Ryan Hildebrand is stepping into a new role on Winkler City Council after being named the city's deputy mayor. Hildebrand's appointment was announced by Mayor Henry Siemens in a social media post. He says he is honoured by the opportunity and appreciates the confidence the mayor has placed in him. "It's very humbling to see, first of all, the amount of support that I got through the election," Hildebrand said. "It's just kind of overwhelming to see that many people that voted for me and supported me." Hildebrand takes over the deputy mayor role from Andrew Froese, whom he credited with doing a great job in the position. He says he recognizes there are big shoes to fill but is looking forward to taking on the additional responsibilities. What does the deputy mayor do? The deputy mayor's primary responsibility is to fill in for the mayor when he is unavailable. If Siemens cannot attend a council meeting, Hildebrand will step in to lead the meeting. The position also comes with additional committee responsibilities, giving him a closer look at the city's operations and decision-making processes. Hildebrand says he expects to serve on the finance committee and the Fringe Committee, which looks at development in the area surrounding Winkler and the Rural Municipality of Stanley. He explains that the appointment is made by the mayor, who considers the role and discusses it with others before making a decision. Siemens approached Hildebrand about the possibility after the election. Hildebrand says he took some time to consider the opportunity before agreeing. Experience on council Hildebrand believes his previous experience on council helped prepare him for the appointment. He first joined Winkler City Council through a by-election following the passing of Don Fehr. He has since spent approximately two years serving on council. He also brought experience from serving on several community boards before entering municipal politics. Hildebrand says participating in council meetings, learning how the city operates and taking part in annual planning sessions has given him a better understanding of the responsibilities involved. He points to the annual planning meetings held each January as an important part of the process, noting that councillors work through significant amounts of information and make decisions about how the city operates. Related stories: Winkler Mayor thanks outgoing council and those running in today's election 2026 Municipal and School trustee election results Looking ahead to a new council term Hildebrand is also looking forward to working with the new faces around the council table. He welcomed Don Martens and Pam Fedack to council, following the departure of Andrew Froese and Don Friesen, whom he thanked for their service over the past couple of years. Hildebrand says he is excited to get to know the new councillors and work together on the decisions and challenges ahead. He says the goal is to continue working to make Winkler a better place.