Bill Ressler, incumbent, seeks another term as Bow Island councillor 

Posted on October 16, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Bill (William) Ressler was a teacher and school administrator for his entire career. This includes time at Senator Gershaw School and around 10 years as a vice principal.

“My teaching career spans 40+ years,” says Ressler. “Basically, I’ve been volunteering my whole adult life. I also coached school sports for over 40 years and sit on the South Country Co-op Board of Directors.”

Previously, Ressler completed three terms as councillor, before stepping down a number of years ago. However, when two councillors exited their position early during the last term, Ressler was asked to put his name forward and fill in for the remainder of the term. He did.

“I’ve been in the area for going on 50 years,” he smiles before speaking to his priorities.

“Funding. That is our number one function. Looking after finances and seeing where things go. As a council, we are not there to micromanage; we are there to be collaborative.”

He adds, “It is an exciting time for Bow Island. There are new housing developments going on. Our Municipally Controlled Corporation (MCC) with the clinic is top of mind. However, what has slipped under the radar a bit is the Town seeking to purchase the provincial building. At some point, there may be a move to the provincial building and a redesign. That is a big factor.”

As the town expands, Ressler cites actionable items such as monitoring housing developments and all that comes with it, such as enough parking.

“Getting doctors into this town is huge!” he adds. “That ties into the MCC. I hope people realize that just because we are looking after the clinic, that doesn’t guarantee us a doctor. It makes it easier to attract doctors. We are seeking to have something stable set up and a turnkey operation for them to come in.”

Ressler knows the Highway Twinning bypass is a very important issue.

“Most people would prefer that the highway go through Bow Island – especially those who operate local businesses. I believe the province feels differently, but personally, I prefer to see the highway go through town.”

His message for the voters is this: “Get out and vote! Everyone likes to have an opinion, so please come out and vote. Not just vote, but also volunteer in our community. Coach your kids’ or grandkids’ sports team, for example. The Town has been looking for people to sit on our committees, be it recreation or municipal planning, etc. Your involvement always helps.