Gibsons’ inaugural council meeting was filled with ceremony, song and celebration as the new council was officially sworn in Dec. 2 in front of a packed audience at the Gibsons Public Market.
The ceremony opened with a procession led by Chief Bill Williams and Bob Baker, two Eagle Song Dancers (Spakwus Slolem) of the Squamish Nation.
“Speaking on behalf of our [Chief Minister], the words that he asked me to say for him, were that he is here for the purpose of utsá’m. To witness this occasion, being our eyes and ears for our Squamish families, it is a very important occasion,” Williams said. “This is a sacred beginning, a new journey, a new crew to take the canoe through the various waters that lie in front of us.”
The Spakwus Slolem presentation is an ancient tradition of the Squamish Nation. The original purpose is intended to bring the protocol and laws of the Squamish canoe culture to the traditional cedar longhouse.
Provincial court judge Steven Merrick then administered the oath of office to the newly elected Mayor Wayne Rowe and councillors Charlene SanJenko, Silas White, Jeremy Valeriote and Stafford Lumley.
“The community owes you a wonderful debt of gratitude,” said Merrick, addressing council. “You give time away from your families, you deal with difficult community problems, you prepare for meetings by reading voluminous materials, and you may at times have to look into the eyes of your neighbours when you make difficult decisions. Not an easy task.”
In his inaugural address, Rowe promised to operate with the collaboration of the councillors, city officials and neighbouring communities.
“I’d like firstly to acknowledge the Squamish Nation, upon whose traditional territory we are holding this inaugural meeting of the new council of the town of Gibsons, and extend our thanks for welcoming us into their traditional territories,” Rowe said. “The election of the new council has generated a lot of excitement and, I think, more than a little hope for real progress. While I am firstly excited by the energy and enthusiasm of the members of this council, it may take me awhile to adjust to being Facebooked, Twittered, Pinterested, Tumblered, Instagramed, Flickered and tagged by them.”
When the laughter died down, he continued.
“It would be presumptuous for me at this time to enumerate a list of what we intend to accomplish this term, as that would require our collective agreement. So rather, I prefer to focus on the how, rather than the what. We should not expect any immediate, dramatic actions. To achieve something that will endure with the passage of time and withstand the political turbulence along the way requires a solid foundation.”
The only business on the agenda was the appointment of White and Valeriote as the representative and alternate representative, respectively, to the Sunshine Coast Regional District Board.
The meeting concluded with a reception for family, friends and community members.
