In the municipal elections for the Village of Telkwa, there are two contenders for mayor, Leroy Dekens and Derek Meerdink.
Last week The Interior News gave the mayoral candidates an opportunity to make a pitch to voters.
Only four people put their names forward for the four council seats in Telkwa. Annette Morgan, the only incumbent, Lee Ewald, Cathy Frenette and Simon Schat will all be acclaimed.
This week, we present their responses to what they think is important in the village and why they wanted to be on council.
2022 Telkwa councillor profiles
Lee Ewald:
Growing up in Regional District attending Telkwa school, he grew up knowing his family had a passion to make a difference.
His grandfather served as mayor for Granisle, and his uncle represented the Kitimat-Stikine, and continues to serve the region.
It’s important to Ewald to contribute his trade skills, compassion and collaborative skills and give back to the community, he said.
He looks forward to a team approach and supports the needs for transportation, housing, and infrastructure, in a hope to strengthen the community for coming generations.
Cathy Frenette:
I have lived in our beautiful community for the past 13 years. Previously I lived in Terrace where I pretty much grew up and was very involved in Terrace Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, fundraisers for charity events, chairing sports events for minor and oldtimers hockey and some golf events.
Our community has grown with a huge increase of families with little ones and a lack of things to do for the youth in Telkwa to keep them busy and safe.
Some of (the) things that are needed to be looked at are the thefts and property damage throughout the community, speed of vehicles in residential areas, the train crossing and how long our residents have to wait.
Affordable housing for our seniors but also the young adults who are the core of the future of our community and being able to stay in Telkwa.
Simon Schat:
I was born and raised in the Bulkley Valley, am a husband and father of two boys.
It is my hope as councillor, to continue to encourage growth in the town and to continue making it attractive for new families to move to and raise their children here.
Annette Morgan, Incumbent:
Under the Community Charter I acknowledge that it’s my responsibility to consider the well-being and interests of the Village of Telkwa and our citizens.
It is important for me contribute to the development and evaluation of our municipal policies and our programs.
As a resident of Telkwa, understanding the federal and provincial funding allocations is key.
The ability to negotiate and communicate the challenges that face our small town is strength that I bring to our team.
Relying on increased taxes delay our infrastructure, transportation and capacity development, and it is time we change how we work with our partners.
Our management and council have done an incredible job maintaining, upgrading and expanding our resources with little impact on our residents.
I challenge myself daily to ensure complete comprehension of our economy, its impacts and be prepared for the decisions that are brought forward.
The resilience, strength and power of our residents is something that empowers each of us and for that I am proud to serve another four years.
