PORT HARDY—A packed Council Chambers welcomed the newly elected Mayor and councillors to office Tuesday as the 2014-18 Port Hardy Council members swore the Oath of Office and took their seats for the first time Tuesday.
Outgoing Deputy Mayor John Tidbury opened the meeting by paying tribute to the civic leaders who passed during the previous term. “I’m not going to say much about the past council,” said Tidbury, “but what I would like to say is that I’d like a moment of silence for three of our colleagues who are no longer here today — namely councillor Al Huddlestan, Mayor Bev Parnham and Debbie Huddlestan.”
After the Chamber paid its respects, Mayor Elect Hank Bood came forward to take the Oath of Office under the direction of barrister Paul Grier, welcomed by a round of applause from the gallery on signing.
The swearing in of the new Mayor was followed by that of councillors Pat Corbett-Labatt, Dennis Dugas, Jessie Hemphill, Rick Marcotte, Fred Robertson and Tidbury, and the new council took its seat for the first time.
“It’s my pleasure to welcome the six newly elected council members to the table,” the mayor told the audience in his opening address. “Congratulations to all of you on your election. The challenge that lies before us, I think, is to carry on the good work done by previous administration that has made Port Hardy the best place to live and raise a family on the North Island.
“Our primary task will be to map our goals and objectives as well as a clear path to accomplishing them. Given that we have an ideal mix of experienced councillors and rookie councillors and that all of you are successful individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and interests, I feel that we have the ingredients for a very successful team. Tonight the journey begins and I look forward to working with all of you.”
In its first item of business, the new council adopted a schedule for the deputy mayorship.
The first regular council meeting took place Tuesday, December 9, after the Gazette went to press. Council will return after the Christmas break, with the first meeting of 2015 scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.