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Inauguration: New Sechelt council takes office

Darnelda Siegers was sworn in as mayor of Sechelt Nov. 7, along with first-time councillors Alton Toth, Eric Scott, Brenda Rowe, Matt McLean, Janice Kuester and Tom Lamb, who returns to the council table after losing his seat in 2014.
sechelt council
Sechelt’s new mayor and council took office Nov. 7: Darnelda Siegers (centre) and, left to right: Alton Toth, Eric Scott, Brenda Rowe, Matt McLean, Tom Lamb, Janice Kuester.

Darnelda Siegers was sworn in as mayor of Sechelt Nov. 7, along with first-time councillors Alton Toth, Eric Scott, Brenda Rowe, Matt McLean, Janice Kuester and Tom Lamb, who returns to the council table after losing his seat in 2014.

Siegers delivered a brief inaugural speech that set the tone for how she expects council to work, but didn’t contain any policy specifics.

Siegers talked about council as “stewards of Sechelt for only a moment in time on a continuum through time.”

“We look back and acknowledge the past and those people and events that brought us to where we are today,” she said. “The job you’ve elected us to do is to build on that past and lead us all into the future. The lens we must look through to do that job is not from today, but from the tomorrow we envision. Not only for us, but for our grandchildren’s grandchildren.” 

She also said council wants to continue hearing from residents and cooperating with neighbouring communities and other levels of government as it makes decisions.

“Our commitment to you is that we will listen with intent,” she said. “We will listen to understand what your values are, but we will also do the work, read the reports, study and research the issues, talk to other communities, identify best practices and then, as a council, make the decisions we believe are best for Sechelt.”

Councillors also had a brief meeting during which they voted to approve Siegers and Lamb as Sechelt’s directors at the Sunshine Coast Regional District.