Councillor works with ‘good core group’ as he steps into first vice president role for municipality advocacy organization

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A Fort St. John councillor says he’s working with a “good core group” as he steps up into his role as an advocacy leader for northern municipalities.

City councillor Tony Zabinsky says his leadership role with the North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) — a nonprofit advocacy organization representing the city and other communities from across the Peace region and B.C. — comes after three years of working with the organization.

Zabinsky was acclaimed as the association’s first vice president at its annual general meeting in May.

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, he said his work with the NCLGA began when he ran for a position as a ‘director-at-large’ in 2022. 

Zabinsky put his name forward for that position after seeking approval from the rest of his council colleagues.

“They said, ‘you’re a good person for it, we don’t think you’re going to go off-kilter or off-base with this, so they supported my application as director-at-large at the time, and I won.”

He worked in that position for two years, then was elected second vice president in 2024. In May of this year, he ran unopposed, leading to his new position.

As first vice president, Zabinsky’s job is to represent the NCLGA at community events and in meetings where the president — Town of Smithers mayor Gladys Atrill — is unable to attend.

“It’s also usually the president and first vice president that will go down to Victoria to meet with ministers down there in regards to advocacy that we’re putting forward, and resolutions that we’ve put forward to [the Union of BC Municipalities],” he said.

In meetings he’s attended so far, Zabinsky says the reaction to his work in his new role has been positive, and he described his fellow appointees — president Atrill and second vice president Kyle MacDonald from Dawson Creek — as a “good core group.”

He also expressed interest in potentially running for the president position in the future. 

Zabinsky encouraged anyone interested in learning more about the NCLGA to visit its website.