The beautiful remote town of Kyle in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan is currently seeking a new mayor to replace its current leader when he retires.
However, its residents seem far from keen to run from office.
Named after its original settler, Jeremiah Kyle in 1923, the town had a population of 413 according to the 2021 census. With a land area of 0.45 sq mile, it had a population density of 922.1 per square mile.
Kyle is 45 miles north of Swift Current, Saskatchewan’s sixth-largest city, and is situated along the remains of the historic Swift Current-Battleford Trail, a 190-mile important late-19th-century transportation and communications link between settlements.
The town is well-known locally for being the site of a 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth discovery during road construction in 1964, the bones of which are now on display at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.
However, despite everything Kyle has to offer, the remote town faces an issue as its mayoral ballot remains empty.
Its current leader, George Williams, is set to retire and end his three-year career next month.
But, due to a reportedly dwindling population, Kyle’s residents will also need to elect a new councillor to complete its leadership team.
The election, set for November 13, has already faced setbacks, with the two previous attempts to secure a candidate having failed.
Kyle’s Chief Administrative Officer, Amber Dashney, said that while it was a little concerning, she was still “confident that someone will step forward”.
She added that if the mayoral slot continues to remain vacant, they will decide on a date for a by-election, which they will continue to call “until we fill the mayor spot and the other councillor spot as well”.
Yet, this is not a problem unique to Kyle – several other small town communities have faced similar problems as there are not enough people to fill local councils and leadership positions, revealed the former President of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, Gordon Barnhart, according to CKOM-AM.
While not a common issue, Barnhart said, “it’s not unusual”.
Tourism in the town is rapidly becoming a big industry. With the regional and provincial parks so close, the town has many attractions today including their own rodeo, Walleye Tournaments, and famous dining, such as the White Bear Hotel. It also has a vintage drive-in movie theatre dating back to the 1950s, which still opens every summer.
The town has its own mascot, “Wally” the Wooly — an over three-metre cement tribute to the historic find nearby.
According to Kyle’s website, “Our heritage is important to us, but the future is just as exciting! We believe in [the] value of the next generation and we are taking positive steps to ensure this town remains a viable place of business and more importantly a safe place to raise a family for the coming years”.
