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 John Fyke
John was born in Penticton, grew up in Nelson and Vancouver. After a stint at university, he travelled extensively in the Pacific, lived and worked in New Zealand for 2 years prior to returning to Simon Fraser University to complete a Biochemistry degree. He raised a family, taught chemistry, biology and geology in Vernon and Lima, Peru. Upon retirement, he spent a year sailing in the Caribbean and then moved to the Orchard in New Denver 10 years ago to build a primarily solar-powered home. John mountain bikes, kayaks, hikes and fishes in this wonderful place in the world.
He has been on the board of the Slocan Lake Garden Society (Kohan Garden), Healthy Community Society, was Citizen of the Year in 2015 and is serving his second term on Village Council.
John’s vision is an affordable, vibrant and sustainable New Denver that manages our development in a way that lets us enjoy our chosen lifestyle while also ensuring that it will be shared by future generations.
Councillor Danika Hammond
Danika Hammond was born and raised in New Denver/Silverton and elected to council in 2022 as a next generation candidate at the age of 27. Danika is passionate about fostering a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive community. Always an advocate for partnerships, she brings her wealth of experience on local and provincial nonprofits to her role in advocating for assets and services that our community depends on. Danika has been a member of the New Denver Youth Centre Society, Rec Commission #6, the New Denver Housing Society, the Silverton Cowork Society and the Valhalla Fine Arts Society. She also regularly initiates events to bring the community together over music or games.
After graduating from Lucerne Elementary Secondary School as a Loran Scholar in 2013, Danika received her B.A. in Political Science and Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia. She has been employed by Cabinet Ministers in the BC Government and has worked on numerous national and provincial campaigns. Currently she is undertaking a Masters degree in Rural Development and Community Planning from her home in Denver Siding where she lives with her dog Nimbus.
Councillor Casey Law
Casey Law was born in Winnipeg, MB and raised in New Denver since the age of 2. He grew up working in the family store, Mountainberry Foods. Upon graduation from Lucerne School, Casey attended Lethbridge College where he earned a diploma in Criminal Justice. Applying his education, he worked 5 years for the City of Grande Prairie as a Community Peace Officer. While there he also volunteered with the local search and rescue group undertaking multiple roles. Returning to New Denver in 2011, he helped to run the family store after his Father’s unexpected passing. Casey joined the local volunteer Fire/Rescue service, and then later the Ambulance Service. He is now the Unit Chief, and Community Paramedic in New Denver. Elected to council as a next generation candidate, he is excited to bring his community minded passion of working deliberately and collaboratively in an open and transparent way to help partner in the health, happiness, and resiliency of the community.
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 2022-2026
Photo:Kathy Hartman
