After every election, the tendency is always to look ahead.
A couple of days ago, Okotoks elected a new mayor and town council.
Most of them are people who have never served before. Some may bring perspectives and ideas that have not been part of our town’s government before. That’s a good thing, and we look forward to what they will accomplish.
But before all they begin, let’s give one last round of applause to those decided not to seek office this time around.
Being a member of town council is neither as easy nor as glamourous as it is often painted to be.
In addition to the regular council meetings, there are twenty-five boards, commissions, and committees that each require the presence of one or more councillors.
For every minute they spend attending parties and celebrations, councillors spend an hour preparing for and conducting the business of the town. It’s therefore important that we celebrate those who are departing, for they symbolize all that is good and decent about our community:
Dr. Ed Sands was first elected to council in October of 1995 after serving on the board of directors of the High River Hospital and Nursing Home.
He leaves office after serving eight terms, providing leadership and direction as Okotoks grew from a population of less than 8,000 to more than 33,000 today.
A chiropractor by profession, Ed also has maintained a keen interest in community theatre, serving as president of the Dewdney Players.
Florence Christophers served non-consecutive terms on council, from 2010 to 2013 and from 2017 to the present.
She has spent twenty years in community development roles at the local, provincial, and national level. She and her husband Sean Christophers are moving from Okotoks after Sean accepted an employment opportunity elsewhere in Alberta. They will be missed.
Ray Watrin was first elected in 2010.
As a counsellor, math teacher and football coach at Foothills Composite High School in addition to his role on town council, he has had an enormous influence on the lives of Okotokians for more than 30 years. He created the first Falcon football team and coached several provincial champions.
Matt Rockley leaves office after three terms.
An urban planning professional, he earlier worked for the Town of Okotoks as a town planner, was a citizen member of the Municipal Planning Commission, and, as publisher of the Western Wheel, hired me to write this monthly column in 2018.
