Outgoing Gibsons mayor Wayne Rowe used his time at the Oct. 16 council meeting to praise, and gently roast, the councillors who won’t be returning after the election and make a pitch to voters to support the one who is running again.
Rowe, who’s served on three councils, two of them as mayor, called the council he worked with this term “second to none.”
Rowe also said the incoming council will inherit a “dedicated, competent” Town staff and thanked residents “for the opportunity to serve the community.”
Rowe joked about Coun. Stafford Lumley’s reputation among his colleagues for unpredictability. “Every time his hand goes up I think, oh Christ. I don’t know what he’s going to say,” Rowe said. “I’ve appreciated your humour, I’ve appreciated your down to earth approach to problem solving… You have demonstrated that you’re capable of making hard decisions… You have my vote.”
Of Coun. Jeremy Valeriote, Rowe said, “I appreciate your measured, analytical approach that you’ve brought to bear on the issues that we’ve had to deal with. You have frequently brought an alternative lens to view issues and that’s been very helpful.”
Rowe said when he first met Coun. Charlene SanJenko to gauge her interest in running for council, it soon turned out that he wasn’t interviewing her, but that “[she] was interviewing me to see if I was worthy of [her] time… You bring heart and passion to our deliberations. You are unfailingly positive, almost innocently so, in your approach to issues we’ve grappled with.”
Rowe also praised Coun. Silas White, who was on track to be acclaimed as the new mayor before having to withdraw because of health issues related to a concussion suffered in a cycling accident.
“Councillor White in my view has been meticulous in his preparation for meetings. He’s always been ready to meet with residents to discuss matters, no matter how much time it takes. He demonstrates initiative in his approach to issues, much to my annoyance sometimes,” said Rowe, who added that if the Town is successful in acquiring the old RCMP building on School Road for transitional housing, much of the credit will go to White. “[He] has been instrumental in working with the federal government and BC Housing to make this happen. He really took on this project… Hopefully we’ll see him back here in the future.”
Other councillors also took time to praise White’s work on council.
SanJenko said White was “an extremely giving, prepared councillor and was always there to talk to and ask questions of.”
And Lumley, who sat beside White at council meetings, added that “most of the smart things I said, I heard [first] from Silas, and I got my hand up before him so I got to say them first… No one worked harder, the guy is completely invested in this town.”
