Northern BC is losing incumbent mayors

Owen Torgerson is also making a run at his second term as mayor of Valemount. He says times have changed and emboldened the so-called keyboard warriors. “I try to pay attention to everyone’s view,” he says. “But I know that everyone being sheltered or isolated over the last couple of years has really empowered them to head to the keyboard.”

Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson says he checked out of social media more than three years ago and he has a note of caution. “That made a difference in my own metala health,” he says. “Each of the mayors have their reasons for not running again. But I think, on balance, the general population – the taxpayers, the electorate – need to be very careful because they’re chasing good people away from political office.”

However, it means there will many new faces at places like the North Central Local Government Association table.

“It does cause me concern in that, this being my first term as a mayor, that I really relied on the mayors. The Lyn Hall’s, the Lori Ackerman’s, the Dale Bumstead’s, who could help walk you through an issue,” says Atkinson. “To get some mentorship from those mayors. So that going to be a huge loss of knowledge.”

Atkinson says it will be a steep learning curve for a number of the new faces in places like Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Prince Rupert.

by Cheryl Jahn

Northern BC is losing incumbent mayors

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