Last Thursday evening was the swearing in ceremony for the new set of municipal councillors at Inverness County. Three men and three women were elected at the October election.

Alfred Poirier won in District 1. In District 2, Laurie Cranton, who was elected warden. In District 3: Bonny MacIsaac, who was elected deputy warden; in District 4: John MacLennan; in District 5: Lynn Chisholm, and in District 6:  Catherine Gillis.

New Warden Laurie Cranton, re-elected by acclamation to represent Margaree and St. Joseph, outlined his priorities for the new term. “I think something that’s on the mind of all our councillors right now is better internet and cellular service, especially in the rural areas, but overall we need that throughout the municipality and if we’re going to grow and survive in the future, that’s the way of the future. Even with COVID right now: it’s proving how important the internet is.”

Having already worked in council for a term, Cranton said he knows what the issues are at the municipality. “Catching up on maintenance of our facilities, like our water and sewer and we’ve got a plan of action now, but it’s keeping up with that and make sure we’re doing what we’ve already planned,” he said. “I think, it’s doing some risk management assessment of all our departments so we can see where we are and where the risks may be. I think that’s a good practice for any board or any organization, including the municipality. I think we need to bring in some help to help us do that kind of plan.”

Cranton said he wants to encourage a team approach for working in council. "[Other councillors] have interests and priorities,” he said, “and I think it’s organizing those so we can be productive for all the districts and make the municipality a better place to live, work and play.”