Donna Lavin raised a few eyebrows at the last town council meeting for the current mayor and council before the Oct. 24 election.
After a rather busy meeting involving several resolutions, bylaws, and an RCMP quarterly report, outgoing mayor Chris Odishaw went around the table, asking everyone to comment on their past work on council and the future.
The first councillors to speak were cheery and enthusiastic, commonly noting how, though the council did not always agree, they had nevertheless put Battleford in a good position for the future. Most outgoing councillors said that they would miss being on council.
Lavin surprised those in attendance when it was her turn to speak.
"I guess I've got quite a different perspective than the rest of these guys do.
"Until you cross the path of a snake and get stung by the venom, you don't even know you're dealing with a snake. It's been nasty, dirty, lots that we see in front of the cameras is totally not the way it is.
"And just one more thing I'd like to say, since truth really doesn't fit with politics in a lot of areas. I have to say there's probably some politicians truly hoping that God is just a fairy tale. That's all I have to say."
A taken-aback Odishaw tried to soften the impact, immediately thanking Lavin for "putting your name forward and being a part of it."
The speech was a shock to many in attendance, as Lavin is typically quiet at town council meetings.
