BEDEQUE, P.E.I. — A changing of the guard has occurred in the Rural Municipality of Bedeque and Area.
Long-time Mayor Ron Rayner has retired from the chair.
Rayner has served on council for close to 50 years. Many of those alongside deputy mayor Don MacFarlane who also retired this year. A third councillor moved and left a vacancy.
The seats were filled by acclamation and the new members took over on Nov. 5.
Natalie McDonald was sworn in as mayor. She was joined by councillors Cindy Ross-McLure and Karen Ashley-Neill.
McFarlane said he enjoyed travelling to other municipalities and meeting with people, but at 87 he’s ready to retire.
“I think it’s time for younger people to get involved,” he said.
Rayner, on council almost continuously since 1970, was told by his doctor to relax more. That was a year ago, he was in hospital at the time, getting four stents in his heart.
But stepping down from council won’t stop his drive to stay busy said his wife, Carol Rayner.
“He always has something to do. He’s got a shop and fixes things for everybody,” she said, then turned to Ron. “I think you were pretty proud to be mayor of the place you grew up in.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “I was born just up on top of the hill. From my house I can see where I was born, I can see where I was raised.”
While he’s retiring for his health, he vows to remain involved in the community.
Community involvement is second nature to the three new members as well.
“I’ve done a lot of volunteering over the years,” said McDonald. “I had been looking for opportunities on council and this was the opportunity that presented itself. It was my turn to help out in this way, so here I am.”
Ashley-Neill is looking forward to getting a peek into the inner workings of municipal politics.
“You’ve lived here your whole life and your streets are cleared and you have power,” she said.
Ross-McLure was inspired by a certain former premier.
“I really admired Catherine Callbeck, I really admired her though all the years, all she’s done and accomplished,” she said.
This is the first council to have so many women on council and Callbeck herself was in attendance.
“It’s a historic night,” said the Bedeque resident. “It’s the first woman mayor on council.”
McDonald is happy to have two other women on council with her. Only 20 per cent of P.E.I. mayors are women, she said.
“It’s not even representative of the population, so it kind of surprised me a little bit.”
She hopes it will soon be normal for women to serve in municipal politics.
So does Ashley-Neill.
“When I was approached, I didn’t even really think of is as, ‘Oh, I’m a female joining this,’ I just thought that I’m volunteering for my community,” she said Ashley-Neill.
“It’ll be nice when it’s not a big deal,” said McDonald.
Alison Jenkins is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government.
