City Council
The City of Fort Saskatchewan has a seven member Council consisting of a Mayor and six Councillors who represent the City as a whole. The current Council was elected on October 18, 2021 for a four-year term.
Council Members left to right: Councillor Brian Kelly, Councillor Birgit Blizzard, Councillor Patrick Noyen,
Mayor Gale Katchur, Councillor Lisa Makin, Councillor Ajibola Abitoye, Councillor Gordon Harris
City Council is the decision-making body responsible for turning community needs into municipal services. Council guides the Strategic Plan which sets priorities for community development; everything from recreation services to roads, waste management and public transit.
Do you have a question or concern that you would like to contact City Council about? Please fill out a Fort Report request.
View the Council Meeting Calendar to access minutes, agendas and watch Council meetings live.
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Mayor Gale Katchur |
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Mayor Katchur was born in Fort St. John, BC, and is the 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 chose 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 spent 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 grandsons, Logan and Rune, and two grand-daughters, Arianna and Kaia. She enjoys spending many hours with her family, as they are her first priority in life. Gale believes 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 a 4 week campaign that quickly gained momentum. 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 was re-elected as Mayor for a second term in 2013, a third term in 2017, and a fourth term in 2021. Gale is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following regional boards:
Please send general inquiries of the Mayor to: Jonathan Milke, Mayor's Administrative Assistant Contact information for Mayor Katchur: Ph: 780-992-6232 or 780-913-9958 Twitter: @GaleKatchur |
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Councillor Ajibola Abitoye |
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Councillor Ajibola Abitoye was first elected to City Council in October 2017 and re-elected for a second term in October 2021. Ajibola was born in Lagos, Nigeria to a Journalist father and an Information Technology mum. She moved to Fort Saskatchewan finally almost 10 years ago after getting married to the love of her life, Joshua. They are blessed with three children, Timi, Diji, and Tami. Ajibola has a bachelor’s of science degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, is a 4th class power engineer from NAIT, and is certified as a Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute. Ajibola’s previous work experience includes Financial Services Representative at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Project Cost Controller at Dow Chemical, and Credit Risk Analyst at the Guaranty Trust Bank. Ajibola is a local business owner and avid volunteer. Prior to becoming a Councillor, she volunteered on the Family & Community Support Services Board, Navy League Cadet and as Chair of the Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association. Ajibola is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Abitoye: Ph: 780-200-6863 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajibolaabitoye/ Twitter: @ajibolaabitoye |
| Councillor Birgit Blizzard |
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Councillor Birgit Blizzard was first elected as Councillor for the City of Fort Saskatchewan in October 2013. Birgit Blizzard ran in the October 2021 municipal election and was elected again as Councillor. Birgit Blizzard was born in Haltern, Germany and at the age of 6 immigrated to Sarnia, Ontario with her family. She received a diploma in Process Operations at Lambton College and worked as a Process Operator & 3rd Class Power Engineer at Imperial Oil for 9 years. In 1993 she moved to Fort Saskatchewan. She has been married for 40 years and has 5 children and 3 grandchildren. Community Involvement:
Birgit is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Blizzard: Ph: 780-998-5405 or 780-996-5406 |
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Councillor Gordon Harris |
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Councillor Gordon Harris was first elected to City Council in October 2017 and re-elected for a second term in October 2021. Gordon enjoyed a long career in municipal government administration and management consulting before he decided to run for a seat on Fort Saskatchewan City Council. As a Certified Management Consultant and Certified Change Manager he worked with municipalities and clients to address complex community development issues and challenges and to identify meaningful solutions. Gordon and his wife Judy have lived in Fort Saskatchewan since 1996 and are passionate supporters of the City's outstanding cultural and recreational amenities including the Dow Centennial Centre and North Saskatchewan River Valley trail network. Gordon is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Harris: Ph: 780-934-4903 |
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Councillor Brian Kelly |
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Councillor Brian Kelly was first elected to City Council in October 2017 and re-elected for a second term in October 2021. Brian has proudly called Fort Saskatchewan home since March 1972. During the spring and when the fertilizer season was starting, Sherritt Gordon, now Sherritt International, needed “farm boys'' to load fertilizer bags onto trucks and rail cars. Brian's one skill fit the bill and he got the job! Summer jobs at Sherritt financed Brian's attendance at the University of Alberta. Brian graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and articled with a firm in Edmonton to achieve his Chartered Accountant designation. Within a very short time Brian opened his Chartered Accountant office in the Fort. The practice flourished. The years though, passed quickly and he sold his business on September 1, 2017. The sale was timed to enable Brian to register on nomination day to run for a seat on City Council. Brian is the proud father of Shannon and Jennifer and proud stepfather of Justin and Nicholas. Brian and his wife, Charlene, enjoy their grandchildren Madeleine, Emma, and Robyn immensely. Both Brian and Charlene have always appreciated the small town feel of our City. Fort Saskatchewan will continue to be their home with their growing family. Brian and Charlene enjoy spending warm days on the golf course, and try to avoid a little bit of winter by spending time in Palm Springs when possible. Brian is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Kelly: Ph: 780-991-4575 |
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Councillor Lisa Makin |
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Councillor Lisa Makin was first elected to City Council in October 2017 and re-elected for a second term in October 2021. Lisa Makin moved to Fort Saskatchewan in 1990 when she was 7 years old. She married her high school sweetheart, Lee, in 2004 and they have 2 children. Lisa studied Early Learning at MacEwan University. She is also studying Municipal Governance at the University of Alberta. Lisa and her husband also operate several businesses in Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park. Lisa was involved with the Chamber of Commerce joining as a member and volunteer in 2009, moving up to board member and then President. Lisa also led a dedicated group of individuals as President of the Heartland Hospice Foundation for many years, successfully advocating for hospice care in Fort Saskatchewan which is now located in Rivercrest Care Facility. In her spare time Lisa spends lots of time with friends and family camping, travelling, and watching hockey. Lisa is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Makin: Ph: 780-340-0054 |
| Councillor Patrick Noyen |
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Councillor Patrick Noyen was first elected to Council in October 2021. Born and raised in Fort Saskatchewan, Patrick founded Prairie Fire Landscape Construction after gaining extensive work experience in the industry. He previously achieved a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Business Law, as a graduate of University Alberta’s joint degree program between the School of Business and Faculté St-Jean. Patrick is passionate about seeing Fort Saskatchewan grow and thrive as a community. He developed an adult sports organization called Fort Sport Rec League to serve active living citizens as an outlet for local recreation throughout our various facilities. As a husband and father to one growing boy, Patrick is excited about family life in the Fort and being able to stay engaged in our various community services and events. Supporting our local organizations and activities will always be his priority and he advocates for the success of local business and industry. Seeing Fort Saskatchewan become a well rounded community where we are able to serve every need of our citizens locally is paramount to our growth. Patrick is also an accomplished violinist, swimmer and Ukrainian dancer. He participated in these activities growing up in Fort Saskatchewan through music festivals and as an alumnus of both the Piranhas Swim Club and the Barvinok Ukrainian Dancers. Patrick is an active member on the City's various municipal boards and is currently Council representative on the following boards:
Contact information for Councillor Noyen: Ph: 780-240-9875 |
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