In a special meeting on Friday, Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson and councillors Holly Blanchette and Pete Pearson will appoint two more colleagues to serve with them on the village council for four years.
Torgerson, Blanchette and Pearson, all incumbents in their roles, were the only candidates to come forward by the end of the election nomination period on Sept. 9. The nomination period was extended to Sept. 12, but no additional council candidates came forward.
Under the Local Government Act, an appointment process began to select eligible candidates to nominate for the unfilled council positions. The three current members of the council will elect two councillors from a list of 13 names, using a secret ballot process.
Gordon Carson, James Hockin, Sharon Ireland, Eugene Jamin, Donalda MacLean, Shanon Manahan, Hugo Mulyk, Page Norton, Hope Norum, Rita Rewerts, Charles Simpson, Shona Thorne and Samantha Travers were nominated for the two positions.
The list of nominees includes candidates who live outside the village, according to a statement issued by the Village of Valemount on Wednesday.
“Pursuant to the Local Government Act, those eligible for appointment must reside within the municipal boundary. The Village of Valemount, identified this as a barrier to ensuring that all of those impacted by decisions of the Village had the opportunity to put their name forward to serve the community,” the statement said. “As such, an ongoing discussion with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs began, and the Village requested that the boundary for eligibility be expanded to include those in the immediate area surrounding the municipality.”
In an order issued on Tuesday, Minister of Municipal Affairs Nathan Cullen approved the village to consider nominees from the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George Electoral Area H, which surrounds the village.
“The Village of Valemount wishes to thank these individuals for offering to serve the community as well as those who applied to this process from outside of the expanded boundary and who are therefore not eligible to be considered,” the village statement said.
The special meeting starts at the Village of Valemount council chambers at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.
