Dennis Mercer is running for a position on North Battleford city council. (submitted photo/Dennis Mercer)

By Martin Martinson

City Council Close-up

Council candidate Mercer focused on social programing in community

Oct 7, 2020 | 4:51 PM

For the better part of the last 48 years, Dennis Mercer has called North Battleford home.

It is where he’s raised his family, and where he spent 20 years of his education career, teaching at John Paul II Collegiate.

Over his two decade tenure at the local high school, Mercer earned a reputation within the community for his willingness to go the extra mile when it comes to helping out with extracurricular activities and community events.

From coaching various school sports teams to running a service organization known as ‘Key Club’ at the high school, that community focus has also extended to outside the school’s four walls with other commitments. He has also been a contributing member of the local Knights of Columbus.

So perhaps it should come as no surprise then, that Mercer has announced his candidacy for a position on North Battleford city council.

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With his kids now older, and as things start to slow down a bit on his schedule, Mercer said he felt the time was right to make his foray into municipal politics. Especially as it has always been an area he’s held an interest in, for the community he cares about.

“Now, as I’m kind of moving towards retirement, my kids are older and more independent, and it just allows me the opportunity to do something that I’ve always been inclined to do all along,” he said of his motivation to run.

Should he be elected to a council position, Mercer said he hopes to put an increased emphasis on social issues, including enhancing the community’s social programing for all ages.

“Programing for youth is [especially] crucial,” he said “Now that there’s COVID going on, there’s no extracurricular events in the schools, so there’s got to be some kind of programing going on for our youth.”

Mercer said he’s confident his experience in education can be a real asset to council.

“When you’re running a classroom, you’re managing 30-plus students and managing parents as well,” he said. “The responsibility of the teacher is really to meet the needs of every student in the classroom. As a city councillor I can’t just be focused on the needs of my neighbourhood, but it’s about what are the needs of the whole city.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1