COLUMN: Flashback November 27, 1974 – Popular De Salaberry reeve had no opposition for 25 years

There haven’t been many reeves in the RM of De Salaberry; in fact, chances are very few people in the municipality had ever voted for a reeve before the municipal election in October as the last election for reeve in the municipality was held in 1936.

Zeph Audet has never had to fight for a position on council. He attained a council seat by acclamation in 1949, and in 1955 he took over the reeve’s chair when the incumbent, Hector Dandenault, died suddenly.

“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad. Maybe nobody else wanted the job or maybe people thought I was doing a good job.”

Apart from being one of the province’s best known municipal men, the easy-going reeve has been a member of virtually every rural board on record, including the Union of Manitoba Municipalities, the Local Government Boundaries Commission, the Red River Health Unit, and the former Eastern Manitoba Development Board (EMDB).

Audet recalls a meeting of the EMDB in Steinbach, many years ago, at which he and A.D. Penner, now the mayor of Steinbach, were running for the office of president.

“I beat ‘A.D.’ out on that one. I’m sure he still remembers it well.”

Audet also served 18 years as a trustee for the old St Viateur School District, served as a trustee for the Molloy Cup, and was president of the Otterburne hockey club in its heyday, when a trainload of fans would accompany the team on their trips to Emerson.

Reflecting on his career in municipal politics, Audet says that municipal work back in 1949 wasn’t what it is today.

Back then, roads were a council’s prime concern and most of the ratepayers were mixed farmers. Zoning, planning and environmental considerations were almost unheard of.

A major shift in municipal responsibility occurred in 1966 when the provincial government took over most of the roads, leaving the municipalities fewer miles to maintain and pay for.

Municipal work also became a better paying job over the years. Audet worked for $500 a year in 1955 and over the next two decades, saw that rise to the present $2,000 per month figure.

The former reeve ranks the St Malo dam as one of the municipality’s greatest achievements during his 25 years in office.

“I met Rene Jutras (former MP for Provencher) at the Steinbach fair and he told me the federal government wanted to do something big in the municipality.”

The result of further meetings with De Salaberry council was a Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration structure which created a lake that is now part of a provincial park at St Malo.

Reeve Audet describes municipal work as thankless, yet rewarding in its own way.

“I’ve met many good people who I otherwise I would never have got to know.”

Always the good sport, Audet agreed to help Steinbach launch its centennial, by representing De Salaberry in a municipal officials snowshoe race during the “Fun in the Snow” event in January.

Audet was the winner of the True Grit Award, and the consolation prize of a fresh ring of farmer sausage. He got tangled up in some fancy footwork, and fell during the early part of the race, but regained his feet and doggedly finished.

Asked what he would do with all his free time, after so many years of meetings and commitments, Audet said he and his wife would probably begin with a winter vacation in Florida.

“There’s just my wife and myself now that all of our five children have left home, so we can come and go as we please.”

– with files from Peter Dyck