ATHABASCA – Residents have spoken as Darlene Reimer will fill the empty Town of Athabasca council seat until the 2025 municipal election following her landslide victory in the Feb. 13 byelection when she defeated Stephan Splinter 86-25.
Reimer brings ample professional experience to the table, having worked at four financial institutions over her 35-year career that most recently included 11 years at the Servus Credit Union in Athabasca. She said she had been approached prior, but while she was still working, she felt that she didn’t have the time or capacity to devote herself to the role. Her newfound role in council should open new avenues helping others, something she says she has long been passionate about.
In a Feb. 17 interview, mayor Rob Balay said he was “glad that there was an actual election and that it wasn’t just awarded by acclamation.”
“We had two good candidates to choose from, and I look forward to working with Coun. Reimer. I’m excited to have a full council going forward and making decisions for the next two and a half years,” said Balay.
An involved member of the community, Reimer has worked with the Rotary Club as an executive, the Magnificent River Rats festival, the Athabasca Chamber of Commerce, and the mentorship program at Edwin Parr Composite. Reimer highlighted the Greater North Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on affordable housing for seniors, as “an area that I’m very interested in. With my banking background, I worked with them from that capacity, but I’m also looking forward to seeing what I can do from this side.”
Reimer said she’s yet to talk to Balay to figure out what committees she would be sitting as on “so it will be interesting to learn how it works from that way.”
“I did attend the open house that they had on Jan. 30 to review the budget. It was an eye opener to see how much was covered by the town, the county, versus just user fees,” she added.
Reimer talked openly about her eagerness and her desire to learn and is “looking forward to understanding the budget, learning more about the budget for the town, we [the town] will be doing an open house next Wednesday (Feb. 22) at the multiplex, so I’m looking forward to that.”
In defeat, Splinter was gracious saying, “The people of Athabasca have spoken, they chose Darlene, and I wish her well” and say he hasn’t decided whether he’ll run again at future date.
“I think she will do a great job, and I can see the Town of Athabasca moving forwards,” said Splinter.
How we got here
The seat became available in October 2022 following the resignation of Loretta Prosser, who initially won the seat in the 2021 municipal election where she finished with the sixth-most votes.
Less than a year into her term, Prosser ran into trouble when she took a leave of absence from work and council duties. According to past reporting, Prosser had been away from her primary employment with a doctor’s note granting her medical leave, but after missing the Oct. 4, 2022, town council meeting, her fourth-consecutive absence, council voted down a motion from Coun. Ida Edwards which would have given Prosser one more meeting to return.
Ultimately, Prosser met the requirements for disqualification under the Municipal Government Act and she submitted her resignation letter Oct. 18, 2022.
