick around for a while,” he jokes.

At 41, the former park ranger is looking forward to his new role, and while his title has the word “enforcement” in it, he believes it’s about more than just enforcing the rules.

“I see myself spending more time out in the community educating the public about some of the traffic bylaws, like school zones, parking, that kind of stuff.”

Asked if there’s one area of bylaw enforcement he’d like to focus on as he begins his new job, he says it would have to be schools.

“That’s a big one for this month, especially with kids going back to school. Drivers will have to start driving differently as opposed to the summer, now with kids and families around schools more often,” he says. “So, we’ll be out most mornings.”

As a municipal bylaw enforcement officer, Maund will work in collaboration with the local RCMP detachment and the Alberta Sheriff’s Service.

“I’m more of the education side before, maybe, the RCMP might be called in,” he says. “I’m more or less the middle man, I guess. Really happy to be working with them.”

The office of the bylaw enforcement officer is located in the Town of Pincher Creek’s main office on St. John Avenue.

Maund adds that any questions, concerns or complaints can be directed to his email.

Related article: Pincher Creek transitioning from peace officers to bylaw officers