By Bryan Eneas

Duck Lake town council back to full force

Jan 25, 2018 | 4:00 PM

After nearly a year of change in the Duck Lake town council, things are finally getting back to normal.

A byelection hosted on Jan. 24 brings in Blake Cameron and Christopher Gamble as councillors, which re-establishes quorum in the town offices.

“We’re able to get down and get some business done in the next three years and improve our community,” Duck Lake’s Mayor Donna Piche said. “Hopefully it’ll work out.”

Two people were appointed by the provincial government late last year to bring quorum to the council. Although they brought balance, Piche said they were only temporary employees who couldn’t be assigned to any committee. With two full time replacements now elected, those committees can get back to work as well.

Piche had previously told paNOW she was concerned the amount of byelections hosted over the last 12 months would create voter apathy. The people of Duck Lake proved her wrong, however.

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“We had more voters out this time then we did last time,” Piche said. “I think they want to see a council that’s going to be proactive instead of reactive, and we can get on with what we have to do.”

Duck Lake’s town council will meet on Jan. 31 for the first time, where Campbell and Gamble will officially be introduced as councillors.

A complicated series of events

A byelection was first called following Jason Anderson’s resignation as mayor after he was elected in 2016. Piche earned the title after defeating fellow councillor Marcel Baynton in an Oct. 4 vote. The byelection left two vacant positions which were filled by a vote on Dec. 13, 2017.

Baynton and another councillor Nicole Lavoie resigned on Nov. 8, leaving two more positions vacant which left Duck Lake short of political quorum. The province then appointed two Bonnie Guigon and Michael Blanchard as councillors to re-establish balance in council.

Duigon and Blanchard were set to step down from their positions following the Jan. 24 byelection.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas