To the Editor,
This election, we have six people running for the position of mayor, six people who have a vision on what direction we should follow for the future. There is no question about it, whom ever is voted in will have their hands full.
I was thinking back to the past the other day, which I do quite often, now that I’m in my golden years. I happened to remember a mayor whom I got to know reasonably well over a period of time, his name was Peter Lester. Pete was the mayor of Prince Rupert, the second longest reigning mayor in Canada’s history, serving for 35 years. He was a great mayor, a peoples’ mayor, always willing to listen, treating his constituents as friends and had a open door policy next to none.
You could almost guarantee that Pete would be on the street in downtown Prince Rupert every Saturday afternoon, visiting all the local business, talking to people on the street and giving a hello to anyone who made eye contact. He did get a lot things done to benefit Prince Rupert, when the economy was at its high point and also worked hard when it struggled at its low point.
In his time as mayor he faced a lot of difficulties much similar to what the Alberni Valley is presently facing. Prince Rupert is now starting to make its way back, after facing some very tough times over the years.
In this upcoming election it is important that we select a mayor who has the qualities which Mayor Lester exemplified in his 35 years of leadership. Those being strong leadership and team building skills, supporting local business, being visible to the general public, a great salesperson with an open door policy, and most important, no back room politics.
It takes the right kind of person to fill those shoes, hopefully we as voters will make the right decision on election day. Our next four years could well be a turning point in Port Alberni’s future; all that will depend on the direction we decide to follow.
A. Thompson,
Port Alberni