Both former Mayor Wilfried Vicktor and former Councillor Gerry Dyble told the Hope Standard they were happy to get their evenings and their regular lives back after stepping out of the limelight of local politics.
The two former district politicians were honoured for their service at a Nov. 26 council meeting, as was the Hope Lions Club who are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.
“My first term as a councillor, Wilfried was my mayor. He was very patient and he told me ‘municipal government works very slowly. You need to be patient, you need to be persistent, but eventually things will move forward.’ And I’ve always appreciated that,” Robb said.
Vicktor said he was relieved to see the new Mayor and council moving forward on priorities including the Richmond hill pathway and infrastructure. He also hinted at another run for office in 2022.
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“I’m only 47, I haven’t thrown my lawn signs away,” Vicktor quipped to laughs from the audience. “I’m not surprised you said that,” Robb responded.
“She came prepared and asked tough questions,” Robb said of Dyble, who sat with Robb during his last term as a councillor. Robb said he appreciated her preparation, how she was not afraid to ask the difficult questions and how she encouraged council to consider vulnerable community members.
“You always asked us, ‘How will this decision affect the vulnerable in our community?’ And that’s another question we all need to remember when we’re at this table,” Robb said.
Dyble said she was enjoying her post-council life, adding she is going to Cancun in a week, eliciting laughs from the crowd. “And you won’t be offended if we leave (the meeting)?” she joked.
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Sara Burleigh, president of the Hope Lions Club, accepted a recognition plaque for the club’s 75th anniversary.
“It’s always been there, it’s always been at all the events. Setting up, tearing down, running concession stands and a lot of it behind the scenes. They just do their thing,” Robb said, adding he’s glad to see the club has ‘ramped up’ their profile in the community over the past few years.
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Robb also recognized the significance of a female president for the first time in the club’s history, to claps and cheers from the audience.
Former Councillor Donna Kropp could not attend the meeting, she was also recognized by the mayor.
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