I wanted to thank you.
You know who you are. You’re a volunteer in your community, at your church, or community league. You quietly help out the senior next door, or donate to local sports, arts or social endeavours.
Maybe you own a business in the ward, or shop loyally at local business. Or you’re a patron of local arts venues, or support one of the countless city-wide or neighbourhood-led festivals.
Perhaps you’re a cop, firefighter or civil servant, who answered one of my questions this past year, silly or not.
Maybe you are a citizen who contacted our Ward 6 councillor office this past year, with a question, concern or complaint. Often, we were able to help you.
But it’s possible you weren’t happy with the answer, or upset with the way your councillor voted on an issue.
I still want to thank you for engaging with us and giving me a chance to explain my point of view. I do my best to weigh community values, concerns and aspirations alongside the best expert evidence, before making my vote.
But we all see the world with different eyes. We all define priorities differently and balance them differently.
Council just finished budget. The process was taxing – pun intended – and came at a time when community invitations came in hot and heavy to attend a thousand events it seemed.
I made very few of those events. Nor did I write proper thank you cards or call all the people who deserve thanks.
Included in that group are my council colleagues. I won’t go through each individually, but I do want to say that I learned from each one and was inspired by Mayor Don Iveson’s forward-looking, ethical leadership.
Thank you to you, too. Each one of you. I wish for you a break filled with friends, family and nourishing rest.
Be well.
By Scott McKeen, City Councillor Ward 6