Bowen’s new council was sworn in Monday night at an inauguration ceremony at Cates Hill Chapel.
It was the first time the seven members who will serve during the 2022-26 term met in an official capacity. Five of them – including Mayor Andrew Leonard, along with councillors Judith Gedye, Alex Jurgensen, John Saunders, and Tim Wake – are new to their roles on Bowen council, while Sue Ellen Fast and Alison Morse will serve as returning members.
The ceremony began with the traditional procession of the new council into the chapel, led by members of the RCMP and Fire Department. After taking their seats at the table in front of the gathered crowd, Gary Ander performed his last official duty as mayor with a farewell address highlighting the achievements of the outgoing council, and passing along well wishes to the new group.
It was then time for the oaths of office, which were administered by retired B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Greyell. Following affirmations by each member, the business of the new council was officially underway.
There wasn’t much to tackle during a brief special council meeting immediately after. Clocked at a brisk two minutes, council’s first vote was a unanimous acceptance of Sue Ellen Fast and Judith Gedye as Bowen’s Islands Trust Trustees for the next four years. In what will surely be the fastest meeting of their term, council then adjourned.
Before the formal portion of the evening ended, Leonard stepped up to give his inaugural address, pointing to the importance of community connections in the years ahead.
“We know that warmth that comes with gathering in the community. We know that this gathering can serve to transcend differences, to grow seeds of empathy towards common cause. And it’s in this warmth of local community playing out on the soil of Bowen’s green backdrop that I think our strength lies, and the antidote can be found to some of this malaise that we’re feeling,” said Leonard.
“It’s keeping these connections alive that will be essential in some of the tensions that we face as a community. I believe some of the tension… that’s going to be played out over this next term is one of stewardship versus change. A tension of asking what do we need to bring along with us, and what needs to be let go, and what we want to create here and now to serve the generations to come,” continued the new mayor.
“To do this will require change. It requires change because we need to respond to the changes we see around us. Socially, economically, politically, and environmentally. We need to move and work with pressures that our community is facing with its growth, its infrastructure, and the demand being made on our resources by the region and the world as a whole,” says Leonard.
A reception was held afterward to give the new members a chance to mix and mingle with the community.
While there were continuous moments of applause for the new members during Monday’s ceremony, the honeymoon will be brief, as council will be back to work at their usual meeting place in Council Chambers at Municipal Hall on Nov. 14 for their first regular meeting. The main pieces of business will be choosing council representatives for Bowen’s many committees for the upcoming term.
