***Original published in Crossroads This Week, November 2, 2018***
Long-Serving Yellowhead RM Mayor Steps Down
After participating in the local politics of Yellowhead RM for a span of close to four decades, Don Yanick decided it was time to step aside as Mayor and chose not to run in this last round of municipal elections.
Don began his career in municipal politics back in the early 80’s when he served on Council from 1983-89. In 1989, he threw his hat into the ring for Reeve but was narrowly defeated. He did a sojourn away from the Council chambers for nine years then was elected to the top job in 1998.
Although the title did some swapping between Reeve and Mayor over the years due to two municipal amalgamations, the basics of being the head of a RM have not changed.
Here is what Don had to say about his philosophy that guided his time in office:
‘First and foremost, I wanted to serve my community. I was always prepared to listen to concerned citizens even when I knew I was going to get tuned in. Council needs to have the vision to look ahead for what is good and needed for the community. Then you have to communicate that vision to the residents and get them onboard. Then after you come up with a plan, look for the negatives but do not dwell on them forever. Find a way to move forward and a way to not say no. But be prepared to make the hard decisions because that was why you were elected.”
Don has seen many changes over the decades and Council has evolved from an organization that traditionally only oversaw the management of roads and recreation. Complex projects can take many years to come to fruition and can be difficult to gain the necessary support for timely success.
The one accomplishment that Don was quite proud of was being able to bring natural gas to the Town of Shoal Lake. That project involved a three-way partnership between all levels of government cost sharing $1.6 million to run a pipeline from an existing service point in Hamiota. Don’s RM Council and other like-minded bodies floated the idea in the early 2000’s and with 12 other partners came together to form the West Central Gas Committee. Unfortunately, in 2004 the committee folded leaving only the Shoal Lake Regional Community Development Corporation to carry on. Approvals and applications for Centra’s gas pipeline started in 2005-06 and soon after natural gas was available to the town’s residents. Don explained, “Although it can take many years, if you are on Council, you have to keep working on a project until it is done.”
Don has dealt with a wide variety of items over the years. For example, there have been hog barn issues that began in the early 2000’s that are popping up again. There used to be problems with flooding in Strathclair until with the help of some old-timers and some old maps, they were able to sort out some culverts with CP Rail. High speed internet with some of the fastest broadband capacities in the world is in the area now. Council’s job is to be adaptive and to help facilitate the health of the community.
Occasionally, Don and Council had to be creative to solve issues. The old fire hall in Oakburn was sitting empty and a proposal came up to convert it to a meat processing facility. Council sorted out a solution and now the owner runs a successful business with three employees.
Of course over time, Don has had his share of odd requests. One ditty of his involves an elderly gentlemen who felt the Mayor had the authority to grant a permit to drive on RM roads. It took some time but Don convinced the citizen that as Mayor he was not omnipotent, at least not when it came to drivers licenses.
Unfortunately, not all of the long-term projects that started under Don’s watch were finished before his retirement. One such agenda item is Council’s plan to manage the water level of Shoal Lake which started back in 2005. Even during his last Council meeting on October 23, Don was presiding during a lengthy presentation from Jay Toews, the principal scientist of Toews Aquatics, on data concerning lake levels and management strategies. The subsequent deliberations and decisions will be passed on to the new crowd.
When asked about what he would be doing with his life now that he is no longer Mayor, Don replied that he was being put out to pasture, literally. With his brother in law, he will now devote more time to his red/black Simmentals and grain operation. He has plenty of fencing to get to and after freeze-up, he would like to do more curling. There will be more time to spend with his family and he has some recreational property in Rossburn that will keep him busy. Plus Don has been Chairman of the Prairie Mountain Museum for about 17 years and he has big plans for the facility.
Don enjoyed all those years on Council and is grateful for the opportunity to serve his community. “I met a lot of great people plus worked with an amazing staff at the office. I had promised myself that when I lost my passion for the job, then it would be time to step aside and pass the torch. All my best wishes to the new Council, congratulations on your election. My best advice is to keep an open mind and always try to find solutions.”
Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.