Since last October, the community’s mayor and minister have lived under the same roof. But it won’t be that way for much longer.
When the Nussey family moved to the community in May of 2007, they numbered only three.
Three years and an extra family member later, Father Andrew Nussey, his wife Mayor Christine Nussey and their two chidren, Rebekah, 4, and John, 2, are preparing to move to North Bay, Ont. at the end of the month.
Father Nussey has accepted a position as parish priest of a single-point parish in downtown North Bay. Mayor Nussey will be attending school.
Father Nussey said the news of their departure came as a surprise to everyone in town. He said that is actually a good thing.
“If people had expected me to announce my resignation, it would have meant that there was a problem with my ministry,” he said. “ But this was not so. People are understandably very sad. A lot of tears have been flowing.”
Mayor Nussey just finished a business degree through distance education and will begin a science degree majoring in psychology while applying to medical school.
She ran for one of two vacant council seats and won in 2008. She was appointed to council by acclamation in Oct. 2009 and was elected mayor by fellow town councillors shortly thereafter.
She said in her short stint as mayor, her proudest accomplishment was working with the other councillors to balance the town’s books.
“Attempting to get this town financially secure is key to sustaining it and ensuring its goals can move forward. I have loved working with this council for this town. I am going to miss this work quite a lot,” said the mayor.
She said there is still a lot of unfinished business, but that will always be the case in any town.
“That's the problem with this position: there will always be unfinished business. We're awaiting the arrival of our new truck, fixing trails and roads. There would never come a point where I could say, ‘I've seen it all, the town has nothing else that needs to be done,’” she said.
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