Todd McKenzie knows he has 害羞草研究所渂ig shoes to fill害羞草研究所� in serving as the next Oyama ward representative on Lake Country council.

McKenzie will join Lake Country council replacing the late Owen Dickie as Oyama害羞草研究所檚 council rep.

害羞草研究所淥wen obviously liked his community and was very available all the time for people to bend his ear, both good and bad. We were neighbours and lived on the same street so we used to walk our dogs together. He was always looking for ways to improve his community,害羞草研究所� McKenzie said.

Dickie passed away earlier this year, and the by-election nomination deadline to determine his replacement on council saw McKenzie as the lone nominee to step forward.

A similar by-election required for Carr害羞草研究所檚 Landing saw three people nominated to run for the ward seat vacated by Matt Vader, who stepped aside to take on an administrative position with the district.

McKenzie, 49, said he was prepared for an election campaign, 害羞草研究所渓ooking forward to the challenge,害羞草研究所� only to have the elected post drop in his lap uncontested.

害羞草研究所淚 have mixed feelings about that as I was excited for the opportunity to run for the seat on council, then you start to wonder a little why nobody else wanted the job.害羞草研究所�

But McKenzie said his feelings about being handed the job have been placated by others on council and in the community reaching out to congratulate and welcome him to council.

One of those callers was Dickie害羞草研究所檚 wife, who offered her support to him, to do anything she could to help him with the transition into civic politics.

害羞草研究所淚 definitely feel welcomed by a lot of people that will to help and support me and that害羞草研究所檚 been nice to hear,害羞草研究所� McKenzie said.

Besides talking with Dickie on the canine walking trail, McKenzie says Coun. Blair Ireland, who he coached minor league soccer with, has helped give him an assessment of what to expect, and he害羞草研究所檚 had opportunity to talk with Mayor James Baker about particular issues in the past.

As a rec hockey goaltender, McKenzie used the hockey analogy of joining a new team and feeling more comfortable when you already know some of the players.

McKenzie moved to Oyama a decade ago with his wife Tena, who works at UBC Okanagan, where they have chosen to raise their two kids.

McKenzie was born in Toronto but essentially grew up in Armstrong, then lived in Clearwater, before moving back to the Okanagan Valley at age 19.

He says living in Oyama feels like 害羞草研究所渨e are always on vacation,害羞草研究所� saying the rural setting lends to an enjoyable rural lifestyle while not being too far away from larger city amenities.

He works in industrial equipment sales, and enjoys spending time fishing, biking, boating and playing hockey.

害羞草研究所淭hey always say the worst day of fishing is better than our best day at work,害羞草研究所� he laughed.

害羞草研究所淚 am grateful to live in such a great place that is full of opportunities.害羞草研究所�

Protecting that lifestyle against the pressures of urbanization is one issue that McKenzie says he expects to face in his initial 16-month term in office before the next municipal election.

害羞草研究所淭here is a lot of construction going on in Oyama now and we see how Winfield is growing at a fast rate,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 make everyone happy but I do want to see that all this development is handled the best it can be from our community害羞草研究所檚 perspective.

害羞草研究所淚 have a month here to work on getting up to speed as quick as I can before getting sworn in on July 4 on what council is dealing with, and go from there.害羞草研究所�