New era ushered in at Waterloo regional council

Incoming Regional Council held its first meeting on Nov 23.

A freshly-elected regional council was sworn in Wednesday night, and new and returning faces took their seats in the chamber.

Out of eight Waterloo region councilors, six will be new to the role.

That includes includes Colleen James, Kari Williams and Robert Deutschmann representing Kitchener, Doug Craig and Pam Wolf for Cambridge and Chantal Huinink for Waterloo.

There are a few familiar faces as well, including Karen Redman who returns for her second term as chair along with incumbent councillors Michael Harris and Jim Erb.

During the meeting, councilors were officially appointed to the region’s standing committees. Coun. Harris will serve as chair of administration and finance, Coun. Erb will serve as chair of community and health services committee and Coun. James will serve as chair of planning and works committee. Members of Council and citizens were also appointed to various committees and boards, including Waterloo Regional Police Services Board, Grand River Conservation Authority and the Board of Governors for the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, among others.

HISTORY MADE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

In a council full of new faces, two women make history Wednesday night.

Colleen James becomes the first Black woman elected to regional council.

While Chantal Huinink will be the first woman councillor living with a physical disability.

REGIONAL PRIORITIES LAID OUT

Redman said that during her term there are many prioritized items on her list to address such as housing, attainability, affordability, and people living unsheltered. She also noted that residents are concerned about healthcare.

“That is not our mandate but we need to continue to petition the provincial and federal government so that health services get funded appropriately because all of those things add to the angst of the people living on the margins already,” she said.