The Reeve of the RM of Ste. Anne says long time councillor Laurie Evans will be missed. Art Bergmann says Evans has resigned and moved to Winnipeg to be closer to family.

Evans moved to the RM after he had served as a Liberal Member of the Manitoba Legislature for Fort Garry from 1988-1990.

Bergmann says Evans was first elected as a municipal councillor in 2002 and helped the RM embrace bigger picture ideas.

"One of them was the whole business of regionalism, starting with the Seine/Rat River Conservation District. We were the second municipality in the C.D., joining La Broquerie in 2003. If you can avert a flood and avert basement flooding and so forth, that's a good deal. And certainly, our work with the Seine/Rat River Conservation District has, and will continue to, have that influence, not only on our municipality, but on our region."
    
Bergmann says Evans was also instrumental in moving the municipality away from ward-based budgets to one budget for the entire RM. He explains this enabled them to do things like bringing all roads up to a uniform standard as well as other projects for the good of the entire municipality. He adds Evans leaves big shoes to fill.

A byelection in Ward Six will be held May 28th.