The first female mayor of Point Edward and warden of Lambton County has died. Barb Horner passed away Tuesday, April 12 at the age of 81. Mrs. Horner was first elected to village council in 1977 and would serve for a total of 18 years as councillor, deputy reeve and deputy mayor. She became the first female county warden in 1984 and was the first woman to hold the office of Point Edward Mayor from 1997 to 2000. During her term as mayor in 2000, her council negotiated both the opening of the Point Edward casino and the first OPP policing contract.
Mayor Larry MacKenzie says Barb was relentless in landing the casino.
"We lost Prestolite and the Holmes Foundry, and we were always looking for something big to come to the village to boost our taxation and revenue," says MacKenzie. "The casino was a big save for Point Edward and Barb was involved in that." Barb Horner also chaired the board at Lambton College for four consecutive years. Visitation will be held Thursday, April 14 at the D.J. Robb Funeral Home and Cremation Centre from 3pm until 8pm. The funeral service for Barb Horner is at the funeral home Friday, April 15 at 11am. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Canadian Breast Cancer Society.
