Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
After 21 years of a joint administrative relationship, the Town of Wakaw and the Rural Municipality of Fish Creek have mutually and amicably decided to end the arrangement effective December 31, 2025.
The resignation of former CAO, Melissa Dieno, initiated discussions by both municipalities about the path forward; did the arrangement continue to meet the needs of both governmental bodies? For more than two decades, the RM of Fish Creek provided the Town of Wakaw with 40 percent of the funding for the shared administrative staff, with the Town of Wakaw being responsible for the remaining 60 percent. At the end of those discussions, both elected councils decided that the future needs of their respective ratepayers could best be met by ending the shared administration agreement.
The administrative office of the RM of Fish Creek will return to its building located at 229 1st Street South, between the Lake Country Co-op grocery store and Canada Post. The building has been rented by Carlton Trail College for several years as a facility for its adult upgrading classes, but that rental arrangement will end on December 31, 2025, after which the RM will relocate. The RM’s phone number, mailing address and email address will all remain the same.
The RM has confirmed that a letter of employment has been sent to an applicant for the full-time CAO position and that a full-time administrative assistant will also be hired to begin in January 2026. Ratepayers in the RM of Fish Creek are not expected to see any changes in services, as the changes will all be administrative in nature and will be seen by the staff in the office.
Pamela Wintringham has already been hired for the position of CAO and will continue as CAO of the Town of Wakaw following the dissolution of the shared administration. In the upcoming weeks, Wintringham and Assistant Administrator Ann Olson will be working to manage the transition while still completing the day-to-day tasks of running the two municipal governments.
