Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth says senior housing, infrastructure improvements and respectful debate on council will be key priorities as he begins his fourth consecutive term.
Germuth narrowly secured re-election in the 2026 municipal election, finishing just 113 votes ahead of his challenger Terry Marleau. He said the close race reflected differing opinions among residents about whether the community needed a change in leadership.
“Sometimes you vote for change for the sake of change,” Germuth said. “Kitimat is doing very well. There’s no major glaring errors going on or anything.”
Germuth said he is looking forward to another four years as mayor, with many of the same priorities he identified during the campaign remaining at the top of his list.
Senior housing remains his biggest focus, particularly the proposed facility from the Kitimat Valley Housing Society. Germuth said the project could help address the needs of older residents while opening up existing homes for other families.
“That is the number one issue in Kitimat, no doubt,” he said. “Some seniors housing would also then free up a bunch of houses for other families to move into Kitimat.”
Germuth said he plans to seek support from the provincial and federal governments to help move the project forward, particularly following LNG Canada’s announcement of its planned Phase 2 expansion.
He pointed to government investments during the first phase of the project, including the federal government’s work on the Haisla Bridge and the provincial government’s involvement in the Northwest B.C. Resource Benefits Alliance. He hopes the next phase of industrial development will bring further investment into Kitimat’s community infrastructure and housing needs.
Germuth also wants to see more oversight of local hiring as LNG Canada moves forward with Phase 2, saying local applicants should have a fair opportunity to secure jobs.
“What I would like to see, what I talk to them about already, is we’d like to see a little bit more oversight on local hires,” he said. “Just to have somebody else double-check, okay, why didn’t a local person maybe get this job?”
Along with housing, Germuth said the municipality needs to focus on maintaining streets and roads and examining options to replace Kitimat’s fire hall.
He said he does not anticipate major additional pressures on municipal services from LNG Canada’s second phase, pointing to how the community managed the first phase of development.
Germuth also stressed the importance of respectful debate as the new council takes shape, with several new members joining returning councillors.
“Everybody’s looking out what’s best for Kitimat, but sometimes we have different ideas of what exactly that is,” he said. “The main thing I think that I’m going to be focusing on is respect, respect for each other.”
He said personal attacks between councillors were a disappointment during the previous term and something he wants to address early in the new council’s work.
“You can disagree with certain things, but there’s no reason to try and call other people names,” Germuth said. “If you support something, you support it. If you don’t, you don’t, but how about leave the personal attacks out of it?”
Looking ahead to the end of his fourth term, Germuth said his goal is not centred on one major project, but on making Kitimat a better place to live.
“I just want to see a better community to live in,” he said. “It’s not about that one single project or anything. It’s just about making Kitimat one of the best places to live that can be.”
Germuth said he hopes his work will leave a lasting impact on future generations, including his own family, while recognizing the contributions of volunteers and community organizations.
“I’d hope that one day in the future, even in the long-term future, that they’re living here, that they’re going to be able to take a step back and be really proud of the community that they live in,” he said.
He added that the work of organizations such as the Kitimat Valley Housing Society and the Kitimat Hospital Foundation, along with other local volunteers, plays a major role in the community’s success.
