Meet New Denver’s mayor and council members.
Mayor Leonard Casley
Leonard Casley is a longstanding member of the New Denver & Area community and has served as Mayor since 2018. Mayor Casley was born and raised in the community and have several generations of family history within the area. He comes from a family of politicians, with his grandfather serving as a Councillor and his father being both a Councillor and Mayor. He has raised a family, created and ran a business, served as a councillor for the New Denver and have been involved in numerous volunteer initiatives that serve and strengthen the community as a whole. He has served 31 years with the New Denver & Area Volunteer Fire Department – 23 years as Fire Chief.
Mayor Casley takes pride in his hometown and he is committed to community engagement and spirit, economic growth, support for young families, and maintaining and enriching health services for the Village and surrounding communities; all the while, preserving the natural atmosphere and pristine environment of the region. He also takes a deep interest and pride in the history of the area; and preserving the heritage sites in New Denver is very important to him.
Councillor Daphne Budding
Daphne Budding grew up on a grain farm in southern Saskatchewan. After completing high school, she moved to Regina, where she spent her adult working life, built her career, and continued her education.
Daphne worked for SaskPower, Saskatchewan’s provincial electrical utility, for 22 years. Much of her career there was spent in information technology, where she taught and supported fellow employees in using technology effectively. She later transitioned to Fujitsu Canada, where she worked as a Business Consultant. In this role, she supervised a team responsible for identifying clients’ needs and ensuring that the technology being developed addressed those needs.
While pursuing her career, Daphne also attended evening classes at the University of Regina.
In 2019, Daphne and her husband, Thomas Bishop, made New Denver their permanent home. Shortly after relocating, Daphne became involved in the local business community and, in 2022, purchased Laurel Tree Fabric and Fiber, the community’s fibre arts shop, which she continues to own and operate.
Through the shop, Daphne has also collaborated with other community members to support and sponsor FibreFeelia, a weekend-long festival celebrating fibre arts and creativity.
Councillor Kathy Hartman
Bio to come
Councillor Vern Gustafson
Bio to come
Councillor Colin Moss
Colin Moss grew up in Vernon in the Okanagan Valley and spent 30 years in the printing trade before moving to New Denver in 2007 with his wife Janice.
Janice found work in the local health centre clinic and they also started a landscape and property management business where Colin still works part time. They enjoy the outdoors and have spent many hours here hiking, kayaking, golfing, skiing and snowshoeing.
Colin has been an active volunteer in the community since moving here and is currently a hospice volunteer and local Chamber of Commerce board member where he serves as its membership and health committee chairs. He is also the vice chair of the BC Rural Health network and currently is its membership chair. The BCRHN is a BC-wide advocacy group promoting healthcare improvements for rural BC residents.
Colin is New Denver’s representative on the Regional District of Central Kootenay board and as a result serves on their Resource Recovery committees and also on the West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District board.
New Denver Council
Photo:Kathy Hartman
