BONNYVILLE – The MD of Bonnyville will not have a member of council appointed to the Bonnyville and District SPCA board of directors.
The decision was made during the MD council’s organizational meeting held on Oct. 26, after the SPCA’s President Charlene Rask extended a formal invitation offering a designated voting seat on the board to a MD representative at the end of September.
Annually, the MD of Bonnyville provides $50,000 to the local animal shelter.
As a major contributor to the non-profit, Rask writes, “This will enhance our working relationship as well as give the MD greater insight to the operations at the shelter. This will also allow the MD to have a voice in how the SPCA moves forward and conducts business.”
The non-profit's board of directors amended an organizational bylaw allowing for a position to be available to a MD representative. The change was voted on and approved at the SPCA’s Sept. 26 meeting.
Coun. Darcy Skarsen was suggested to be the first member to be appointed to the Bonnyville SPCA board of directors for a one-year term.
However, in a split vote the motion to appoint a member of council to the Bonnyville and District Society for Protection of Cruelty for Animals board was defeated.
Voting in favour of joining the board were councillors Skarsen, Dana Swigart and Mike Krywiak.
Council members who opposed the motion to join the SPCA board of directors was Reeve Barry Kalinski and councillors Don Slipchuk, Ben Fadeyiw and Josh Crick.
*In LakelandToday.ca article MD Votes to join Bonnyville's SPCA board of directors published online on Nov. 4, and printed in Lakeland This Week on Nov. 1, it was incorrectly reported that the MD of Bonnyville Council approved a motion to appoint councillor Darcy Skarsen to the Bonnyville and District Society for Protection of Cruelty for Animals (SPCA) Board for one (1) year term effective Oct. 26, 2022. However, this motion was in fact defeated.
Lakeland This Week apologizes for this error.
