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Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 107: ISSUE 41
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Jeff Edwards Tofield’s newly appointed CAO Kari Janzen
Staff Reporter
Jeff Edwards, formerly Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Tofield, has now stepped into the role of CAO following the retirement of Cindy Neufeld, who had been the Town’s CAO since 1991. Edwards, whose first official day as CAO was Monday, June 2, says he is looking forward to continuing on with the progress that has been made over the last several years. “I think we've got some good momentum, especially with projects. I really want to honour that and to uphold what Council has asked, as well,” he said. Edwards says his role
has not changed much, just that he is experiencing a new side of things. “There is a bit of a different exposure to some of the areas that Cindy and I were sharing, but I would say that for the most part, my role has stayed fairly consistent with before,” he said. Edwards says he is committed to serving the community, just as he has done in the past. “There has been consistency in this role, and I do want to recognize and maintain that. I will continue to serve the community as I've done in the past, and to recognize and to listen to concerns and feedback that comes forward from the community,” he said.
Edwards says at this point the Town is not currently looking to hire an assistant CAO. “In the short term? No. I'm unsure of what the future may look like,” he said. Previous to his employment with the Town of Tofield, Edwards worked for the Town of Vegreville for nine years. “I had started, essentially, fresh out of university in 2003. I was first in the role of volunteer services coordinator through their FCSS department for a fairly short period of time before moving to the recreation department. I was the marketing and tourism coordinator and then from that role, I moved into the man-
ager's position with recreation culture and facilities, and it saw me being there for just short of 10 years prior to coming to Tofield,” he said. Edwards shared appreciation for his coworkers and councils that he has worked with in the last 13 years. “I would like to recognize the people that I've had the opportunity to work with here. First and foremost is Cindy, certainly recognition and thank you to her for taking that leap in bringing me on board in October of 2012. I have also had the opportunity now to work with three different mayors, Mayor Chehayeb, Mayor Conquest, and Mayor Dueck, and I am
Jeff Edwards is the newly appointed CAO for the Town of Tofield. KARI JANZEN PHOTO looking to continue to work with our current council, and (the next),
following the election in October.”
Tofield seniors treated to breakfast during appreciation week Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
Seniors in Tofield had the opportunity to enjoy a hearty breakfast of fried eggs, pancakes, sausages, and fruit, as several area organizations partnered together to celebrate seniors during national Seniors’ Week, held from June 2-8 this year. Volunteers and staff of Tofield Beaver County West Family and Community Support Services (TBWFCSS), Town of Tofield, Beaver County, Tofield and Area Health Foundation, and Beaver County Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) were at the Tofield Golden Club bright and early on Friday, June 6 to have the breakfast hot and ready for 8 a.m. “The breakfast went very well! Approximately 75 people attended the breakfast which is less than last year, but still an excellent turnout,” TB-
WFCSS Executive Director Tracey Boast Radley said. “We put on the breakfast to say thank you to all the seniors. The seniors today built our communities. They volunteered in their younger years and still contribute a tremendous amount of volunteer hours to events and activities that make our communities such great places to live. It is a simple way to say thank you,” she said. Boast Radley said they’ve been putting on a breakfast for Seniors’ Week every year since 2022. “In 2020, and 2021, we had to follow COVID restrictions and so we instead handed out appreciation bags, baskets, and flowers for the senior’s lodges and villas, and seniors’ groups,” she said. Beltone Hearing Centre’s Edmonton office manager Richele Booker was onsite during the event and had a draw for a set of free hearing aids at her booth. Booker said
she was looking to attend Seniors’ Week events and was delighted to be able to come to this year’s breakfast in Tofield. She was also in St. Paul, Westlock, and Barrhead in the days previous. “We wanted to come out to provide information about the services we offer and to let seniors know that we do come out here. They don't have to drive into the city to see us,” Booker said. Seniors’ Week has been celebrated in Alberta since 1986, and was inspired by Strathcona County’s Alice Modin. “Seniors’ Week recognizes the contributions seniors make to enhance the quality of life in Alberta and was inspired by the vision of the late Alice Modin. Almost 40 years ago, Modin began a campaign to start a seniors’ day in Strathcona County that helped pave the way for this annual event,” the Government of Alberta website says.
Seniors in Tofield had the opportunity to enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Tofield Golden Club on Friday, June 6, as several area organizations partnered together to celebrate seniors during national Seniors’ Week. Pictured L-R: Town of Tofield Recreation/Facilities Coordinator Vanita Eglauer, FCSS committee member Lesley Fath, Recreation/Facilities & Communications Assistant Aimee Boese. KARI JANZEN PHOTOS