Archie Wiersema honoured by province

Ken Johnston
Editor

Archie Wiersema of Dawson Township was honoured with a pin from the province last week for being on municipal council for 25 years.
He served 20 years on Atwood Township before it was amalgamated into the Dawson Township.
Wiersema said he has enjoyed his years in government noting that he was fortunate to only have to work with two different clerks and two different reeves. “That makes things easier.” He served under Reeve Lloyd Hodges and now Reeve John Amundsen. Clerks included Jim Hammond and now Pat Giles.
Wiersema said one of the most prominent memories on council is that of the amalgamation five years ago. “We used to have sixteen on the different councils and now barely have enough interest to get four on board.”
Wiersema said that the hard part of being a councillor is the phone calls from irate taxpayers. “I practice the open ear policy. Once in a while people raise a little heck on the phone so I drive out to see what the problem is and see what we can do.”

Wiersema was acclaimed to yet another term last week and will serve with coucillors Linda Armstrong, Ben Drennan and Aime Desaulniers as well as Reeve John Amundsen when their term begins in December.