Woodlands County took a moment to honour two veteran councillors at their Oct. 5 meeting.
Division 4 councillor Jim Rennie and Division 6 councillor Dale McQueen have both chosen to step down and are not seeking re-election. Rennie served on Woodlands County council for 20 years. McQueen served for 14.
Woodlands County mayor John Burrows praised the two for their service.
Burrows called Rennie the poster child for collaboration, highlighting how Rennie led the County’s efforts to work with the Town of Whitecourt on the Allan & Jean Millar Centre and working with the Alexis First Nation on the Eagle River Casino.
Rennie, too, fondly remembered the projects he had worked on, specifically the world’s largest wagon wheel in Fort Assiniboine.
“I remember, the reeve at the time, telling me when I wanted to build the world’s largest wagon wheel in Fort Assiniboine, he said, ‘If you can convince the people, we can build it,’” reminisced Rennie. “Well, together, we convinced the people. And it is an icon. We worked with Travel Alberta to make it a tourist destination in a very small area that is so rich in history.”
Burrows then went on to praise McQueen for his work with the county’s farmers. He pointed out how McQueen had stood by the farmers through two agricultural disasters, and worked with the County’s Agricultural Services Board to develop new programs.
McQueen heaped praise on his collaborators, specifically County administration.
“I do not know how you folks do that. Some of the stuff you have to do, and you always do it with a smile. It is much appreciated,” said McQueen.
There are three candidates running to replace Rennie in Division 4, and three running to replace McQueen in Division 6.
