BONNYVILLE – After serving for over two decades on Town of Bonnyville council, Rene Van Brabant has decided this term will be his last.
“I’m going to be 69 at the end of the month and I think it’s time for me to focus my energy someplace else,” Van Brabant said.
The upcoming municipal election will be the first time since 1998 that Van Brabant’s name won’t be on the ballot.
Van Brabant stated he is the longest-serving councillor for the town. He never ran for mayor during this time and said he “just didn’t have the time” to take on the role.
When Van Brabant decided to run for the first time 23 years ago, he had a long interest in politics thanks to his father and uncle.
“My father was very political, too. My uncle was on council as councillor and mayor of St. Paul for 21 years,” he recalled.
Born and raised in St. Paul, Van Brabant became a jack of all trades throughout his life and had many careers. He spent time working as a meat cutter in Edmonton before moving back to St. Paul to continue the trade.
Bonnyville became his home in 1974, where he later bought a meat cutting business that he sold due to an injury. He tried his hand at plumbing and real estate before taking on the role of sales manager with the Bonnyville Nouvelle, a position he held for 20 years.
Van Brabant left the Nouvelle to work for B&R Eckel’s and still works there to this day. He has held a number of positions in different departments, including sales and marketing, claims, and rates, among others.
When asked what some of the standouts were during his time on council, the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre and splash park were at the top of his list.
“I was one of the main pushers (for the C2) and there was a lot of controversy. I said ‘build it and they will come.’ I’m very proud of that building... It’s something that we needed for people to move here. They could say ‘look at this facility, I want to move there.’”
Another big accomplishment was when the town finally was able to get Cold Lake water. Van Brabant was part of the council that began the long process of getting a new water source for Bonnyville and he was glad to see it accomplished in his final term.
One project Van Brabant regrets not seeing through was the addition of solar lights along the Jessie Lake Trail, which was shared by fellow retiring Coun. Ray Prevost.
“That’s one Ray and I have been talking about for years,” Van Brabant told Lakeland This Week. “I guess I won’t see it in my term or Ray won’t see it in his term, but I think what they should do is (get sponsors) for them.”
Crunching the numbers for the 2021 budget was what Van Brabant described as one of the hardest things he ever worked on while he was a councillor.
“We didn’t have confirmation on whether we were going to get the money from ID 349. That was the toughest budget I ever worked on in the 23 years,” he recalled. “When it comes to a budget, I’m always pessimistic. You have to be in order to make proper decisions. If you’re optimistic, you’re probably going to go over budget.”
Van Brabant offered his appreciation to past councils he served with and good luck to those who will serve in the coming years.
“I’d like to recognize all the councillors and mayors that I’ve worked with and good luck to the future. Always be accountable. The people you have to answer to are the residents of Bonnyville.”
Robynne Henry, Bonnyville Nouvelle
