Popular former Mayor Ivan Messmer recently passed away.
Image Credit: City of Penticton
March 10, 2015 - 11:01 AM
PENTICTON - The City of Penticton expressed its condolences to the family and friends of Ivan C. Messmer, a former mayor of the City of Penticton, who passes away recently.
Ivan Messmer was elected to Penticton council in 1975, taking on the mayor’s role in 1980. Prior to becoming mayor he ran a construction business. Messmer held firm in the belief that Penticton’s future lay in bringing new business to the city. He believed in encouraging secondary business and increasing and broadening the tax base.
Penticton residents must have agreed with Messmer’s policies, re-electing him three times. He resigned his council seat in 1986, taking on provincial politics as MLA under the Social Credit banner. He was selected for a cabinet position, eventually serving as solicitor-general.
Messmer continued to be active in the community following his retirement from politics.
Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said Messmer was highly regarded in Penticton and the area.
“His service to the community did not stop with government office; he was generous with his time, devoting even more energy in retirement to bettering the community through volunteerism. On behalf of city council, condolences go to his family and many friends. He will be missed,” said Mayor Jakubeit.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015