Well, the race for election is on for a few municipalities, but the Town of Swan River Council candidates have all gotten in by acclamation. The new Town of Swan River Council consists of returning Mayor Lance Jacobson and Councilors at Large, Don Bobick (incumbent), Tracy Boychuk, Corinna Medwid, David Moriaux (incumbent), Tanya Powell, and Duane Whyte (incumbent). Deputy Mayor Johnny Wintoniw and councillors Jason Delaurier and Phyllis Friesen have chosen not to seek re-election.
The heat is on to see who will form the Municipality of Swan Valley West. There’s a three-way race for Reeve and voters will choose between David Minish, incumbent William Galloway and Bill Gade. In the LUD of Benito, newcomers Holly Kushniryk and Joyce Readman are shoe-ins with one additional position left open on that committee. Ward 1 has three candidates running and they are Pat Ellingson, John Halverson and Byron Zbirun. Two candidates, Glen Foster (incumbent) and Brad Kushniryk are running in Ward 2. Ward 3 has Raymond RJ McGregor as the sole candidate who has received his position by acclimation; meanwhile, Ward 4 has another race between three candidates, Janet Ames, Carrie Blosha (incumbent from Ward 2) and Delwin Foster. Terry Neely and Matt Wills (incumbent) are running in Ward 5 and Brian Burick and Darryl Pierrepont (incumbent) are running in Ward 6. Councillor Tyler Kushniryk has chosen not to seek re-election.
The Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman will also see an election. The only candidate for Reeve is Larry Mychalchuk who has earned the title by acclamation. But, the candidates for Council at Large are Gary Bartel (incumbent), Derek Bartel, Courtney Densen (incumbent), Byron Hardy, Leanne Hutman (incumbent), Gale Wagner, Stuart Walmsley (incumbent) and Daryl Warren. Councillor Walter Kolisnyk has chosen not to seek re-election.
In the Rural Municipality of Mountain, there will be an election for Reeve between Keith Behrmann and Connie Forbes. The LUD of Pine River has Leanne Marceniuk (incumbent), Robert McKave and Deborah Soloway (incumbent) running for election on the two-person committee. In Ward 1, Wilmer Malcolm (incumbent) and Ty Pettyjohn are the candidates to choose from, meanwhile, some wards only have one uncontested candidate who has been elected by acclamation. In Ward 2, Stephen Nadolney submitted his papers while Ward 3 saw Nestor Rizok, Ward 4 Jarrett Mosiondz and Ward 5 Arnie Pedersen all doing the same. Ward 6 has two candidates running, Michael Jacobs and Brad Wyatt (incumbent). Birch River LUD committee members Raymond Wotton and Dennis Sigurdson as well as Mafeking LUD members Shannon Greely and Trina Greeley have not chosen to seek re-election.
There are still some vacant seats for Swan Valley School Division Board Trustee positions. In Ward 1, incumbents Vivian Rooks and Donna Burghart are in by acclamation. There is a vacant seat in Ward 2 and incumbent Kathy Highmoor is in by acclamation. Ward 3 also has a vacant seat and both incumbent Gary Wowchuk and Andrew Fuchs are in by acclamation. Trustees Laurie Evans, Kelli Riehl and Bill Schaffer have chosen not to seek re-election. School board trustee vacancies across the province are expected due to the stress and burnout caused by Bill 64 in the last term.
All candidates have until the end of the day today to withdraw their names.
