By paNOW

Political quagmire in Duck Lake

Dec 4, 2017 | 3:00 PM

Things have become politically messy in the Town of Duck Lake.

A recent mayoral election followed by some resignations a month later has left the town short of enough councillors. That meant they didn’t have the quorum to get on with municipal governance and the province had to step in.

The mayor of Duck Lake is hoping things will be more stable come the new year once a couple of by-elections are concluded.

“I hope so, because I’ve never known this many problems,” Mayor Donna Piche told paNOW.

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A by-election was called for the mayoral position after Jason Anderson, who was elected in 2016, resigned. Piche defeated fellow councillor Marcel Baynton in the Oct.4. vote, leaving two seats vacant for council. Three people are running in the Dec. 13. by-election to fill those: Anne Marie Smith, Jade Penner and Denis Lavoie.

But there’s an added element which then made Duck Lake ungovernable for a while.

Baynton and another councillor Nicole Lavoie resigned Nov. 8, leaving the town short of a quorum to get on with their day-to-day political business. That’s when the province stepped in by appointing Bonnie Guigon and Michael Blanchard to council. The province said the appointees have all the powers, rights and obligations of elected members of council. Piche said these appointees do not need to be residents of the town, although one is.

Guigon and Blanchard will step down after a Jan.24 by-election to fill those two spots.

Council couldn’t work together

Piche would not comment on the specific reasons for the friction on council, but a factor certainly seemed to be their inability to get along.

[“The council] couldn’t work together,” she said. “You’re elected to work as one unit and that’s what we want to do. I’m just hoping that once we get all our councillors elected we have one goal and accomplish what we’re elected to do, “she said.

She admitted it was a concern that citizens might be apathetic around the two upcoming by-elections because of all the turmoil, but she was hopeful there would be a large enough turn-out in the voting process.

Asked if she thought there was a chance of smoother sailing the next three years, Piche said you can never be sure.

“Oh, that’s my wish, [but] you don’t know if someone is elected if they have a personal agenda or mandate.”

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow