Mayor-elect Jim Rickwood will join the new council for Biggar following the 2020 municipal election. (submitted photo/Town of Biggar)

By Angela Brown

New mayor

Biggar sees new mayor in 2020 municipal election results

Nov 12, 2020 | 6:12 PM

The Town of Biggar now has a new mayor following the municipal election.

Jim Rickwood garnered the most votes in a race with incumbent Ray Sadler and another contender.

Rickwood is honoured to be elected.

“I thank everybody who had their name stand, and for everybody who supported me,” he said in an interview with battlefordsNOW. “It’s a good day when people let their name stand for public office because it shows interest in the system.”

Rickwood is a retired healthcare worker, and also an on-call provincial coroner.

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As the incoming mayor, Rickwood said he wants to thank former mayor, Sadler, for his long service to Biggar.

“He was a good representative for our town,” Rickwood said. “Ray certainly had a passion for the town; he had a passion for the people, and he did wear his heart on his sleeve for the whole time he was here.”

Rickwood said one of the projects he wants to focus on with the new council is revitalizing the downtown core.

Among the new councillors elected is Nicole Hoppe who owns a hair salon in Biggar. She joins new councillor Dakota Ekman, and incumbents Alan Boyle, Edward Young, Ivan Young, and Kevin McNicholls.

Hoppe is excited to be part of the new council and be able to have a say in future decision-making. Among her issues is bringing more business to the downtown area.

“The business sector is a concern of mine, keeping people around here and having people shop local,” Hoppe said.

Ekman, who is 26 years old, is also looking forward to start with the new council, and appreciates the support from the community.

“I think it is a great opportunity to have a younger voice on council,” he said. “We’ve had a great council over the years, and it’s just nice to be able to have a new voice and new energy coming to council now.”

Ekman’s family is in the manufacturing business.

Here are the full election results:

Biggar 2020 election results. (Town of Biggar website)

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW