Kleefeld area councillor says goodbye to ward, gives advice to incoming representative

Kleefeld area councillor Darrin Warkentin said an emotional goodbye on Wednesday during the last meeting of this council.

“We’re losing a good councillor,” said Reeve Jim Funk. “I always appreciated Darrin very much because he was a deep thinker and he always thought things through, and therefore he was patient in his response, and his response was always very positive. I appreciate him very much as a councillor and he will be greatly missed.”

Coun. Brian Esau wished Warkentin all the best in the future. “I would just like to say, I think it’s from council’s side, it’s a big thank you for all the years you’ve put in here, for the wisdom you’ve shared. I’ve been sitting beside you now for the last four years, I think. And we get to share a few things that don’t happen in council, but we really do appreciate all that you’ve done for us, the commitment and everything else.”

When the meeting was over, Warkentin thanked fellow councillors and the reeve for their support over the eight years he sat on council, saying he enjoyed working with them as well.

“I don’t necessarily like the word retirement,” Warkentin told The Carillon. “I guess it’s just a change of pace, but it’ll definitely be a change to get used to not being responsible for taxpayer money and whatever.”

Even though Warkentin won’t be on council anymore, he still expects people will be coming up to him in the future with questions about decisions the next council will be making.

“That’s quite all right. It’s not a nine to five job or defined within certain timelines. So, I guess…people will know you as a councillor, so they’ll probably always get some questions regarding that.”

Warkentin said he never planned to be on council long term. He said it was time to bring different perspectives and energy into council. He felt this was the right time to retire as a councillor for himself, his family, and the community.

“I think it’s good to change up every once in a while,” he said.

Some of the milestones he is proud of during his time in council was seeing the construction of the $5 million daycare that was built in Kleefeld, of which the majority was paid for by the province with the remainder paid for by the RM. He also included street and water upgrades, crosswalks across the highways, and drainage and road maintenance projects in the ward as accomplishments.

He said the Red Seine Rat water treatment plant is something he is excited to see completed as it will bring stability and growth to the RM, as well as jobs for future generations.

What he will miss the most from his time as councillor will be the people who work in the RM office and the other councillors.

As to what is next for Warkentin? Although he sold his hog farm, he said he is still involved in the farm process and will continue his firewood business. And while he said he has “a lot of irons in the fire but nothing confirmed yet,” he did say he and his wife plan on travelling more and will visit their daughter on the East Coast more than once a year.

His message to the community of Kleefeld and the residents of Ward 5 is personal.

“Just a personal thanks for me and my wife for allowing us to be, I guess, a council couple in the ward. For their grace that they showed us and not all decisions are easy to make, some of them people don’t like, but we always felt people were gracious and just accepting of the responsibility that we had and just appreciate the community that was surrounding us,” he said, adding, “And we hope they will continue to support the next council couple that comes in and that they will be forgiving and gracious to them as well.”

Warkentin’s advice to the person who takes over his seat on council is to enjoy the moment as four years go by very quickly.

“If you don’t take time to take stock of the moment and to enjoy the moment and not let people get you down, but just keep plugging away and just keep doing what you think is best for the community. And yeah, just take it day by day and take stock of the opportunity in front of you.”