Mayor and Council

Village of Burns Lake Council Consists of:

Mayor Luke Strimbold; Councillor Susan Schienbein; Councillor Quinten Beach; Council John Illes; and Councillor Frank Varga. Their term in office extends to December of 2014.

 


Village Council Biographies

Mayor Strimbold

Mayor Luke Strimbold holds the distinction of being the youngest Mayor in British Columbia, and the second youngest Mayor in Canada. Mayor Luke Strimbold was first elected to Village Council through a by-election late in 2010. Born and raised in Burns Lake, he is the 5th generation of Strimbold’s to call the Lakes District home.

Mayor Strimbold currently works in his family’s forestry company in the office assisting with operations management . He has previously worked as a youth councillor at Lake Babine Nation, and has worked for Lake Babine Nation Fisheries. In his free time, he enjoys sports, water activities, camping, and volunteering his time with at risk youth in the community.
Mayor Strimbold chose to run for the position of Mayor because he has been inspired by the potential to influence change from past and current leaders and he has hope for future leaders. Through his role as Mayor, he believes that he will be able to facilitate and influence change in our community. As a young member of Burns Lake, Mayor Strimbold will focus on engaging and encouraging youth to participate in community development for the future.
When asked why he loves Burns Lake, Mayor Strimbold stated that Burns Lake offers a diversified economy, culture and lifestyle and is an excellent place to raise a family. He believes that Burns Lake must become more proactive rather than reactive in decision making. This can be done by setting clear goals and developing a vision that will enable growth and stability for the economic, social and environmental needs of our community. Looking to the future, in 10 years, Mayor Strimbold believes that Burns Lake will still be a strong community that works together to support the three pillars of Burns Lake: the economy, social wellness and the environment.
 

Councillor Susan Schienbein

Councillor Susan Schienbein is long time resident of Burns Lake who has a passion for the community and all that it has to offer. She believes that Burns Lake offers affordable housing, clean air and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities to its residents. During her time in Burns Lake, she has appreciated the improved appearance of the Village, and improved relations between local government and First Nations. Councillor Schienbein believes that Burns Lake must have a long term vision for economic stability and resiliency.

Councillor Susan Schienbein has held a variety of positions in our community. Previously serving on Village Council for two terms, Councillor Schienbein has also worked as a Executive Director for a social services agency, Chamber Manager, and as an economic development coordinator. She currently holds a position at the local RBC Royal Bank branch and is co-owner of a local fitness centre. 

Looking toward the future, Councillor Schienbein envisions a unified Burns Lake that pulls together like we do when a family is in crisis.  She feels that the community needs to start working together without silos and competition for funding to ensure that we do what is in the best interest of our entire community.  "We are only as strong as our weakest link." 

Councillor Schienbein is married and has two children and two dogs. She enjoys reading, photography, camping, walking, and has a passion for lifelong learning. She plans to continue her education with Royal Roads University and the University of Victoria.

 

Councillor Frank Varga

Councillor Varga moved to Burns Lake with his family in 2007 and quickly became an enthusiastic and involved community member. Councillor Varga and his wife Jennifer enjoy spending time with their two children, and actively embrace all aspects of outdoor recreation in Burns Lake. The Vargas are active hunters, fishers, and snowmobilers, enjoying almost any outdoor activity.

Councillor Varga works for British Columbia Timber Sales as a Practices Forester, and has previously worked for forestry licensees and consultants throughout southern BC. In addition to his role as Councillor for the Village and Burns Lake and current employment, Councillor Varga sits on the Executive Board for the Northern Silviculture Committee. He is the Chair of the Cariboo Section for the Canadian Institute of Forestry in 2009, and recently became a director on the Burns Lake Community Medical Clinic Society as he would like to see healthcare services readily available to residents of the Lakes District. 

Councillor Varga is a first term Councillor and chose to run due to his desire to get involved and initiate change in the community. He would like to better understand local government processes and work to improve and expand all that the community has to offer. Councillor Varga plans to make local healthcare issues a priority during his term and he will support increased economic development and diversification to ensure that Burns Lake is a thriving and resilient community. 

Councillor John Illes

Councillor John Illes is in his second term on council; he is actively involved in his Church group and has a strong interest in economic development.

Councillor Illes first arrived in Burns Lake in 1992 for a four month job with the Ministry of Forests. He ended up falling in love with Burns Lake, as well as falling in love with his wife April. Councillor Illes was married in Burns Lake in 1996; he and his wife have two children. Councillor Illes is a collector of coins, books, and comic books and he also dabbles in the game of Chess as well as board games. Many people don’t know that he enjoys crocheting blankets for his family members. Councillor Illes began his career fighting fires in 1986, and has held various jobs ranging from government positions, accounting, as well as working in the hotel industry.

Councillor Illes is passionate about Burns Lake, and personally would like to aid in developing Burns Lake both in size and economic activity, this goal is so important to him that he has gone as far as to read the Municipal Cultural Planning Handbook to inspire himself. He credits Burns Lake for having “the best people that always come together in a pinch”. His belief is that the Village of Burns Lake needs to expand its boundaries in order to provide services to rural areas, and to bring all the individuals that call Burns Lake home together as a cohesive unit.

 

Councillor Quinten Beach

Councillor Quinten Beach is currently in his second term on Village Council. Both sides of Councillor Beach’s family settled in the Lakes District in 1914 and he was born and raised in Burns Lake. He enjoys jogging, biking, golf and is actively involved with the Omineca Ski Club. Councillor Beach is a self employed Logging Contractor and has also served as an Underwater Logging Consultant in Africa (Ghana). Some personal goals that he would like to achieve are to facilitate a District Heating System, participate in the Downtown Core Revitalization, as well as facilitate the Active Transportation Plan. Councillor Beach likes the fact that Burns Lake is accessible and affordable and that the community has an array of outdoor activities to offer. During his time in Burns Lake Councillor Beach has noticed a positive change in the beautification of the downtown, as well as the diverse business options. Councillor Beach feels that having a Sustainable Heating System is an important and beneficial change that our community is in need of.

Councillor Beach decided to run for Council after having many interesting discussions with previous Mayor Bernice Magee, and his hope is that in ten years Burns Lake will be economically diverse and will be able to retain local energy dollars which have traditionally left our community.