BARRY’S BAY – After serving as a councillor for the past four years, Elser Lee Faith Archer hopes to become Madawaska Valley Township’s newest mayor. She is currently the only candidate as of press time to vie against incumbent Kim Love. “I want to offer the community an option,” she said. “That’s the most important thing.” Archer has a diverse background, both ancestrally and professionally. She was born in Nottingham, England to parents from Jamaica, and her great-grandfather was Chinese. Archer and her family moved to Canada during Canadian Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau’s reign. As a young woman, Archer began exploring her true passions. She originally wanted to be a social worker, but instead, she joined the military. She learned how to disassemble a rifle in the dark, jumped out of planes and much more. It gave her the confidence she needed, and afterwards, Archer took up a job in the fashion industry. But her desire to become a social worker kept calling. She studied at several colleges and universities, including Ryerson University, where she obtained her degree in social work. Archer attended the Windsor Law School where she studied advanced mediation. She met and married her husband, who is originally from Barbados and lived in Toronto. The Archers have four children, including three girls and one boy. To read the full story, pick up a copy of the July 25, 2018 Gazette.