Back to SearchCongratulations to Mayor-elect Ann Lawlor. I would like to congratulate all the candidates who were successful. To those unsuccessful candidates I say thank you for putting your names forward.
After 19 years on the job as Mayor and 21 years as a Councillor, this is my last Mayor’s column.
Where did the 40 years go? I can honestly tell you there was never a dull moment, especially being Mayor. Right from the get-go and only a few months in office I had to deal with the hospital crisis in May 2004. The board decided to close obstetrics and pediatrics. After holding rallies and issuing press releases, we took our fight to Queen’s Park.
It was an exciting six weeks only to hear Health Minister George Smitherman say he will override the board and keep these vital services open. Today we have a vibrant hospital, but we are now in need of a new one.
In 2009, Halton Hills was put on the international map when the USA brought in “Buy American”. They were banning all products made in Canada on government infrastructure projects. I brought a resolution to council stating Halton Hills will not buy off any country that discriminates against Canada. Wow! I had no idea that this went over the wires, national papers, the British Guardian, NY Times, etc. This got right up to the Prime Minister’s office. Our position was “free trade had to be fair trade”. It was interesting times. My motto after every interview was “It’s time to show Canadian backbone and not Canadian back bacon”. In the end the potential trade war was resolved.
The residents of Halton Hills always elected a great council that I could work with. During my time as Mayor, we built three ice pads, two fire halls, two libraries, the Helson Gallery, a Public Works Operations Centre, three destination skateboard parks and 27.5 kms of trails. We also reduced rural gravel roads from 95 kms to only 10 kms today.
Two epic events I will never forget during my time as Mayor was the 2013 ice storm and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic. Very challenging times.
I am truly humbled that the people of Halton Hills have chosen me as your Mayor over the years. A sincere thanks to all of you.
I’m Rick Bonnette and I’m Keeping it Real.
Subscribe to NewsBrowser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.