First female mayor sworn in

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This article was published 10/11/2010 (5440 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With likely the slimmest shoulders to ever bear Brandon’s mayoral chain of office held proud and high, Shari Decter Hirst was officially sworn in last night as the Wheat City’s first female mayor.

In front of a packed house in the foyer of city hall, Decter Hirst and her 10 members of council each repeated the oath of office, administered by city lawyer Robert Patterson, to become Brandon’s 2010-14 city council.

In an inspired speech immediately following the completion of her oath, Decter Hirst described the city she will now lead as "beautiful."

"We live in Brandon and it is alive with opportunities," she told the crowd of more than 100 people.

"And now, we live in a city where the glue that binds these strengths together — that leverages them so that the sum of them is greater than their individual parts — these strengths are going to be galvanized and put to use."

Though she maintains the reality of her accomplishment likely won’t fully hit her until she chairs the new council’s first meeting next Monday evening, Decter Hirst says it was pretty tough to deny the emotion that washed over her when she had the chain of office placed onto her shoulders for the first time earlier this week.

"There were goosebumps because, suddenly, that opportunity to serve the people of Brandon was very real," she told the Sun. "We have a marvelous team and I can hardly wait to get started."

One by one, newly elected councillors joined Decter Hirst during last night’s ceremony in repeating the words that will carry them through their next four years of public service.

"Wow, that’s what that feels like," Coun. Stephen Montague (Richmond) joked after repeating his oath of office. "I’m truly humbled to be here today. It’s something I’ve aspired to since I was 12."

New Assiniboine ward Coun. Jeff Fawcett told the crowd that, above all, he will strive to be an approachable politician who will work with people to achieve success.

"People are people and we’re all approachable and I hope that (because) I have an aloofness to me, people find that they can come," he said following the ceremony. "We can get the work done, but don’t be afraid to approach me. I always did and I hope that there are nuisances out there like me that approach me."

Also new to council are Jan Chaboyer (Green Acres), Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes), Len Isleifson (Riverview) and Corey Roberts (Rosser.)

There are a number of "veterans" around the council table, however.

In the blink of an eye, acclaimed Coun. Jim McCrae (Meadows) says with only one full term of council under his belt, he has suddenly become one of the Brandon city council "elders."

McCrae, an unapologetic supporter of former mayor Dave Burgess throughout the election, wore a pink tie to last night’s ceremony to show his willingness to work with his new mayor and colleagues at the council table.

"I worked with Dave, I did my best to help him … to build consensus wherever that was possible to do and when there wasn’t consensus, to keep the temperature down," he said. "That’s the exact same thing I have said to Shari, that I will work with her and will do my best."

Murray Blight (Victoria), Garth Rice (South Centre) and Jeff Harwood (University) were also acclaimed councillors sworn in during last night’s ceremony.