Photo: Stewart Spooner

As part of an ongoing series, Castanet will be highlighting each acting Mayor in Rossland throughout the year, offering the community an opportunity to get to know the councillors who are helping shape the community.

Coun.Stewart Spooner will be assuming the role as the acting mayor of Rossland for March 2025.

He said that being on the city council is more than just a political role but a way to give back to a community that he loves.

Originally from Melbourne Australia, Spooner moved to Rossland in 1991 and quickly became embedded in the community. Attracted to the outdoor lifestyle and the close-knit nature of the community, he was more than delighted to plant his roots.

“I moved here to do the typically ski bum thing,” he said. “I ended up buying a home here, renting it out to other ski bums and eventually got married.”

Now, on his second term on the council, he said that he remains passionate about local governance and implementing positive change within the community.

He said that the former mayor encouraged him to join the council due to, in part, this extensive involvement with local initiatives. Spooner said that he enjoys the intellectual challenge of being on the council.

“It’s nice to have your mind engaged in new things,” he said. “I am exposed to a lot of different people that I would have never otherwise met.”

He said that the former mayor encouraged him to join the council due to, in part, this extensive involvement with local initiatives. Spooner said that he enjoys the intellectual challenge of being on the council.

“The former Mayor Kathy Moore,” he confirmed.

When he's not in council meetings, Spooner can be found strumming his gutair, skiing, planning and building new mountain bike and hiking trails for the community or cuddling up with his wife and two fluffy cats, Harley and Miss. Moneypenny.

Balancing his part-time council duties with everyday life, Spooner continues to advocate for the city’s future along with the other councillors.