Jasper Municipal Council will have three new elected officials for the 2025-2029 term.
Laurie Rodger, Kable Kongsrud and Danny Frechette were elected as first-time councillors in the October 20, 2025 Jasper municipal election.
Final results, which are unofficial until noon on Friday, came in last night just before 9 p.m.
Incumbents Wendy Hall, Ralph Melnyk and Kathleen Waxer were also voted in.
Jasper elects six councillors and one mayor. With no other candidates running for mayor, incumbent Mayor Richard Ireland was elected by acclamation.
Incumbent councillor Helen Keheller-Empey, who was first elected in 2013, received the seventh-most votes of the candidates for councillor and will not sit for a fourth term.
In total, 17 local candidates threw their hat in the ring for a seat on council. According to the MOJ’s unofficial tally, Hall received the most votes at 701; Roger had 695; 657 votes were cast for Melnyk; Frechette got 617; Kongsrud had 595; and Waxer garnered 541.
Reached today (Tuesday, October 21) by phone, Frechette said he was delighted and honoured to have received the community’s support.
“I’m excited,” Frechette said. “I think we’ve got some great possibilities in Jasper.”
Rodger, who decades ago sat on Jasper’s school board committee before Jasper incorporated as a municipality, said he’s looking forward to getting to work on the issues he campaigned on—namely reducing municipal debt and keeping taxes low.
“I think it’s a good group,” Rodger said. “Three incumbents and three new people, there will be fresh ideas and a sense of continuity.”
Konsgrud, whose family has a long history of public service in Jasper—his late mother Gloria served for more than three decades on Jasper’s various iterations of town council—said he is always available to meet in person for coffee.
“I’m ready to help bring the community together and move forward,” Kongsrud said.
Frechette emphasized last night’s election results were not just about the new council.
“It’s about everybody,” he said. “Every door in Jasper has somebody behind it that can help out.
“We’ve got a rich community. I hope people come forward and let us know what’s important to them.”
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
