Mayor Gale Katchur was born in Fort St. John, B.C., and was youngest daughter of George and Evelyn Lewchuk. Growing up on a farm just outside Spirit River, Alberta, she and her sister Wanda knew what it was to work hard and the need to pull together as a family to keep the household operating. Unlike the town kids, life on the farm meant no running water or forced air furnaces. It meant hauling wood and coal, planting large gardens, and helping out with daily chores. Love of the outdoors, playing sports, and devotion to family and friends were the main focus of her upbringing.
After completing her schooling, Gale moved to Edmonton where she worked for Alberta Agriculture and the Federal Dairy Division. It was in Edmonton where she met her future husband Wayne when he called the wrong phone number. They were married two years later in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gale made the move to private industry and worked for Baker International until the birth of their second child. The Katchur’s have one son Ryan, and one daughter Erin.
It was at this time Gale choose to stay home to raise her family. During the years she stayed at home, she ran a successful day home operation. When her children were old enough to attend school full time she re-entered the workforce and became employed as a Civil Servant working for the City of Fort Saskatchewan. Gale has spent the last 17 years working for Planning & Public Works as an Administrative Coordinator gaining an in depth knowledge about Municipal Government. Gale is also a proud grandmother of two little grandson’s Logan & Rune and two grand-daughter’s Arianna and Kaia and enjoys spending many hours with her family, as they are her first priority in life.
Gale believes that it’s not the material things we get in life, but the hearts we touch that will determine our success. Making a difference in the lives of others is what life is all about and in the end the significance of our life will be determined by the choices we make. Gale chose to announce her candidacy for City Council in September 2007 and began her 4 week campaign that quickly gained momentum and on October 15, 2007 she was declared elected for City Council. Gale started a new adventure in her life, “Serving the Residents and Businesses of Fort Saskatchewan as a City Councillor” from 2007 – 2010. In September 2010, with the support of a Grass Roots Voice of the People Committee, Gale made the decision to run for Mayor and as of October 18, 2010 Gale was elected the new Mayor of Fort Saskatchewan.
Gale is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
- Affordable Housing Strategy Committee
- Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association
- Assessment Review Board
- Capital Region Board
- Economic Development Board
- Intermunicipal Relations Committee – City of Fort Sask./Strathcona County
- Subdivision Approving Authority
Contact information for Mayor Katchur:
Phone: 780.992.6220
Email: gkatchur@fortsask.ca
Fax: 780.998.4774