The spirit of Norm Walter was felt at Friday's board meeting at the Regional District of East Kootenay.

The well-liked Area E director passed away suddenly on December 6th, 2010, after suffering a heart attack.

Last week, the board of directors dedicated their first meeting of the year to Walter's memory and symbolically left his chair at the table empty.

Board chair Scott Manjak presented Norm's widow, Jane, with a bound, hardcover book containing messages the regional district received commending Norm after his passing. Tears flowed as Manjak suggested a minute of silence for Walter, who was in his third term as elected official.

"Norm was a passionate representative at this table who voted tirelessly for the people he represented," said Manjak. "He was a good man who will be very much missed."

An olive tree will be planted beside the lookout at Wycliffe Regional Park in memory of Walter.

His presence was felt throughout the meeting as the board deliberated on a bylaw amendment in Wasa.

The issue was deferred from the December 2010 board meeting, where Walter argued against legalizing a private campground on Poplar Road, where six recreational vehicles are kept year-round.

As the directors heard arguments for and against the amendment, Walter's name came up time and time again.

"Norm Walter was a good director and he had a lot of common sense. He had the pulse of our community and you need to trust that," said Susanne Ashmore, representing the Wasa Lake Land Improvement District.

"Norm was working on this when he died," said Wasa resident Judy McPhee. "He listened to us, he took many trips to Wasa to converse with us and he took our concerns back to the regional district board."

When the board began deliberations, several directors had changed their mind on the issue out of respect for Walter.

"Director Walter had a strong sense of fairness and he would never have asked someone to do something unless he thought it was necessary. The passion he expressed at the last meeting makes me think we should refuse the application," said Ute Juras, Canal Flats director.

"I talked to Director Walter about this after our last meeting. I still didn't see his way of thinking but he had his community pegged pretty good," said Area A director Mike Sosnowski.

As the board cast their votes on the amendment, all of the directors were opposed to legalizing the campground, a testament to the passion and tenacity of the sorely missed Norm Walter.

A byelection for Walter's position is expected to be announced next month and held in the spring. Until then, Jim Westwood is the acting Area E director.