Bill Roberts

Sophiasburgh Ward Six

If you could take a sneak peek at Bill Roberts’ passport, it would tell you that he has travelled the world looking for adventure. Roberts has spent 30 years of his life alpine mountaineering and has climbed in the Himalayas, the Rockies, the Andes and Swiss Alps. This past May, Roberts went on a trek to the Camino De Santiago in Spain. The self-described walking pilgrimage was just shy of 300 kilometers. Just a few weeks ago he was white-water canoeing on the Madawaska River. No, this is not a script from a Dos Equis commercials for the “Most interesting man in the world” campaign. This is Bill Roberts’ life, and he lives every moment to the fullest.

“It’s a wonderful thing about travel and exposing yourself to different cultures and languages, is that it really does broaden your horizons and allow you to appreciate the beauty of diversity and opinions,” says Roberts.

Roberts also has a former life in politics. He was a Special Advisor to Ed Broadbent when he was head of the federal NDP and was the constitutional advisor for Alan Blakeny when he was the Premier of Saskatchewan. Roberts also worked with several countries in Europe as an advisor. But he had never stood for elected office, and the opportunity came when the stars aligned and the County became the place he would call home.

With all that Roberts has accomplished in his life, it is obvious that he is not one to rest on his laurels. Even though he is acclaimed in his riding and is running uncontested, for Roberts it’s the ‘running’ part that’s most important to him. Even though there is no one running against him, Roberts is campaigning as if there is. He knows and is aware of the gravity that comes with being acclaimed, and the knowledge that contestants had chosen to compete in other Wards because the thought is that Roberts has got a good thing going in Ward Six. There is a great level of responsibility to the residents of Sophiasburgh, and it’s something that Roberts doesn’t take lightly. His level of involvement in County initiatives over the past four years has been staggering. Roberts was the chair of the Community and Economic Development Commission from 2014 to 2018, and is a member of the Attainable Housing Network, the Museums Advisory Committee, the Farming Assistance Ad-Hoc Committee (New and Young Farmers Grant Program) and the Sophiasburgh Recreation Committee.

In his first term, Roberts played an instrumental role in securing the commitment made by the provincial government to the new hospital. He also helped in securing the first ever affordable housing council budget commitment of $250,000. His sights are set on tackling some tough tasks in 2018, and at the top of the list is affordable and attainable housing that would include a shortterm rental framework. Other priorities include building on the County’s new public transit plan, honest talk about infrastructure challenges and continued healthcare improvements.

After four years at the horseshoe, Roberts also sees some areas that need addressing. A higher profile and enhanced transparency for council’s audit committee is important as well as focusing on its strategic direction. The use of consultants is also a hot topic of late when it comes to policy formation. Roberts’ view is that better public communication is needed.

Highlights for Roberts over the past four years have been the ability to campaign and go door to door and get to know the residents of Ward Six.

“People would invite me into their home to sit at their kitchen table and talk. I would come home to my wife Sharon with braids of garlic, boxes of baked goods, lots of fresh vegetables from people’s gardens. It was just a fantastic experience. People are concerned that we strike the right balance between the development and preserving the balance with our rural character and our heritage. The big issue comes down to making sure that a sustainable and prospering community results from the growth we are experiencing,” says Roberts.