Irricana Mayor Frank Friesen has stepped down from the position, effective immediately.
In a statement on the Town of Irricana's Facebook page on March 25, Friesen announced he and his husband are moving to Beiseker, which would render him ineligible for a position on council.
“I want to thank you all for allowing me the privilege of serving you and for being your voice on Town council for the last six years,” his statement read. “I want to thank the current administration for their endless, at times thankless work you have done. You're definitely the all stars. You definitely deserve all the credit.”
Friesen was first elected to council in a 2016 byelection. Before moving back to Irricana (where he lived as a youth), he served as a councillor for the Village of Cereal.
He was re-elected in 2017 and appointed Irricana's mayor by council. He won re-election in the Oct. 18, 2021 municipal election and was again appointed to serve as mayor.
According to his councillor bio on the Town of Irricana's website, he said he and his husband moved to the community to enjoy a slower pace of life and country living. After being elected in the 2016 byelection, he said he discovered he enjoyed the town's political side.
"I always enjoyed the different views of either the residents or council, and I always enjoyed working and coming together for a solution. I think for the most part, we did that."
Away from council, Friesen is the manager of a flooring business in Strathmore.
His Facebook post said he wanted to thank his council colleagues and his husband for their support.
"I just wish Irricana all the best," he said. "We really enjoyed the friendships we made. We tried to find a house that suited all our needs in Irricana, but couldn't."
Due to Friesen's resignation, a byelection will have to be called in the near future. According to Friesen, a request for decision will be brought to the next council meeting to determine when the byelection will be held.
