politics. Every month, she and her husband attended public council meetings. Draper Maxsom said that she’s tried to be vocal and question the things she believes don’t properly represent her community. Seeing her passion, many residents asked her to run for council,. Draper Maxsom always responded with, “not until I retire.” It was not until 2013 that all of the pieces were in place for Draper Maxsom to run for councillor.

“I retired, and the next thing I knew I was a councillor,” Draper Maxsom recalled.

Her time as a councillor was not without its challenges; it has taught her that despite outward appearances, getting things finished is harder than it may seem.

“It takes a lot of work to do what needs to be done and to try and get things running right,” said Draper Maxsom. She also expressed frustration at the municipality’s physical boudaries, saying “It’s a great community to live in but we’ve got to keep taxes down because 48-49 percent of it is owned by the NCC (National Capital Commission) they pay a portion but they are not paying their full share.”

She continued by expressing that because councillors are met with so much red tape, she believed it left very little autonomy for them to properly aid their constituents.

“I am to the point where I am just thinking ‘Why do we have councillors, what is our purpose?’ There are so many things under the laws that you can’t do that it just kind of means that I am being payed a salary but I am really not functioning at full capacity.”

Draper Maxsom is proud of her time on the council, “I have been proud of everything we did, the 2017 flood everybody pulled together and worked on it, I am proud to be invited by the Blain D’Hor to their suppers.”

Draper Maxsom says that she’s tried to be a strong voice in Municipality of Pontiac council meetings, who stands up for the people of her ward even if it was against public opinion.

It seems to be with a heavy heart that she steps away from this position.

“I would have liked to have gotten more things resolved for farmers and residents, but I just couldn’t get it done.”

When asked what one can expect from her in the future, Draper Maxsom said, “This time I am going to retire, I am moving to Shawville to be closer to my husband, and that’s the main thing that matters.”

Draper Maxsom would like to thank the residents of Ward 1 for their trust in her, and encourages the people to go out and vote in the fall municipal elections.

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