I can’t believe another year is almost behind us, proving once again to be a busy and challenging one. There have been several changes that have taken place in the town office with the hire of our new Secretary, Jaime Seminuk. Lana Gerein decided to retire, so with that Connor Piller, assistant administrator, moved into the Acting Administrator’s position. This allowed Karyn Jaindl to move into the Assistant Administrator position. To cover a stint of medical leave, we have brought Sandra Beckett back from retirement on a contract basis to help out.
Public works has been running at a one-man deficit for about a year and this winter two-man. With that in mind, I and Council would like to extend our gratitude to those in the Public Works team who have managed to do so much in spite of these struggles. Thank you to Bobby MacCuish, Nathan Evans and Blair Winterhalt. To help cover the gaps, the multi-talented Leroy Loerzel has jumped from the rink to the shop which also deserves our thanks.
The rink too is running at a one-man deficit. This doesn’t mean that we are ill prepared however as the expertise of our rink manager, Daryl Glackin, and our eager and hard-working rink attendant, Dylan Warnecke, have shown us they are more than capable.
You can see it has been challenging for all departments but I do appreciate everyone that has stepped forward and are helping to keep the Town moving in the right direction.
One of our councillors decided to leave and spend more time at home, creating a by-election for the new year. I would like to thank Lucas Jaindl for the years of dedication he gave to the town. His input at Council was much appreciated.
With Lana’s retirement, she leaves a big gap to fill. She was always there to advocate for her community and is still involved. I worked many years with Lana and I know she was genuine in everything she did. I wish her nothing but the best in her retirement and anything she does in the future. Thank you on behalf of the community.
I would also like to thank each and every health care provider whether in the Health Centre or Medical Clinic as well as the four doctors that provide care to our residents five days a week.
We have a couple new projects on the go. The first being our new pool which will be located near the schools on 7th Avenue. Secondly, a group of dedicated parents are working towards a new day care facility to help support working families. Please help the fundraising efforts of both projects as they are so vital to keep our community thriving for years to come.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new residents. I hope you enjoy living in Wilkie as much as I do. My best wishes go out to those who are sick or in the hospital this holiday season. I am hopeful that everyone has a speedy recovery. My sincere condolences to anyone who has suffered the loss of loved ones.
The Christmas season is around the corner and at this time I would like to extend seasons greetings to all residents, town employees and family members. I hope this season brings with it the promise of peace, goodness, happiness and a sense of comfort. On behalf of my wife, Kelly, our children and their families, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
