Maple Ridge council will be operating short-handed with only six councillors as Coun. Kiersten Duncan recuperates from a motor vehicle collision.
Duncan was injured May 3 in a collision in Maple Ridge. She’ll be away from her job as councillor, as well as her full-time work as a first-aid instructor while she recovers.
“I’m going to have to take some time off. How long it will be, I don’t know. But I will be back at work as soon as I can,” Duncan said Tuesday.
“It’s extremely frustrating for me.”
Hello Everyone, please know that I was in a car accident recently and as a result, I will be following my Doctor's orders to take time off work until further notice. Thank you for your understanding and kind well wishes. https://t.co/9E5yCXdljk pic.twitter.com/F31mGIQ2pp
— Kiersten Duncan (@KierstenDuncan_) May 7, 2019
She added that she can’t give medical details because of insurance matters, but said she won’t be able to attend meetings via webcast or conference call.
“I have to follow the doctor’s recommendation because if I don’t, I won’t heal. If I push myself too hard and don’t follow the recommendation, the doctor said it’s going to take me longer to get back to work, so I do have to follow what they say,” Duncan said.
Mayor and council understand her situation and are supporting her, she added.
She also suffers from a previous chronic pain condition and doesn’t know if that will be worsened by the collision.
Duncan said she remains concerned about two major issues still facing council, homelessness and housing being one, and development of a new subdivision near the South Alouette River another.
Duncan was re-elected during the civic elections in October and said the new council is trying to work together, “which is really positive. I really appreciate that.
“There are certainly struggles, but as long as everyone comes to the table and agrees that despite our political views … we fight on the issue, not on each other, I think we can be successful as a council moving things forward.”
She added that being on council is her passion and she wants to be back at the table.
pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
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