Doctor recruitment, green energy priorities for new Souris mayor

SteveO'Brien, who will be sworn in as mayor of Souris, P.E.I., on Monday, is laying out his priorities.

O'Brien was acclaimed after he was the only candidate to step forward in the mayoral race.

We'd hope we'd be able to take advantage of some programs so we can lower our own electricity costs.- Steven O'Brien

Born in Morell, O'Brien has lived in Souris since 1976 and was a family doctor there for almost 30 years.

Making sure the town has its full complement of doctors will be one of O'Brien's priorities as mayor. He remembers how he was recruited by a local community committee while still a student in the 1970s.

"I think that kind of initiative might be what small communities have to do again," said O'Brien.

"But they need the government co-operation to assure that the position would be available when the graduate is done."

Saving money going green

There is a lot of important infrastructure work already underway, O'Brien said, started under the leadership of former mayor David MacDonald.

That includes the second phase of the Souris Beach project, and improvements to water and sewer.

O'Brien would also like to see a move towardgreen energy.

"There's a lot of talk at higher government levels about green and renewable energy," he said.

"We'd hope we'd be able to take advantage of some programs so we can lower our own electricity costs and also become as green as possible."

O'Brien said MacDonald and the current council provided good leadership for the town, and he is looking forward to carrying that work forward.

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