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Marty Norgren wins District of 100 Mile House by-election

Marty Norgren won with 86 of 228 ballots cast

Marty Norgren will replace Ralph Fossum on the District of 100 Mile House council. 

According to the preliminary count, Norgren won the by-election held on Saturday, June 22 to fill the vacant councillor position with 86 of the 228 ballots cast. Lori Fry came in second with 65 votes while Cameron McSorley came third with 40 votes and Dave Wishnowski rounded out the pack with 37 votes. It's a result that Norgren said he was hoping for but also one that still came as a bit of a surprise. 

"I've always had some interest in politics and helping my community and I'm a longtime volunteer. It was very interesting being at the front of the campaign rather than being behind the scenes doing stuff," Norgren remarked. "One thing I found very odd, was after the polls closed, I watched the count and you hear your names, then someone else's name and you're trying to think if you're winning or losing. As it wore on I kind of got a sense I was on the top and then it was like 'wow, I actually won'." 

Following his win Norgren remarked he got a bit emotional as he thought about his late parents and what they would think of him winning. Not long after the reality that he'll be sitting on council sunk in and that he'll have to learn the ropes. Norgren said his strategy will be to sit back and pay attention at council meetings to figure out what's going on and how things work before bringing his perspective to the issues. 

After his win has been officially certified by Sheena Elias, the district's by-election officer, Norgren will be sworn in before the July 9 council meeting and serve on council until the next scheduled municipal election in 2026. He joins Mayor Maureen Pinkney and councillors Donna Barnett, Dave Mingo and Jenni Guimond. 

During his campaign, Norgren highlighted his pragmatic, level-headed nature and willingness to learn from council and support their current plans. Norgren remarked he's excited to get on council and see how things "function or not function" and start knocking on doors to talk to people. He noted during the campaign he talked with many different community members both those who agreed and disagreed with him. 

"I met some great people of 100 Mile House on my door-to-door knocking. Some new 100 Milers like me and some long-time ones," Norgren wrote. "What’s clear and a shared vision is we want the best for 100 Mile."

Norgren echoed what had been brought up at the All Candidates Forum on June 7 that many of the issues facing 100 Mile House have been ongoing for close to 30 years. Whether that's the construction of a new pool or rec centre, expanding the electoral boundaries of the district or attracting new families and professionals he said he doesn't know if he'll be able to solve any of them but will give it his best shot. 

Outside of attending regular council meetings, Norgren plans to begin attending more community events this summer so he can meet more members of the community and hear their concerns. 

"I'd like to thank every voter who came out. It was a pretty low turnout so thank you for paying attention, being engaged and coming out and casting a ballot. Thank you to the other three candidates who ran, it's not an easy thing to do putting yourself out there," Norgren remarked. "I'd like to thank the wife, son and a few good friends up here who were really active and engaged with me on the campaign." 



Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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