Looking back on 2025, Rocky Mountain House’s newly-elected mayor says the memory of the 2025 municipal election is still fresh in everyone’s mind — however, council plans to hit the ground running in 2026 to tackle residents’ top priorities.

The election saw Shane Boniface receive around 1,000 of the 1,555 votes cast in the Oct. 20 vote, securing the top job over two-term councillor and incumbent Acting Mayor Len Phillips.

“There’s a lot of new faces at the council table,” says Boniface. “It’s an amazingly good council as far as I’m concerned, we’re all on board with doing good work and growing the town.”

Newly-elected members include Denise Boniface, Trevor Kalyn, Justin Sinclair and Kevin Stalker — with only incumbents Ken Moesker and Dale Shippelt reelected.

Boniface adds, from his perspective, the town simply seems brighter and happier than ever, and hopes to carry that momentum into to 2026.

On the campaign trail, Boniface says the top concern he heard from residents was a perceived lack of information flowing from town office. He says many residents felt they didn’t know what council was up to week-to-week and struggled to find relevant information anywhere.

To address those concerns, Boniface says he will be posting regular updates on council discussions to Facebook, while the town’s communications team will be ramping up its efforts to get information out.

Heading into 2026, Boniface says he’s optimistic that it will be a momentous year for the town — particularly when it comes to residential and commercial development.

“We have a lot of irons in the fire, I see some amazing things coming forward in the new year,” says Boniface. “We’re meeting with developers and interested parties, we’re moving forward, and I’m excited to see that in the coming year.”

Even with the upbeat tone, Boniface urges residents to be patient as change can take time, and the new council is still finding its footing.