‘A driving force behind Boissevain’

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This article was published 07/12/2019 (2343 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ed Anderson helped shape his community’s future for close to 40 years.

The former Boissevain-Morton mayor died Thursday. He was 81.

“He will be missed, for sure, in our community,” Boissevain-Morton Mayor Judy Swanson said Friday.

Anderson was first elected to Boissevain town council in 1980 and had served as mayor since 1994.

He announced his retirement from municipal politics in November 2017.

“He certainly was a driving force behind Boissevain for many, many years, and he touched the lives of virtually everybody in this community,” Swanson said. “You never can replace somebody like that in a community, but you do understand how much he did for our community, and we’re very grateful for the years of service that he gave to this community.

“We are very, very blessed to have had him in this community for that many years and giving of himself for all those years.”

Swanson said she worked with Anderson on council during the time Boissevain and the Rural Municipality of Morton amalgamated in 2014.

“He was a good person to have there, because he was not new to the position, so he was able to guide us through the transition period.”

During Anderson’s time in office, the community built a new water plant, fire hall, library, theatre and recycling building, and attracted two veterinarians to the area.

“I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with the people of Boissevain,” Anderson said in an interview with The Brandon Sun at the time of his retirement.

“Boissevain has really flourished in the last 10 or 15 years and won major beautification awards. … We’ve done really well. I just thought it was time someone else could do it.”

Anderson lived in town and operated a large cattle operation nearby.

Lorraine Houston, editor of the Boissevain Recorder, had fond words for Anderson, whom she described as a good friend.

“I often commented about Mayor Ed that you could love him or hate him, but you could not deny he has done so, so much for this community,” Houston said in an email to the Sun.

“I have the greatest respect for him. He was a community champion. During his 40 years on council, and nearly 30 as mayor, he made significant contributions to Boissevain. He showed the community over and over again that he loved Boissevain and represented the people here well.

“A lot of things in Boissevain would have not happened if Ed was not the mayor,” Houston said.

“Ed was a pillar in his community,” Brandon-Souris MP Larry Maguire said in an emailed statement to the Sun on Friday.

“He worked tirelessly to make Boissevain-Morton a better place to live, and I will miss him dearly. My heart goes out to his family and friends during this very difficult time.”

In June 2018, Maguire stood up in the House of Commons to recognize Anderson’s accomplishments during the former mayor’s time on council.

“When the community was in need, Ed rolled up his sleeves and attracted a physician and two new veterinarians to town,” Maguire said in his statement to the House.

“And with Ed at the helm, Boissevain is now known for its beauty, winning multiple Communities in Bloom awards. I want to thank Ed for his incredible commitment to the people of Boissevain. The town is certainly better off than it was 38 years ago, and that is a tribute to his leadership.”

Anderson leaves behind a wife, Lynn, and two daughters, Erin and Darcy.

» brobertson@brandonsun.com