WESTLOCK – If you don’t succeed, try again.
That’s the motto of Village of Clyde resident Philip Petkau who successfully secured a seat on council, after previously losing a bid in October to become a Pembina Hills School Division trustee.
Alongside Gerald Giroux, Petkau was one of two residents who put their names forwards Dec. 20 following the resignation of Jerry Austin, who stepped down citing health concerns.
On the morning of Dec. 21, one day after the nomination deadline, Giroux withdrew his name from the race resulting in Petkau being elected via acclamation.
Now with a position on council Petkau has set his sights on improving the village by enhancing the services it offers.
“We need to do whatever we can do to make it a more welcoming place for the people that live here and the people who drive through here,” said Petkau.
With the village sporting a school, playground and skatepark, Petkau says it is a great place for new families. His first objective would be to restore the general store that once operated in the village.
“There’s a lot of good things in place already that I want to support and be a part of,” Petkau added. “I want to contribute to the growth of Clyde.”
He says that single shop would provide essentials to residents and provide a much-needed economic boost to the village.
“The previous one had its challenges, but I think there’s room to revive something,” Petkau said.
Petkau first grew an interest in council around three years ago when he started sitting in on the monthly meetings and got to know several councillors who encouraged him to put his name forward.
During the 2021 election, Petkau planned to put his name forward but decided to run for the Pembina Hills East Ward 1 seat where he lost to Maureen Schnirer.
“Both positions were on the table, and I didn’t want to take both,” said Petkau. “I have four kids in school, so I prioritized the trustee position.”
