Kristin Murray makes history as first person of colour to be mayor of Timmins
Timmins has a new mayor -- and she's the first person of colour to hold the seat. Kristin Murray has been appointed to take over the mayor's office until the upcoming election.
Although Murray will only be in charge for a couple months, she's determined to make her mark on the city.
"It's exciting because I think being in the mayor's seat, you get to see a different aspect of the city that you don't necessarily get to see when you're a councillor," she said.
"There's opportunities and I'm really looking forward to kind of getting my hands right in there and doing great things."
As deputy mayor, council tapped Murray to carry out the rest of the mayoral term until the October municipal election.
It's a historic moment for the city because on top of being the city's first black and Indigenous city councillor, Murray is the first person of colour to serve as mayor.
George Pirie, the outgoing mayor who is now a provincial cabinet minister, said Murray's appointment sends an important message.
"It encourages every single individual that might come from the Indigenous community or any other racialized community, that Timmins is a great place," Pirie said.
"It's a welcoming place, it's open. It respects the diversity and, in fact, it encourages diversity."
The local multicultural society said as the city becomes more diverse, people of different ethnicities are engaging in city life. Murray could inspire others to enter politics.
"It's wonderful to have this fresh perspective and there's so much more that I'm sure will result out of this in a positive way," said Marnie Lapierre, of the Timmins Multicultural Society.
Celebrations aside, Murray said she's ready to get to work. She wants to help bring more businesses to the city, support social services and strengthen partnerships with community groups.
"It's about community," she said.
"It's about people seeing them in spaces and places that they've never been before. That representation really matters."
Although Murray's term is short and she didn't say whether she'll run to keep the mayor's chair in October, she said she hopes this won't be the last time the city sees a person of colour at the helm.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.