Slocan’s mayor will run for councillor in this fall’s election, while a present councillor will seek to replace her. Madeleine Perriere, who is in her second term as mayor, has filed nomination papers for councillor, while Hillary Elliott is running for mayor.
Elliott is also the village’s regional district representative and has been the board’s vice-chair.
Born in the Niagara region of southern Ontario, she lived in Alberta and other areas of BC before settling in the Kootenays. She has worked in tourism, public relations, and the service and forest industries, as well as literacy, and has taught in local schools.
She is a University of Calgary graduate and past vice-president of the Nelson District Teachers Association. She was first elected to Slocan council in a February 2008 by-election and was re-elected that fall and in 2011.
Should Elliott be elected mayor, she would become the fourth woman to serve in that position in Slocan after Emilie Popoff (1947-49), Agda Winje (1972-78) and Perriere. No other Kootenay municipality has yet had three women serve as mayor, and only three others (Nakusp, New Denver, and Fruitvale) have had two.
In 2008, Slocan became the first municipality in BC to elect an all-woman council, all of whom were re-elected in 2011.
Also running for council is John (Burly) Van Bynen, who served as mayor from 2005-08.