The Town of Creston is governed by an elected Town Council comprised of six Councillors and a Mayor. Councillors are elected for four-year terms. Currently, the Mayor also serves as a Director with the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
In British Columbia, the Community Charter the Local Government Act grant the elected Council the authority to establish policies to guide the growth, development and operation of the Town, set budgets and levy taxes to provide services. Council delegates administrative responsibility to the Chief Administrative Officer who oversees Town operations.
Meetings are held in the Council Chambers, which is located on the lower level of Town Hall, at 238 10th Avenue North. Members of the public are welcome to attend meetings. Delegations (presentations) are welcome at either Council or Committee of the Whole meetings, with advance notice.
Mayor Arnold DeBoon
Mayor DeBoon, who is currently serving his first term as Mayor, and second term on Council, transferred to Creston with his family in 1990 and for 23 years served the Creston area as a Conservation Officer. Arnie noted that he was fortunate to be promoted during his time here without having to transfer to a new community or area, and that he retired as a Sergeant, in charge of field operations for the entire West Kootenay region.
Arnie has always had an interest in community, and has served as the Chair of the Creston Trinity Housing Society for more than 28 years and on the Board of Directors for the Valley Community Services Board for the past 8 years. In his career, Arnie also served as President of the Society of BC Conservation Officers.
Arnie's wife, Wendy, is a retired Community nurse. They fill their time with camping and related outdoor pursuits, traveling, scouring the hills for huckleberries, and providing community service. Their two sons, Steve and Matt, grew up in Creston. Steve now lives in Calgary, employed by the Alberta Energy Regulator as part of a team that monitors carbon emissions from the oil industry, fighting climate change. Matt and his wife Jessica returned to Creston in 2015, where Matt teaches grade five/six at Erickson Elementary School, and Jessica teaches at Canyon-Lister School. They are parents to Oliver, currently Arnie and Wendy’s one and only grandchild.
Arnold.DeBoon@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 111
Councillor Monique Arès
Monique Arès is a first-time councilor for the Town of Creston, elected in 2022. Monique moved to the Creston valley as a teenager and spent her early summers coaching the local swim team, sorting cherries, and working in fruit stands and orchards. After moving to Victoria and completing a Bachelor of Justice Studies, she moved back to the valley and has made Creston home with her partner, Jacob, and their one-year-old daughter. Monique has been working at Kootenay Employment Services for the past six years where she is actively involved in addressing the economic and social needs of the community. She is currently completing a Master of Social work and has a keen interest in social policy.
Monique has had the privilege of watching Creston grow and change over the last 20 years, and she is committed to supporting Creston’s future by fostering social wellbeing and environmental sustainability. She has been appointed to both the Creston and District Library Board and the Economic Action Partnership and acts as an alternate for the Community Arts Council of Creston. Monique is the happiest when she is outdoors, tending to her growing garden, and trying out new recipes with her family.
Monique.Ares@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112
Councillor Keith Baldwin
First elected in 2021, Keith and his wife Susan moved to Creston in the summer of 2020 after concluding that nowhere else in the province would do and ultimately finding their “forever” home. Prior to retirement and the move to Creston, Keith spent 33 years working for the BC public service in administration and project coordination, most recently with 26 years in Ministry of Tourism agencies: the Royal BC Museum, Tourism BC and Destination BC. Prior to that he spent 7 years in hospitality and parks/recreation roles, completing his education at Selkirk College in Castlegar and subsequently at Camosun College and University of Victoria.
Admiring the professional reputation of Mayor DeBoon, the current council and Town administration, Keith aspires to serve and support the team with his administrative planning, reporting and analysis experience, making a positive impact on the community that he and his wife became so enchanted with.
Keith is a keen recreational cyclist and kayaker, also spending much of his down-time exploring the area walking his two small dogs.
keith.baldwin@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112
Councillor Carolyn Hawton
carolyn.hawton@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112
Councillor Denise Dumas
Denise was born and raised in Cranbrook, BC and has lived in Creston since 2009. She feels privileged to be the third generation in her family to serve on Council for the Town of Creston.
Denise has been a contract painter and has owned her own business since 2006. She currently volunteers as Vice-President on the Cresteramics board, and is a director on the Trails for Creston Valley Society and Valley Community Services boards. She volunteered coaching basketball when her kids were in school.
Denise and her husband have been married for 25 years and have 4 grown children. Any free time she has you will find Denise hiking or snowshoeing up a mountain. Her favourite local hike is on Thompson Mountain going up Sullivan Creek Trail to West Ridge Trail to Hand Glider lookout and down Pack Trail. Climbing Fisher Peak was a great accomplishment and her all time favourite hike is Heiko’s Trail.
Denise.Dumas@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112
Councillor Norm Eisler
Councillor Eisler is taking his second kick at the proverbial political can. He has always taken humour seriously and plans on putting the “elation” back in public relations. Norm was born and raised in Wawota, Saskatchewan on a grain and cattle farm that has been in his family for 119 years. He moved to Creston in 2012 after spending many years on Vancouver Island. Creston has proven to be a great community to raise his children and create lasting relationships. A lifelong learner, he always tries to learn from the mistakes of others who take his advice. Norm has been a self employed Registered Massage Therapist for the last 20 years after working for 12 years in forestry. He plays many sports and has coached youth volleyball, basketball and baseball in the community. An avid hiker, he would rather be in the woods than anywhere else. He wants to continue to be part of creating an affordable and inclusive community where everyone can can feel safe to express their true selves and feel valued. His personal slogan is “Bringing mirth to the earth since 1970".
Norm.Eisler@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112
Councillor Megan Holland
Councillor Holland was freshly elected in the spring of 2024. She grew up in Creston and spent an idyllic childhood that can only be offered by a small town. Knowing your neighbors and having the amazing natural beauty of this valley to explore gave her a deep love of the outdoors that has stayed with her always. After graduation from (then) PCSS, she studied at the University of Victoria, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, while volunteering for “Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada” and “The Anti-Violence Project” through UVic. She studied, volunteered, and worked all through the years of her degree and finished without any debt owing. Saying “Yes” to opportunities led her to see a lot of Canada, and after living in Vancouver, PEI, and the Yukon, she moved to South Korea to teach English where she met her husband Stephen Holland. They lived and worked in Australia and England for a few years before moving back to Creston in 2016. Her travel experience has proven to her just how unique Creston is, the heartbeat of the Kootenays, and indeed a rare place on this Earth. Megan has always had a strong involvement in community groups since an early age starting with the Girl Guides, and then going on to assist with Focus on Youth and the Creston Farmers Markets, as well as being a lifetime Fall Fair participant. One of her true passions since 2011 is singing with the Blossom Valley Singers and the women's group Key of She. She’s been an acting board member of BVS since 2016. Megan is also a member of the Creston Canadian Air Search and Rescue team, and a certified CABIN Water Monitoring Field Technician through Wildsight Creston. Megan believes that your world is what you make it, and strives to live a life of balance, joy, and learning. She is grateful to be given the chance to support her community in this role.
megan.holland@creston.ca | 250-428-2214 ext. 112