Following a byelection held Oct. 6, Brian Godlonton is Rimbey’s newest town councillor.
Godlonton won the byelection with 166 votes. Ben Nesbitt, who also let his name stand for the position, garnered 102 votes.
Godlongton, who will be sworn in at the council meeting on Wed., Oct. 15 is excited about his win.
“I am pleased; very pleased,” he said. “It’s a new challenge and I look forward to it.”
Godlongton said he visited about 70 homes during his campaign and while people are fairly happy with the status quo, most agreed attracting more businesses would be positive for the town.
“Everybody wants to see the town grow,” he said.
Ben Nesbitt wishes Godlongton well in his new position.
“I’m sure he will do a good job. It was a cordial election. We shook hands in advance (before the ballots were counted).”
Nesbitt is not ready to completely give up on municipal politics and has not ruled out running in the next election.
“I need a little more time for campaigning. I plan to be better prepared next time,” he said.
The declining business community prompted Godlonton to make the decision to run for council.
“I keep looking at those empty buildings and it scares me,” he said in an earlier interview.
However, Godlonton believes Rimbey has great potential as a community.
“It has been here for a hundred plus years for no reason,” he said.
The hospital and longterm care centre are primary examples of the positives the town has to offer, he said.
“Not too many communities have a hospital like we do,” he said.
Good schools, Pas Ka Poo Park and the truck museum are other assets the town can take pride in,” he said.
Godlonton is originally from southern Saskatchewan. He came to Rimbey in 1995 when he managed the Fields store. He was transferred to Cranbrook, B.C. in 1996, but returned in ’98 and went to work for Longvista Transport in Ponoka. In 2012 he was hired by Rimbey Co-op as petroleum manager.
Godlonton has two adult children, Geoff, who is attending NAIT in Edmonton and studying carpentry engineering and Kim who is a stay at home mom living in Ponoka. He also has two granddaughters.