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Meet Your Council
Below: Council Meetings, Elections
Dawna Martin
Mayor
I was born in Nova Scotia and moved out west with my family when I was 5 to Calgary, then moved out to a farm just outside of Empress. After a year or so my family moved into town. I went to school in Empress from grade 4 to grade 9 then graduated in Oyen. I worked as a summer student for the town and for the hotel for my formative years. When I turned 20, I left for the big city lights and worked at a couple jobs waitressing and in the food industry at Old Dutch. I have a lot of administrative skills under my belt, working as Human Resources, Bookkeeping, and I also ran my own business. I moved back to Empress in 2004 to help my family run the grocery store. I am a DIY’er (Do It Yourself). My hobbies are: Sewing, Scrapbooking, Kayaking, working in my yard. Carman and I put on a pretty good display of Christmas lights. I volunteer for a few societies and drive the High School bus in my spare time. I’m looking forward to the challenges of being on council, because I love Empress and would like to try and keep its sustainability. Empress is an awesome town with great neighbors, a rich history, the two rivers, and the beautiful landscape. We need to keep it a strong and viable community.
Kelly Burgess
Deputy Mayor
My Name is Kelly (Gill) Burgess and our family has lived in Empress for several generations. I was raised on a farm just North West of Empress, and attended Kitchener School, here in Empress until Grade 10, when we were bussed out to South Central High School in Oyen.
I have been married to my husband Mick since 1994. We have one daughter, Michaela; and one son, Kevin- who is married with children, which makes us proud grandparents.
After High School, I lived in Medicine Hat and Calgary for about 10 years so that I could continue my education. Days after graduating as a Registered Nurse, Mick and I moved home to Empress, and I took a position at the Empress Hospital, where it was my pleasure to work until it’s closure. After the Empress Hospital closed, I continued working as an RN in Oyen and Medicine Hat. Currently I work in Chronic Disease Management as an RN for the Palliser PCN at the Oyen Medical Clinic.
Our family loves the outdoors, and so Empress is a terrific home for us. We spend countless hours enjoying the Red Deer River, kayaking and camping.
Mick and I have served in many volunteer positions over the years. And it is my honor to serve now as a member on the Village of Empress Council. I promise to always work towards keeping Empress viable, and dream of Empress being a place where travelers come to find rest and relaxation, and businesses find opportunities and prosperity.
Council Meetings
Regularly scheduled Council meetings for the Village of Empress are held the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Empress Village Office Building located at 6 – 3 Avenue West.
Agendas are posted on the office bulletin board and on our webpage a fews days prior to the Council meeting.
During the meeting, if someone would like to speak to a topic, they may pose the question to Council, and it will be up to Council to determine if they will allow it. Spectators are there to listen to the process and discussion to understand how and why Council makes their decisions.
Presentations to Council
If you want to make a presentation during a Council Meeting, you must tell us ahead of time what you want to speak to Council about.
You must provide, in legible writing, or typed, or e-mail, what it is you wish to speak to Council about, and present it to the office the Wednesday the week before the meeting at the latest. A time will be allocated for you to make your presentation to Council.
Elections
The Council for the Village of Empress is composed of three Empress residents, chosen by election every four years. The roles of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen by the Council amongst themselves once per year.
A by-election for one (1) Council position be held on October 8, 2024. Voting will take place between the hours of 10:00 am and 8:00 pm, in the Curling Rink Lounge, which is in the northwest corner of the Empress Bindloss Agridome, 311 2 Street West.
See the 2024 Municipal By-election webpage. |
A by-election for all three Councillors took place on Monday, August 8, 2022. See the 2022 Municipal By-election page for information.
The last regular election was on October 18, 2021. To learn more about that election, see our 2021 Election webpage.
The next scheduled regular election will be in October, 2025.
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