'Beloved' small-town mayor waves goodbye to office

The resignation of a small-town mayor has been bittersweet for many of the residents of Midway.

Randy Kappes served as the mayor of Midway since 2008, and is best known for banding with a group of residents to reopen the town's sawmill a few years after it had shut down and laid off nearly 200 employees.

Midway is a village in the West Kootenay about 51 kilometres east of Osoyoos along Highway 3.

Kappes has decided to step down in the middle of his term, citing personal reasons. He says the reaction from the community has been mixed.

"Most [residents] have been quite supportive — and a little bit shocked," said Kappes. "Most have been concerned about what's going to happen now."

Saving the mill

Kappes is one of three mayors to lead the town over the last half-century, a list that includes James McMynn, the longest running mayor in Canadian history.

But Kappes has his own place in the town's history books.

He played a major role in getting the town's sawmill back up and running after its previous owners went bankrupt in 2007 and left the future of the town in question.

After the facility closed and nearly 200 workers were laid off, a group of Midway residents came together to purchase the mill in hopes of jump-starting operations. The deal was partly financed by the Village of Midway under Kappes' leadership.

"There were a group of us that got together and decided we need to get our mill back up and running and got to work and managed to pull it off," he said.

After securing the purchase, an agreement was made with Vaagan Fibre, an American-based lumber company, to operate the facility.

Today it employs nearly 100 workers from the surrounding area.

Kappes says the move kept Midway from turning into a retirement community.

"Now, when I go outside in the evening I can hear the sound of children and kids playing outside," he said. "And our school enrolment is level and healthy."

'He will be missed'

News of his resignation has been mixed for some residents of Midway, who are happy to see Kappes move on but will ultimately miss his leadership.

"He's a really great person," said Nicole Ferrier, executive director of Midway's public library.

Ferrier has fond memories of Kappes public speaking and charisma.

"It's always really great when you get new people and new ideas into a community," she said. "And when you lose them, it is kind of sad."

The sentiment was echoed by city councillor Marguerite Rotvold.

"He will be missed," she said. "But we have to move forward, and the remaining four council members have committed to moving forward for the betterment of the community."

Kappes will continue to be a part of the community in Midway, where he runs a local gas station. 

An election is expected to take place in December to decide the new mayor of Midway. Kappes has just one suggestion for his successor.

"Take the time to listen to the people," he said. "Make sure that the right decisions get made rather than the decisions that you want to see get made." 

With files from CBC's Daybreak South

To hear the full story listen to the audio labelled: Midway Mayor Randy Kappes Waves Goodbye to Office