Mayor Colleen Smook appointed Coun. Les Ellsworth as the second deputy mayor of the 2018-2022 term and appointed the chairs of the City of Thompson’s various standing committees during council’s organizational meeting at City Hall Nov. 6.
Ellsworth takes over as deputy mayor from Coun. Kathy Valentino. He was also appointed as chair of the finance and administration committee and as the chair of the legislative and intergovernmental affairs committee, a post which is automatically filled by whoever is the current deputy mayor. Ellsworth was chosen by fellow councillors to serve on the communications committee.
“I look forward to serving you as the deputy mayor of Thompson for the next year,” said Ellsworth following the completion and approval of all appointments.
“I can tell you, Mayor Smook, being your deputy mayor was very easy as you are everywhere, as I’m sure the citizens of Thompson see,” said Valentino, who said she was looking forward to a new role as chair of the public works committee. “To be a leader you need to know all aspects of our city and clearly understand all of our staff and all of the roles that everybody plays.”
Other councillors appointed as committee chairs include Coun. Judy Kolada for human resources and for development review, Coun. Brian Lundmark for public safety, Coun. Jeff Fountain for recreation and community services, and Coun. Andre Proulx for communications. Councillors Duncan Wong and Earl Colbourne were not appointed as the chair of any committees
Proulx will be serving as a committee chair and member for the first time, since he didn’t join council until a byelection was held last spring, several months after committee chairs and members were appointed and elected at council’s inaugural meeting in November 2018.
“I’ve just been find of floating around for the last .5 of a year,” said Proulx. “Thank you to the city and council for being patient and letting me learn.”
Representatives voted to represent council on committees include Valentino for finance and administration, Colbourne for human resources, Wong for public safety, Valentino for recreation and community services, Lundmark and Wong for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, and Lundmark for development review. The only committee position for which more than one nomination was received was for public works, which saw Proulx beat Wong by a 6-3 vote.
Fountain, previously chair of the public safety committee, hinted that he finds himself as part of council’s unofficial opposition and said that he relishes the role.
“There’s a saying that you can’t have a good wrestling match without a heel and the bigger and uglier that heel is, the better the show is and the better the result,” Fountain said. “I would like to thank the city for lightening my load because I’m hoping and I promise this city that I will continue to be a thorn in the side of council as well as ask the tough questions in the best interests of the city.”
Council also approved the appointment of five R.D. Parker Collegiate Grade 12 students to represent student interests on four committee and to council as a whole. These student representatives will not have voting rights but can otherwise fully participate in the workings of council.
Drew Heskin will represent student interests on council, with Kendra Martinussen serving on the recreation and community services committee, Jasraj Kuller on the communications committee, Karisma Vyas on the finance and administration committee, and Taylar Hanson-Oliveira on the public safety committee.
“We are looking forward to working with you,” said the mayor. “It’s an exciting year to start this.”
Prior to appointing committee chairs, Smook outlined the various challenges the new council has faced since being elected, including a boil water advisory in the first 10 days after they took office, the suspension of city transit service, the permanent closure of the Norplex Pool and the fire at the north building of Forest View Suites on Princeton Drive.
“We’ve had a busy year,” she said. “Ups, downs, sideways, you name it, if it could be done, we did it. We had a rough year.”
And although she knows that councillors won’t always agree with each other, Smook says she sees good things ahead.
“With 2020, that’s going to be the 150th year of Manitoba, the 50th year as a city in Thompson,” Smook said. “As a council it’s going to our best year yet and we’re just going to have the positivity run through the whole city.”
