There were a lot of farewells at the Nov. 25 Wellington County council session for the simple fact that half of those around the council horseshoe will not be returning.
Barb McKay
McKay, who recently returned from Ecuador, said “We did some good work with the people.
“I’m looking forward to new challenges. It’s with mixed emotions that I’m leaving, but I do have other challenges I want to pursue.”
She added, “I know the county is going to be well served with my replacement, my husband, Don.”
She cited his experience in government, in municipal, provincial, federal and world-wide. “He has that experience, he has business experience, and the science that I think will be needed to meet some of the challenges that we’re going to have … and if he needs my advice he’s got that,” though she quipped, “But I don’t give it freely.
“I know Don will do well for [county] Ward 7 – which represents Puslinch and part of Guelph-Eramosa.”
Mike Broomhead
Broomhead briefly stood at the front of the chambers looking at one side of the council horseshoe.
“This whole side of the table is leaving today … for now anyway.”
He, too, had a number of thanks starting with the warden, past warden, staff, and county councillors.
Broomhead then introduced his replacement, Ray Tout, who was in the council chamber a few years back as recipient of a county award for work in the community.
“Ray is a leader in our community, and he’s also a friend. You can’t always say one of your friends is replacing you.”
He said that Tout has done a lot for the Township of Wellington North.
“But he’s far reaching. He doesn’t just look after his own community.”
He cited a few of Tout’s accomplishments from his involvement in the Mount Forest Fireworks Festival.
“He’ll do a good job, and he’ll be a friend to all of you.”
Walter Trachsel
Trachsel thanked residents of Wellington North for allowing him to represent them for the past five years.
Throughout his career, Trachsel has had the opportunity to work with county staff from various locales.
“By far, those in Wellington County are second to none.”
As planning committee chairman, he spotlighted county planning director Gary Cousins. “To me, he’s always been the ultimate professional at his job.”
Trachsel added that with each new experience “you meet new people, it adds to your life, and makes it better.
“If there’s one thing I’d ask the new council, we’ve heard earlier today about the Green Legacy program. We’re trying to get part of the Green Legacy program in Wellington North, by the Luther Marsh. I hope all of you would support that as a really good cause. It gives people in the northern part of the county the opportunity to experience the same thing as those in the south.”
Citing his previous police experience, he humorously referred to county councillors “as a gallery of rogues – they’ve all got their own characteristics.”
Trachsel then introduced his replacement, Gary Williamson, who has worked for Wellington North for a long time.
“I’m sure he’ll do quite well.”
Carl Hall
For Hall, retirement was tinged with emotion.
He said he had the honour of talking about two people from Mapleton.
One was John Green, who has moved from the mayor’s job to be Hall’s replacement as ward councillor.
“John is moving from the mayor’s problems in Mapleton to the county’s problems as a ward councillor. He’s still going to be the longest serving elected councillor at this table. I think that’s been an honour for John.”
However, with Green’s illness last week, it was left to Hall to introduce Mapleton’s mayor-elect Bruce Whale.
“As for Bruce, I didn’t have the opportunity to serve on council with Bruce.”
Whale was elected to Mapleton council at the same time Hall switched from the mayor’s job to the county ward position.
“From all the reports, I’ve heard, he’s done a wonderful job as a councillor.”
Hall said he has worked with Whale at an insurance company for the past decade.
“He’s been the president of the company … and when you get to finance problems, Bruce handles them very well.”
Hall said Whale does like to ask questions. “He likes to know where we are, and how we are getting there. I’m quite sure that he will fit in very well around this horseshoe.”
He said of his own service, “Twenty-five years is up. Sixteen of those years have been here. I’m going to miss it. It’s been a blast.”
He cited his term as Wellington County warden in 2002. “I think that is an honour that anyone with a chance, should take,” Hall said. “You don’t have much time to yourself and you’re on the go all the time with your little black book as your bible. It doesn’t really quit when you’re a councillor.
“I gave it my best – I hope I have. And I hope I have a lot of friends here.”
Hall’s comments earned him a standing ovation from council, staff, and those in the gallery.
Rod Finnie
Finnie first thanked staff for the wonderful job they have done.
“They make us look good – as much as possible.”
He said, “I really appreciate my time spent here.”
He added that all of the current roads committee will be leaving at the end of the term, and there are a few issues that were under consideration.
“One of those was roads rationalization. In terms of economic development, we really have to look at how an efficient and effective roads transportation will help all of our communities be successful. I leave that as a challenge for the [new] roads committee.”
“In terms of my replacement, you know him already,” Finnie said of Lou Maieron, who is currently serving as a county councillor.
“Hopefully he will develop into the mayor we all know he can be. It’s definitely a challenge – I know he’s telling me already he seems to be going every night of the week looking after things.”
Finnie concluded, “I’ve enjoyed working with all of you. Even when we disagreed, I still felt we were working for the best of our community.”
Robert Wilson
The first thing Wilson did was introduce his replacement, “the councillor I appointed.”
“Shawn Watters is quite a talented young man,” Wilson said. “He’ll be replacing me in Wellington County Ward 6.”
He, too, added “as reiterated several times here, the staff are tremendous. The county councillors I’ve dealt with over the past 19 years are quite a crew and I have a lot of tremendous memories.”
He noted he started his municipal career in early 1977.
“Since then, it’s kind of been an up and down situation.”
He said his early years on county council were spent as chairman of the waste management committee. “We managed to piss everybody off in the north end so bad that my kids couldn’t even ride the school bus. After that, it got a lot better. I got to be the warden for a year, then I got back on the waste management committee again.
“We managed to tick everybody off again when we decided to take over waste management for the whole county. Then we decided that perhaps they should pay for it by the bag full. We’ve had quite a time with this, and there were a lot of public meetings.
“I’ve had a tremendous time here over the past 19 years, and I don’t have any regrets.
Wilson said the thing he will appreciate most about not having the job is that he will finally get four weeks holidays – time that he had always had to put in for county council meetings.
“So it’s not a down side completely.”
Having time to think about it, Wilson said he’s become more relaxed it.
“It was kind of stressful at first, Jean [Innes]. You really did it to me.”
Wilson lost the recent ward election after contesting Innes for her seat on county council.
“I’ve grown to accept it, and almost like it.”
He anticipated that over the next few years he may be able to “join the ranks of the people that are around me in Fergus and so on, and actually, the majority of them, maybe, who don’t give a rat’s ass about what we do here.”
The gallery and council erupted in laughter.
David Anderson
“That’s going to be a hard speech to follow,” Anderson said. “It’s been a pleasure to sit here, and I really appreciate the direction over the past few years.”
He described building a lot of working relationships and friendships.
After four years, you can’t go away without building those friendships. “There will be things we will never forget.”
“We talk about council, and we talk about staff. The staff not only support us here at county council, but they support us all over Wellington County.”
He said there has been many times he has made use of the various departments to deal with particular issues. In introducing his successor, Anderson said George Bridge, mayor-elect of Minto, grew up in Harriston and is very involved in the community.
Although when Bridge graduated, he moved out of the area for his career, upon retirement he moved back to the area.
He pointed out Bridge’s business expertise and marketing skills.
Bridge was also a member of Minto’s economic development committee for the past two years.
“He added a lot of expertise to that committee, and I know he’ll be a good mayor of Minto.”
Brad Whitcombe
“First it is my distinct pleasure to introduce my replacement, Mayor Dennis Lever. Mayor-elect Lever is fresh from a very decisive victory in my community, and he certainly is the people’s choice.”
Whitcombe added that Lever has a very strong corporate background and that he will do a good job.
“I wish him all the best in the next four years.”
Whitcombe commented that both he and Hall started at the same meeting.
There were issues he wanted to reminisce about.
He noted his involvement in municipal politics for the past 22 years, 16 as head of council.
Whitcombe added one of the changes was in the room they were sitting. When he was warden in 2000, the council chambers were spruced up.
He was also there to introduce the “cultural moment” to the monthly meetings.
“I thought it was a good idea to drag things out of the vault. I’m very proud of that.”
Whitcombe was also excited when council agreed to purchase the Dominion Building in Guelph, and said the restoration-renovation of the old post office “is a jewel in the county’s legacy.
“You know where my heart is, and that is in heritage and culture. I’m so happy to see the rebirth of our county library system. We’re almost to the end of that journey. It is of such importance, and I really hope you [as council] see that journey to the end.”
He pointed to the Carnegie buildings. “We’ve made them accessible to everyone.”
And, he added, “I think we’ve changed the way we look at the position of warden in the county.”
He said it is no longer a matter of course that once a warden has served one term, another will step in.
“It allows one to see the completion of the vision of the head of council. I’m very happy to be part of that process. While it’s great to have the idea, you have to have people to back you up.”
He also commented on the Green Legacy program “as we embrace our responsibility to protect and enhance the environment. We are really living up to our corporate responsibility.”
