It’s now official — Deborah Haswell is the Mayor of Owen Sound.
Haswell was sworn in on Monday night during an inaugural ceremony at the Roxy Theatre for the new City Council.
The theme of the ceremony was “Embracing the Future,” and Haswell talked in her speech of a new beginning for Owen Sound and a new chapter in the story of the city.
The night featured performances by the Owen Sound Youth Theatre Coalition and singers from Owen Sound Little Theatre as well as a rendition of O Canada by students from Ecole St. Dominique.
Haswell says the intention was to help showcase the promise and talent to be found in the community.
She acknowledges that many challenges are ahead as Council embarks on its four-year term, but she’s confident that council is ready to meet those challenges.
Haswell is a longtime city councillor who won the mayor’s job from incumbent Ruth Lovell Stanners in the October 25th municipal election.
Also inaugurated on Monday night were City County Councillor Arlene Wright — who is also the Warden of Grey County — and councillors David Adair, Ian Boddy, Jan Chamberlain, Peter Lemon, Jim McManaman, Colleen Purdon and Bill Twaddle.
Boddy, Chamberlain and Purdon are all new to council while Adair, Lemon, McManaman and Twaddle are veterans who were re-elected to new terms.
Wright is another council veteran but she was acclaimed to her position — and it’s expected that tonight at county council she’ll also be acclaimed to another term as Grey County’s Warden.
Orientation will take place this week for the new members of council.
And they’ll be right in the thick of things soon enough, as planning will begin next month for the 2011 budget.
