Editor:
Re: Mayors — Alderwoman — Alderman
I would like to make my personal observation of all the mayors that I have known. My father came to Ladysmith in 1910. I have been a resident here for over 75 years.
Some mayors have had long terms, some shorter. I read in the paper before Rob Hutchins’s terms, the town was garbage. I take exception to this statement. My reasons:
In regards to mayors:
1. Len Ryan — fiscal restraint. He worked hard in tough times.
2. Kay Grouhel — She headed up the purchase of the beach (waterfront property), had Nanaimo Vocational School class come down, level and clean up the property at the beach, at no expense to us. Lobbied the provincial government for the Holland Creek Bridge. Purchased a large piece of property in the Holland Creek area for the Town for development — parks, housing, etc.
3. Frank Jameson — worked tirelessly for the Town. Sportsplex. Improvement to the Company Dam for more water storage.
4. Bob Stuart — He worked hard for the Town. Bob was killed back east when he was hit by a car when he was on Town business. Knowing Bob personally, had he lived, he would have done a lot for the Town.
5. Alex Stuart (son of Bob) — He did a great job for Ladysmith. He lobbied hard for an Expo legacy grant and got $500,000 for the Town. This was used for the train station upgrades, waterfront and other things.
6. Rollie Rose, whom I did not know that well — I know that he did a great job for the Town for several years.
In closing, I totally agree with Rob Johnson on his Take 5 opinions, the need for an RV park. The wages for top salaries at City Hall and my own taxes have gone up substantially in the past couple of years. I phoned the tax people in Nanaimo. They said the Town puts in the figures.
Good luck to the new mayor, whom I do not know personally. Be your own person. The waterfront belongs to all of us citizens.
As Rob Johnson says, “that’s the way I see it.”
Frank Crucil Sr.
Ladysmith