Two new councillors elected to chamber
Newcomers Gary King and Greg Ericson claim two new seats on council
BY KIM LANGEN
After a busy day of municipal voting on Wednesday, October 24, the final numbers were counted and processed, revealing just after 11:30 p.m. that night exactly who was in – and who was not.
Leading the votes by over a hundred ballots was incumbent councillor Janice Smith, with 851 votes, followed by fellow incumbent Joan Kemp with 750.
Incumbent councillor and deputy mayor Connie Blixhavn followed closely in third place, with 723 votes, with new councillor Gary King behind her by 50 votes.
And the second newly elected councillor, Greg Ericson, followed King by just five votes.
Incumbent councillor Randy Hodge, making up the sixth and final winner in the municipal race, garnered 587 votes.
The unelected candidates were not far behind, in what proved to be an intensively driven and lively election, with an impressive 49 per cent voter turnout.
Lyall McFarlane had earned 570 ballots, with Matt Reimer claiming a close 564, while Jack Ewatski picked up a respectable 535 votes, and Barry Reimer 417.
Incumbent councillor Ron Opperman ran just one ballot behind Reimer with 416 votes, while Reinie Weenink collected 143.
And the very next day, the six appointed councillors met in chambers to take their Oath of Office, during the Inaugural Meeting held there at 1 p.m.
Led by Mayor Rick Pauls, all councillors listened quietly as he explained the rules and obligations connected to their roles in office, including the signing also of a Declaration of Office, and eventual financial disclosures of election expenditures, amongst other items.
First on the agenda, which followed, was a discussion on the upcoming AMM Convention in Winnipeg.
Pauls explained to council that a number of requests had been made to meet with ministers briefly during the busy convention, including provincial ministers for infrastructure, health, municipal relations, and agriculture.
“We don’t know yet if we get to meet with a minister,” said Pauls. “We see if we make the cut. One of the things we would like to propose to the Health minister is that we would like to retain our hospital as a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week urgent care centre. Not an emergency, because we are not an emergency hospital, but for urgent care.”
Also on the agenda was the topic of tile drainage on farmland.
“We have had a lot of requests for tile drainage,” said Pauls. “We think we are going to be inundated with more requests over the next 10 years. I think we had five or six last month, and it seems to be ramping up. Let’s just put a policy in place, straight across the book, so everyone gets treated the same.”
The council meeting also included the appointing of a deputy mayor, recommended by Pauls to be Janice Smith, which passed unanimously by a council vote.
NEW COUNCIL LINEUP – Taking a moment from the inaugural council meeting held on Thursday afternoon is the new lineup on council for the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain. From left are: new councillor Gary King; returning mayor (by acclamation) Rick Pauls; councillors Joan Kemp, Randy Hodge, and Janice Smith, the new deputy mayor; plus councillor Connie Blixhavn, and new councillor Greg Ericson.
The election results from Killarney-Turtle Mountain, the Turtle Mountain School Division, and surrounding municipalities are as follows:
Janice Smith 851; Joan Kemp 750; Connie Blixhavn 723; Gary King 673; Greg Ericson 668; Randy Hodge 587; Lyall McFarlane 570; Matt Reimer 564; Jack Ewatski 535; Barry Reimer 417; Ron Opperman 416; Reinie Weenink 143.
Total number of voters – Mail in Poll 32; Advance Poll 83; Moving Poll 23; Election Day 1,171; Voters Overall 1,309; Eligible Voters 2,668; Voter Turnout 49 per cent.
(Note: “I” denotes incumbent)
Turtle Mountain School Division Board Election results
Ward 2 Killarney: (I) Garth Nichol 839; (I) Shirley Highfield 756; (I) Rob MacTavish 697; were all elected. Kendall Kinsey 523.
R.M. of Prairie Lakes
Reeve: Garth Stephenson elected, 326; Fay McEchern 314; David Garabed 236.
LUD of Belmont: April Hoblyak and Tara Smithson; both acclaimed.
LUD Ninette: Leanne Treloar elected, 103; (I) Debbie Leblanc elected 87; Renie Brandow 56.
Ward 1: Armand Vollotton elected, 86; (I) Paul Waldner, 56.
Ward 2: Glen Johnston elected, 104; (I) Allen Young 52.
Ward 3: Trent Cuvelier elected, 105; (I) Bob Dueck 55.
Ward 4: Michael MacKay elected, 62; (I) Dennis Myers 46.
Ward 5: Karen Roe elected 58; (I) Chris Irwin 25; Michael J. Carey 5.
Ward 6: Larry Cruikshank elected, 140; Gerry J. McEachern, 91.
Boissevain-Morton
Mayor: Judy Swanson, acclaimed.
Council at large, six seats: George Heide elected, 600; (I) David Stead elected, 572;
Doug Troke elected, 568; (I) Rhonda Coupland elected, 538; (I) Eric Reichert elected, 537; (I) Rob Adams elected, 461; (I) Doug Robertson 440;
(I) Lonnie Graham 403; (I) Elmer McCallum 359; Amanda Racine 297; Lloyd Leganchuk 244.
Municipality Of Cartwright-Roblin
Reeve: Jamie Dousselaere elected, 285; Rod Lovell 175.
LUD of Mather: Ryan Pogson elected; Curtis Lees elected; Art Harms elected.
Ward 1: Brent Pawich elected.
Ward 2: Chris Hildebrand elected; Shayne Kinley elected; Jolene McDonald elected.