The Village of Rycroft

Mayor & Council

James Verquin, Mayor

Phone: 587-298-6667     Email: james.verquin@rycroft.ca

I was born in Fairview and spent time growing up in Whitelaw and Crow’s Nest Pass. I came back to the Peace Country and went to school at Fairview College for the Motorcycle Mechanic program. I have been working in the oil fields in the area for ~2 decades.  I was first elected to Council in a by-election in 2015.  I want to thank the residents for their support of me as an elected official, and am proud to be a part of this Council team. I am looking forward to working with Council and Administration in advancing Rycroft’s position and programs for the betterment of all residents.

Roxann Dreger, Deputy Mayor

Phone: 780-814-9908     Email: roxann.dreger@rycroft.ca

I was first elected to Council in 2017.  My roots run deep in the Village of Rycroft. From the first settlers of where my Great Grandma Thompson built the still-standing Rycroft hotel, to the stories that Grandma Gulick shared with me on growing up with Great Uncle Sam and Ernie Thompson and Sister Oma Grittner (who always had cookies when came for lunch from school). I attended the Rycroft school since grade two, and have very fond memories including my first job at Courtesy Corner – where many of us got our start in the workforce. Since then I have done many things from office to retail to road construction, and now my current love in the health care system. It is here that I meet the challenge of being an advocate for my patients, my co-workers, and all my community.  I pride myself on being an advocate for the Village of Rycroft and serving the residents who I am proud to call my friends and neighbors.

Joanne Chelick, Councillor

Phone: 780-500-7170     Email: joanne.chelick@rycroft.ca

I was first elected to Rycroft Council in 2013.  I was born in Fairview and raised on a farm southwest of Fairview. I completed my public school education in Fairview and then moved to Edmonton where I lived until my retirement in 2011.  In Edmonton, I worked for an architect, the British Consulate, a Travel Agency, and the Provincial Government, and then spent my last twenty-five years working for the Federal Government.  During my time with the Federal Government, I spent plenty of my free time volunteering with St. John Ambulance, where I received a number of medals for services.  I traveled through North America and was able to travel with family to our grandfather’s and grandmother’s birth home of Yugoslavia (now Croatia).  The people and country are lovely and I really want to travel back there again.

Dwayne Kotyk, Councillor

Phone: 780-500-0599      Email: dwayne.kotyk@rycroft.ca

I was born in Spirit River and grew up in Valleyview. I moved to Rycroft in 1987. I took the welding program at Fairview College and am a B-pressure welder. Along with my farming background, my experiences have given me a solid base of knowledge to contribute to the rest of the Council team. I was first elected to Council in a by-election in 2015. I look forward to investing time in making Rycroft a positive place for residents and visitors alike.

Brian MarkovichCouncillor

Phone: 780-933-0549     Email: brian.markovich@rycroft.ca

This is the second time I am serving the Village of Rycroft as an elected official.  I was born in Spirit River and settled in Rycroft in 1994.  My family has lived in the area for many years, as my grandparents were early pioneers of the area in 1914.  I am a local business owner and am involved in other business ventures in Rycroft and the region.  I look forward to representing the Village and its residents in making Rycroft a better place.