Sandra Murray is no stranger to Shawville politics, having served as the mayor for the past two terms and a councillor for many more before that. She said that she got into politics because she felt she could do some good for the town.

She had submitted her papers to seek another term as mayor, running against Bill McCleary, whom she beat in 2017 by a margin of 16 votes. She was registered right up until the deadline, but ultimately dropped out at the last minute, which she revealed was due to health reasons.

“When I decided to continue to run for mayor, I thought everything was ok and I found out I have cancer,” she said. “I was still going to run and the last day ... I changed my mind and I thought, ’I can’t do this. I have to look after myself.’”

Looking back on her two decades on council, she said that she was proud of the extensive work that had been done to the town’s water system, including the repairs to the water tower that were carried out in 2020:

When asked if she had any advice for the two councillors vying to claim the seat that she is vacating, Murray said that the mayor’s role is to listen to their council and abide by their wishes, even if they don’t agree.

The full interview with Murray is available below: