Selkirk Coun. Kelly Cook will once again represent the Interlake Region as a Director for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities that represents all 137 municipal entities across the province.
Cook was re-elected as a District Director for the Interlake Region in June at AMM’s District meeting in Stonewall. He was first elected in 2018 in a by-election and then acclaimed in 2019 and 2021.
Cook and Stonewall Mayor Sandra Smith, who was also elected at the same time as Cook, are the Interlake Directors.
For Cook, it’s an honour and a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.
“I’ve seen firsthand the important role the AMM plays for municipalities in the province. The AMM is the strongest advocate group working on behalf of all Manitoba municipalities and we have needs that are common to all of us,” Cook said.
“Often times things that are good for Selkirk are good for others, so I’m advocating on behalf of our city as well as the others. We’re all in this together and as a strong unit we can affect change in our regions and in our province.”
Having a voice is a significant responsibility
Cook has been assigned three files – the Municipal Employees Benefits Plan, Province of Manitoba’s Accessibility Advisory Council and Lake Winnipeg Shoreline Erosion Technical Review Committee.
Cook said he is looking forward to representing the region with Smith.
The City of Selkirk is known as a leader in many areas, including its use of asset management, climate adaptation and mitigation policies, downtown renewal, and its state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, which, along with its water treatment plant, operates without the use of fossil fuels.
“Selkirk city council works hard for its citizens and we’ve become known for being innovative and leading in the way we run our city and I’m proud of that,” Cook said.
“Having a voice at the AMM, representing Selkirk, the Interlake and all of Manitoba’s municipalities is a significant responsibility and I’m humbled that my colleagues in Selkirk and throughout the Interlake have confidence in me.”
Mayor Larry Johannson – who served as the AMM’s City Caucus Chair for two years – congratulated Cook on his re-election and stressed the importance of having a voice in the AMM, a powerful lobby group for municipalities.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to Coun. Cook, who has proven to be an effective voice for not just Selkirk but for other municipalities as well in his role with the AMM,” Johannson said.
“It really can’t be understated how important it is to have that voice at the AMM table. We have the opportunity as a city to present resolutions at district meetings and if they get support from other municipalities then our issue moves onto the next level. Having Kelly there gives the City of Selkirk a stronger voice.”
AMM has a lot of punch
In 2019 the city co-authored a resolution with the City of Thompson to bring back the provincial Roads and Bridges Program. Overwhelming support from 102 of the province’s 137 municipalities resulted in the return of the program.
“That’s impact. The AMM has a lot of punch and Coun. Cook brings years of experience to the table, and that benefits our city and our province.”
