Tara Veer

Tara Veer is a Canadian politician, who was elected mayor of Red Deer, Alberta in the 2013 municipal election.[1] She is the youngest mayor at age 35 and the second woman of the city's history, after Gail Surkan to be elected mayor of the city. In 2020, she opposed the ban on conversion therapy. The federal bill came a week after Red Deer city council found themselves divided over whether to support a ban on conversion therapy. While a five-part notice of motion from Councillor Dianne Wyntjes was passed by council, support was not unanimous and to this point Red Deer remains without a bylaw that bans conversion therapy in the city. In March, Mayor Tara Veer said she felt any efforts by council to pass what would be a “symbolic ban” on conversion therapy would be an overreach. Other councillors expressed concerns over jurisdiction. [2]

Prior to her election as mayor, Veer served on Red Deer City Council for nine years.[1]

Veer was re-elected in a landslide vote against challenger Sean Burke in the 2017 municipal election.[3]