By Emily Stonehouse

Minden Council faces a fresh start
There’s a new mayor in town for Minden Hills, and he is ready to hit the ground running. Mayor Bob Carter, who ran unopposed in the municipal election last month, was officially sworn into the role of mayor at the inaugural meeting of council on November 15. “This council will face a number of challenges over the next four years,” said Carter, before diving into concerns around re-establishing businesses to adjust to living in a time of COVID-19, the shortage of housing and staffing available in the community, climate change, the strain on local healthcare, the degrading infrastructure, and limited financial resources. “Obviously there are many other issues that face us, so what do we do?” asked Carter, “We as a council will need to be creative and courageous as we identify our most pressing priorities.”
The new council consists of returning members Deputy Mayor Lisa Schell and Ward 2 Councillor Pam Sayne, along with new faces: Councillor at Large Tammy McKelvey, Ward 1 Councillors Ivan Ingram and Shirley Johannessen, and Ward 3 Councillor Bob Sisson.
“We may not please everybody with every decision,” said Carter, “but we will make decisions that are best for our community.”
Carter emphasized that while the seven people on council are dedicated to making decisions that will benefit Minden Hills overall, they cannot do it alone. He noted that while many committees, boards, and task forces were put on hold during the pandemic, he will dedicate his time to reinvigorating these meeting options. “We will return with more robust, focused, and supported committees that will expand the ability of council to deal with the many critical issues.”
The new mayor concluded his speech with an ask of the community; “I am reaching out to all, as we need to work together for the betterment of Minden Hills.”
To get involved or to learn more about council meetings, visit www.mindenhills.ca.