Mayor Reynolds runs for re-election on a legacy of service 

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

After a career spanning 25 years on council, including 15 as mayor, Gordon Reynolds has announced his intention to run for mayor of Bow Island again in the upcoming municipal election. From tackling infrastructure challenges to addressing housing shortages, his leadership has been defined by a commitment to finding practical solutions and delivering tangible results for residents.

 “I believe, very strongly, that wherever you choose to live, you need to do what you can to make that community better,” Mayor Reynolds shares. He sees civic engagement as a fundamental responsibility, one that can be expressed in many ways—through churches, service clubs, and sports organizations, for example. He chooses to make his contribution through local government.

His interest in politics began around 1990, motivated by challenges facing the town: a shrinking population, declining businesses, and worn-out infrastructure. After some time away, he returned to find that while some issues persisted, a new wave of growth had begun.

“I wanted to be a part of that,” he says, “to be part of turning some of those things around and keeping the community involved.”

He admits that public office is a learning process. What appears to be easy-to-solve issues on the surface usually have much deeper undercurrents.

“Addressing the physician shortage is a top priority, and the Town is stepping up by creating a corporation to manage and support clinic operations and recruitment,” he notes. “Additionally, housing supply is improving, but we must ensure more residential land is available to sustain growth. Rising operating costs, government red tape, and accessing capital for aging infrastructure remain ongoing challenges.”

He continues, noting, “Experience has taught me that priorities can shift quickly—just a year ago, housing was our biggest issue, but now the physician shortage has taken centre stage. Housing supply is still an issue, but it is improving.  The long-term challenge will be to make more residential land available to sustain growth.”

A significant, though less visible, part of this work involves managing waste and navigating government regulations to protect the environment. These necessary projects are often expensive, requiring difficult decisions about how to stretch limited funds. The goal is not merely to patch problems, but to build a more resilient and modern solutions that address a variety of concerns, from practical to environmental realities.

For Mayor Reynolds, effective governance is about more than balancing budgets; it’s about delivering genuine taxpayer value. He acknowledges the constant public debate around taxes, and points out a broader perspective.

“I have come to realize a long time ago that we are always talking about taxes. How do you keep taxes low?” he asks. “Part of it—the real goal—is to give your taxpayers value for their money; to keep moving forward and keep improving things.”

He cautions against the simple appeal of lowering taxes without considering the future consequences, emphasizing that strategic investment is key to progress.

“The challenges never go away,” he smiles. “Once you’ve made progress on one, another will pop up. But that is what keeps it interesting and, in a way, makes it fun!”

As he campaigns for another term, Mayor Reynolds is running on a platform of experience, proven results, and an unwavering dedication to the community. He points to his “terrific team” of municipal employees and his desire to see ongoing initiatives through to completion.

“I have been doing this for a long time,” he concludes. “There are things I want to see through. I’m anxious to carry on. I have a deep desire to continue serving our community and working with our staff. While things are going well for Bow Island and there are exciting opportunities ahead, challenges remain. I’m ready to tackle them alongside a strong council and staff team. This is a safe, healthy community, and I will continue to support and encourage management to be as operationally efficient has possible so we can continue to provide taxpayers with value for their money.”