WILKIE—The RM of Buffalo honoured past reeve Les Kroschinski during its monthly meeting on Jan. 13 with a special presentation.
Kroschinski, who served as reeve since 2010, received a framed Bernie Brown print to commemorate his 23 years of service to the RM. He was first elected as Division 2 councilor in 2001.
In an interview with Â鶹´«Ã½, Kroschinski said his decision to join the municipality was an easy one.
“There was a need for some new ideas, especially when things had not been going as they should. Some councilors needed to step down from the role,” he said.
As a councilor, Kroschinski joined the emergency measures and mutual aid committees before taking on roles in the District 30 Agriculture Development Board, RCMP Advisory Board, office building committee, hiring committee, and others.
During his tenure, Kroschinski contributed to key projects, including the purchase of a new fire truck in 2002, the arena floor project in 2009, and numerous critical road improvements.
In 2010, then-reeve Henry Gooding encouraged Kroschinski to run for reeve, even offering to help with the election campaign.
“Henry offered to be my campaign manager and did most of the legwork. I was in Bulgaria with my wife when I was elected,” Kroschinski said with a laugh.
As reeve, he continued serving on many of the same boards and committees, noting that the primary difference was having more people to answer to. He reflected on his time in the role with pride.
“I’ve had people from other RMs tell me our council runs efficiently and with little conflict. We have an ambitious council looking out for the greater good of the community. If we can’t resolve an issue this year, it’s added to next year’s plans. Having good workers and councilors makes a good reeve,” he said.
Kroschinski expressed appreciation for the younger generation joining council and encouraged others interested in municipal leadership to be prepared for the commitment.
“A councilor isn’t just there to look after their division. There are connections between rural municipalities and fire or police boards, where councilors have to advise committees. You may not be recognized monetarily, but it’s important work that needs to be done,” he said.
Kroschinski was surprised by the presentation and expressed optimism about the RM’s future. The municipality praised his contributions and noted the challenges of filling his shoes.
“We are grateful for his dedication over the past 23 years and wish him all the best in the future,” the RM said in a statement.
