Councillor Mary Lou Souter

Although I wasn’t born in Almonte, I moved here 50 years ago to begin my first “career” position – teaching English at Almonte District High School. I came for a job and stayed for a lifetime; met my husband, John, raised two sons, and became involved in my school and my community.  Almonte is my home; I care very deeply about this town and the entire Municipality of Mississippi Mills.

Over the past decades, I’ve served on several Boards and executive committees, including the AGH/FVM Foundation Board, Almonte and Mississippi Mills Public Library Boards, Almonte Parks and Recreation Board, MM Environmental Advisory Committee and the MM Finance and Policy Advisory Committee. I was especially proud to work on the Pakenham Public Library Expansion Project. I’ve been an active member of the Hub Executive for more than 20 years, and now serve as its Treasurer. In many ways, my volunteer experience has served as a long apprenticeship for Council.

I believe that quality of life involves more than infrastructure and that people should give back to the community that nurtures them. Consequently, I’ve been involved as a core volunteer in planning and running many local festivals; the Almonte Centennial Celebrations, the Almonte Ice Cream Festival, North Lanark Highland Games and Puppets Up! As one of the visitors to Puppets Up! said last August, “In this day and age, we all need some joy in our lives.”

I know that this Council faces serious challenges, some of which have been imposed by other levels of government and some of which have resulted from the recent growth of the community. I have the ability to research written material, the curiosity to ask about things I don’t understand, the willingness to listen and hear different points of view, and the objectivity to make decisions based on facts.

I understand that being on Council can be a challenge. When making decisions that involve thousands of people, it’s not possible to please everyone, all of the time. However, I’m committed and ready to make choices in the best interests of the community as a whole.