The Town of Cobalt is pleased to present its council which was elected in the fall of 2010. These individuals are committed to the continued growth of the community and are working closely together to move a number of projects forward.

George Othmer - Finance and General Governance

One time Mayor of Cobalt, George has returned to municipal government to provide leadership in Finance and General Governance. A lifelong resident of Cobalt, George is currently employed with Stock Transportation and Royal Lepage.  He has been a member of the Cobalt Volunteer Fire Department for over 25 years and is currently the Deputy Fire Chief.  As the town’s representative on the Cobalt Water Commission, he participates in the quality assurance of the municipality’s water supply. He is a member of the Fraser Project Working Group which is overseeing the renewal of a significant heritage structure and contibutes to the development of the town's budget and by-laws.

Sue Nielsen – Culture and Recreation

Sue Nielsen, a graduate of Humber College, is a journalist with the Temiskaming Speaker, and is in her second term with council. After having been away from Cobalt for many years, she is one of a growing number of former Cobalt residents returning to the area. With a background in sport and recreation, Sue has a proven interest in the Culture and Recreation portfolio for which she is currently responsible.  She is the council’s liaison to the Library and Classic Theatre Boards as well as providing leadership to the town’s events and recreational activities. As a member of the Board of the Temiskaming Health Unit, Sue contributes to policy development which benefits the entire region.

Gino Chitaroni – Economic Development and Property Management

Gino is a graduate of the Haileybury School of Mines and holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Lake Superior State University.  He is a lifelong resident of Cobalt.  To say that mining is in his blood would be an understatement. He has served on Cobalt Council since 1997. His business interests include Polymet Labs which provides assaying services to many mines and exploration interests in the region and Blackstone Developments, also a mining services company. He represents the town’s interests on the Temiskaming Transit Committee, The Temiskaming Municipal Association and the Cobalt-Temagami Corridor Economic Development Committee.

Pat Anderson  - Housing and Social Services

Pat is the Chair of the newly formed Housing and Social Services Advisory Group. This group of Cobalt and Coleman citizens provides input to council from service agencies, the food bank, seniors and health representatives. A geologist by profession, Pat studied at Brock and Ottawa Universities.  She moved to the area in 1983 to work with the Office of the Resident Geologist.  She has been committed to the development of the Cobalt Historic Mining Camp. She represents the municipality on the Earlton Airport Committee and is a member of the Northern Ontario Mining Museum Board.


Mike Harrison – Heritage and Tourism

Mike has been a resident of the area for the last 42 years, settling in Cobalt in 2005. A carpenter and general contractor he is currently employed with the Cochrane Temiskaming Native Housing Authority (CoTem). Mike is active in many community groups, including Branch 44 of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Masonic Lodge 486 and the Haileybury Highlanders Pipe Band. A council representative for heritage groups, he works closely with the Northern Ontario Mining Museum, the Bunker Military Museum, the Historical Society and the Historic Cobalt Corporation to develop a coordinated approach to tourist activities.


Gary Bigelow – Public Works and Safety

Gary has been a lifelong resident of Cobalt, working mostly with the mining and construction industries. He is returning to council as councillor responsible for Public Works and Safety. His responsibilities include water, wastewater, safety, road and building maintenance and the fire department. He works closely with other councillors and the public works department to ensure that the municipality's interests are looked after. This is his second time on council having served previously in the 1970’s.


Tina Sartoretto – Mayor

Tina returned to Cobalt in June of 2009, having retired from 30 years as a professor and administrator in the post-secondary system. A graduate of Laurentian and Boston Universities, her professional background has been primarily in the health sciences, information systems, administration and project management. As Mayor, she coordinates the work of council and provides leadership for the community. She works closely with neighbouring municipalities to enhance joint projects or collaborations. She is actively involved in a number of committees.