By: Korie Marshall

Valemount’s new Council was sworn in on Monday, Dec. 8th in front of a packed audience.

“We know not all the achallenges that lie ahead,” said Mayor Jeannette Townsend in her first address after six years away from the gavel. “I cherish this community, and I commit to serving with respect, dedication, accountability, and fiscal prudence. I am eager to work toward putting Valemount on track to a prosperous and healthy future.”

Mayor Townsend’s appointments to standing committees are Councillors Blanchette and Torgerson to the CBT CIP/AAP committee; Salt and Blanchette to the Community Foundation Committee; Salt and Torgerson to the Emergency Committee; Reimer and Torgerson to the Public Works and Traffic Committee; Torgerson and Blanchette to the Tourism Committee. Select committee members are Reimer and Torgerson for the TransMountain Expansion Project Committee and Salt for the Valemount Museum Building Committee.

Appointments to external boards and agencies are Mayor Townsend to the Board of Directors for the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, with Councillor Torgerson as alternate; Torgerson to the VARDA board; Reimer and Torgerson to the Valemount Community Forest Board of Directors; Torgerson to the Prince George Treaty Advisory Committee; Townsend to the Robson Valley Region Marketing Initiative Steering Committee; Torgerson and Salt to the Valemount Library Expansion Project Committee; Torgerson as liaison to the Chamber of Commerce; Reimer as liaison to VCTV; Salt and Townsend as liaison and alternate to the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association; Salt as liaison to the Municipal Finance Authority; Blanchette as both the Local Health liaison and the Arena Committee.