Christina M. Smith elected Mayor of the City of Westmount.
Westmount, April 24, 2017 – As a result of an election by co-optation, Council member Christina M. Smith was elected Mayor of Westmount and sworn into office on April 24, 2017.
Ms. Smith’s election comes after long-time Mayor Peter F. Trent resigned from office on April 13, 2017.
Mayor Smith was first elected as a member of Westmount’s municipal Council during the 2013 general municipal election. After a career as a policy advisor on Parliament Hill and in the private sector, Mayor Smith succeeded Mr. Gary Ikeman in Ward 5.
As part of her mandate as a member of Council, Mayor Smith had been appointed a member of the Finance and Administration Standing Committee of the City. She was also recently appointed a substitute member of the City’s Planning Advisory Committee.
Mayor Smith, a mother of three young children, is very much involved in the community including, amongst other things, coaching her daughter’s soccer team.
“I accept this role as Mayor with great appreciation for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me and with gratitude for the opportunity to continue the important work of Peter F. Trent and all of Council of the past three year and half years”, said Mayor Smith as part of her first speech as Mayor of Westmount.
“I am extremely happy that Council rallied behind one candidate – and that they made such a superb choice”, said former Mayor Trent who had expressed the wish for the next generation to take over the mayoralty at the time of his resignation. “Westmounters can be assured the City is in good hands and that the changing of the guard will be seamless” he added.
“I’m delighted to join my fellow councillors in unanimously supporting Christina Smith as our interim Mayor. As chairman of the Finance and Administration Committee, I have had the pleasure of working with Christina Smith for 3 ½ years. I believe the Council has made a terrific choice”, said Councillor Victor M. Drury.
Having been sworn into office, Mayor Smith will assume her duties as mayor up until the next general municipal election of November 5, 2017 at which time those who are interested may participate in a mayoral race.