Northern Regional SUMA Director, and Buffalo Narrows Mayor, Bobby Woods. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
It was a packed house at the annual Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association gathering’s northern regional meeting on Tuesday, which saw Buffalo Narrows Mayor Bobby Woods take over the Northern Regional SUMA Director position from Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler.
The group needed to find a bigger room to accommodate the mayors and councillors from northern municipalities, with more than 80 people in attendance.
The first order of business was electing a northern regional position, which is one of the five board of directors positions with SUMA. Fidler had held for two terms and was seeking to keep the position, with Ile-a-la-Crosse Councillor Gerald Roy and Woods running against him.
Roy has held the alternate regional director position for four years, and said he wants to ensure the north is getting its fair share of economic wealth in the province.
Woods shared some personal history with the delegates, saying he was raised a French home after being taken into foster care during the 60’s Scoop.
There was supposed to be time later on for an open forum for delegates to speak, but time ran out when members of a few different municipalities were unable to vote due to complications with their SUMA delegate status.
After a delay, it was announced that Woods received more than double the votes of his opponents.
In an interview afterwards, he said he has past experience in SUMA, New North, municipal and Metis politics.
Northerners often come to him for advice and support, he said, and “I think I can do a good job for them.”
In order to keep the northern voice strong in the sea of other representatives, Woods said he plans to be vocal and make sure the differences between the north and south are not forgotten.
“Too often they don’t realize what we face up in our northern part. They often refer to us just like we’re part of the south when we have different situations. We’re very remote, most of our communities are an hour apart at least, and so as long as we keep bringing our issues forward and they hear us, they recognize that,” he said.
The election of a new SUMA president, with Gordon Barnhart replacing Darren Hill, has signalled an attitude of cooperation with provincial government.
Woods said cooperation is part of it, but he also plans to be adamant about northern issues.
“We also need the government to come to us and see what our needs are and be able to help us address them. We have possible solutions that they need to hear,” he said.
Ile-a-la-Crosse councillor Gerald Roy remains as the alternate, after winning only one more vote than La Ronge Councillor Jordan McPhail. Green Lake Mayor Ric Richardson threw his name in the hat.
Both the alternate and regional director position are four-year terms.
Wednesday was the last day of the annual SUMA conference, which included a bear pit session with the premier.