Outgoing councillors reminisced about their time on the job during city council’s final meeting of the 2014-18 term on Monday night at Barrie City Hall.
Sitting in on their last meeting (unless they chose to run again, of course) were Ward 1's Bonnie Ainsworth, Ward 2's Rose Romita, Ward 6's Stephen Trotter and Ward 8's Arif Khan, each of whom was presented with a gift by Mayor Jeff Lehman before each councillor shared stories as well as words of advice for the incoming council, which gets to work on Monday, Dec. 3.
First up was Ainsworth, and Lehman said everyone around the council table always knew where she stood on an issue.
“Coming out of the east end like the hurricane of heritage and wearing her heart on her sleeve, this long-serving councillor of common sense needs little introduction,” said Lehman, while inviting Ainsworth to the podium in boxing-ring announcer style.
“Bonnie Ainsworth has been a tireless advocate for the east end of our city, for maintaining its quality of life and for respecting all those traditions that made Barrie what it is," the mayor added.
Lehman called the longtime Ward 1 councillor, who chose not to run in the recent municipal election, “a legendary champion of fixing up roads.”
Fittingly, she was presented with an encased chunk of the old Duckworth Street, which is undergoing a massive, multi-million-dollar reconstruction, as well as a framed design of the new road.
Ainsworth, who became one of the veterans on council with 14 years of combined service and called being a councillor “a sacred trust,” told a funny story about a debate city council had once had regarding diapers being included in local landfill.
“I was busy participating in the discussion and mentioned all candidly that it had been years, and maybe even decades, since I had had any involvement with diapers,” she said. “Coun. (Doug) Shipley leaned over and matter-of-factly pointed out to me it would not likely be long before I would become reacquainted with them.
“And that’s what I’ve had to put up with around here, your worship, when you weren’t watching,” Ainsworth joked.
Ainsworth said she loved every moment of her time on council, “and I don’t want to go, to be honest, but I know it’s time to move over and give others a chance.”
Ainsworth first served during mayor Janice Laking’s final term on council, and also under Jim Perri. She didn’t run for what became the Rob Hamilton and Dave Aspden councils, instead choosing to spend time with her husband in retirement.
But in 2010, she was hungry for politics again “and could not resist throwing my name back in the hat.”
Khan, who also did not seek re-election, first arrived on council with a “big bang” following a 2012 byelection, Lehman said.
“Arif brought his business acumen, blending with a strong sense of city-building to the position of Ward 8 councillor,” said the mayor, who added Kahn was always well received by community representatives and politicians he worked with outside of city hall, such as with Simcoe County, Tourism Barrie and the MacLaren Art Centre.
“Whenever I attend a charity event, there’s somebody I’m always sure will be there and that’s Arif,” Lehman added.
Khan, a two-term councillor, was presented with a boxed microphone.
“He would give you the full answer to something… and then some,” Lehman said. “Arif believes in politics in complete sentences… lots of complete sentences.
"But let me tell you something: we live in an era of politics when complete sentences are hard to come by," the mayor added.
Lehman also noted Khan’s arrival on scene quickly in the aftermath of a devastating late-night fire at an apartment building on Little Avenue in his ward in April 2018.
“Arif didn’t just swing into action, he didn’t just get on his phone, he didn’t just ask for other people to do things, although he did that and he did it awfully well,” Lehman said. “He showed up and he helped to gather donations, to sort donations and to distribute them… He did that to support people who needed help in his ward, because they needed help.”
In addition to the tongue-in-cheek microphone (“because it’s hard to imagine Arif without a microphone,” Lehman said), Khan was also presented with framed engineering drawings of the Big Bay Point/Harvie Road bridge.
“Serving our residents has been one of my single greatest privileges,” Khan said. “It’s been an honour and an experience I’ll always cherish. … We’ve made a positive impact, even though it’s quite likely no one will remember just how these things came to be. But again, what’s truly important is that these things get done.”
Khan had to collect himself a few times during his comments, as he thanked his family and friends “to allow me to pursue this passion… that was all-consuming.
“I’m forever grateful to my loved ones who allowed me to serve for the last six years,” he added. “Immeasurable prices have been paid, but now it’s your turn.”
Khan also extended words of advice to Jim Harris, the new ward councillor who will fill his shoes.
“You’re inheriting an immense task,” he said, “and I hope you embrace it. … Be bolder than we’ve been. … Go after what you believe in, make your mark, persist, but always do so in the spirit of co-operation and collaboration.”
When Lehman set his sights on Romita, he referred to her as “a fixture in the downtown community,” and well known around the city for her generous Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, something she says she plans to continue in the years ahead.
“She supported many of the projects planned and under construction in the core of our city and has been councillor through a time of substantial change,” the mayor said.
Romita, who was presented with a framed aerial photo of Barrie’s downtown, said she enjoyed working with fellow politicians, city staff and residents.
“I want to thank everyone for putting up with me,” she said. “I know we had our differences, but we were very professional at it and we all agreed to disagree; we continued on doing what we could for the best of our city.”
Romita, who was defeated in the recent municipal election, closed out her comments with “you haven’t seen the last of me yet.”
Trotter, a five-term councillor who came out of retirement to serve on council after Michael Prowse was hired as the City of Barrie’s CAO, had an “encyclopedia-like knowledge” of municipal matters, said Lehman.
Trotter, who was presented with a historic framed map of Barrie, was emotional in his farewell, calling it an “honour” to work on city council and “to come full circle after almost 25 years.”
Trotter also had a message to incoming councillors.
“This isn’t about politics, this isn’t Queen’s Park,” he said, adding “this job is about community. This job is about looking to the future.”
Not in attendance Monday night, but whose terms have also came to a close, were Ward 5’s Peter Silveira and Ward 7’s Andrew Prince, both of whom were defeated in the recent municipal election.
The next term of council begins on Monday, Dec. 3.
