City Council has appointed Deputy Mayor Kristin Murray as Mayor ahead of the next municipal election on October 24, 2022. The appointment was of historic significance as Murray is notably the City’s first person of colour to serve on council and now as Mayor.
Murray is of Jamaican and Cree ancestry and is a registered member of Chapleau Cree First Nation. She was first elected as Councillor for Ward 5 in 2018. As a new councillor, Murray’s representation of the city’s diverse population brought invaluable lived experience to council.
“I am thrilled to have the support of my fellow councillors as I carry out the term as Mayor,” says Mayor Kristin Murray. “From the COVID-19 pandemic to the election of George Pirie as our local Member of Provincial Parliament, this term has been both challenging and exciting.
“On a personal level, I am humbled to be part of history as I become the city’s first person of colour to serve as Mayor. Let it be known that I don’t want to be known only as the first person of colour to hold this position. I am so much more than that. I am a community member who genuinely cares and wants the best for our region. We have some complex issues to address and I hope to contribute some innovative approaches to meeting our community’s needs. We also have some amazing projects underway and I am excited to help encourage the growth and development of Timmins and area.”
Murray will now serve as Timmins’ mayor until the city elects a new mayor and council later this fall. The resulting vacancy created by Murray’s appointment is within 90 days before voting day of the next regular election and does not need to be filled as per Ontario’s Municipal Act, 2001. City council will appoint a new deputy mayor at the next regular council meeting.
For more information on the 2022 municipal election, visit our Elections Page.
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