The only rookie to be added to Saskatoon’s city council is David Kirton.
Ward 3’s newest councillor won the race following a snowstorm-postponed civic election last week.
“After the polls closed (on Nov. 13), the numbers weren’t coming in for maybe an hour or so because there were still lineups happening at a couple of the polling stations. So I decided to take my dog … and I came back to find I think there were already 60 of 77 polls that had come in because they came in so fast,” Kirton said.
“It was so overwhelming right at the beginning.”
“And then I want to thank those who voted, not just for me. I want to thank all of the people who voted because they went through hell and high water to get to the polling stations. We had COVID, we had the snow, we had the election 2.0.”
Kirton said he’s lived in Saskatoon most of his life and worked in broadcasting for over 40 years.
Upon being officially sworn in on Monday, he said he’s ready to get to business for Ward 3.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Kirton said.
“When I was knocking on doors in Ward 3, the big-ticket items there are crime and safety. And I don’t just mean the safety against the criminal element, I mean safety when it comes to traffic as well.
“Parents are afraid to let their kids play in their front yards because of the traffic that’s going by, that’s speeding by. And some of them are worried that the car might end up on their front driveway once again.”
There were seven other candidates running to represent the ward after former councillor Ann Iwanchuk decided she wasn’t going to seek re-election this year. She was first elected in 2011 during a by-election.