There’s been no shortage of stories to write about these past four years.
Under the leadership of Trail Mayor Mike Martin and six councillors – Kevin Jolly, Lisa Pasin, Carol Dobie, Eleanor Gattafoni Robinson, Robert Cacchioni, and Sandy Santori – it’s been a wild and successful ride with plenty of ups and downs.
A new bridge that only came together in the eleventh hour; development of the Trail airport with modern comforts and its first wait-friendly terminal; the melding of a new library and the city’s first museum into the Riverfront Centre, a vibrant community hub; and most recent is the impressive skate park overlooking the shores of the Columbia River – all these prodigious accomplishments finished in four short years.
It’s important to point out that these projects were in the books for years and involved many hands over time. But the sheer volume of work and determination of council to successfully complete these large-scale jobs in one term, was no walk in the park.
This work was in addition to council wading through other significant upgrades that are less visible, such as the overhaul of water treatment to include Ultra Violet disinfection; the new regional interceptor and city utility lines installed on the Skywalk; and the $1.3 million arena roof replacement currently underway.
With Mayor Martin deciding not to seek re-election, Mayor-elect Lisa Pasin will be sworn in Nov. 5, the Trail Times asked the one-term elected official to reflect on his civic service that began in November 2015.
Trail Times: What will you miss the most?
Mayor Mike Martin: “In just a few days, my four-year term as mayor comes to an end and there are many aspects of the role that I am going to miss. There will be no more thinking about what the issues and challenges of the day might be, and of the goals ahead. There is comfort in the day-to-day routines of the office, the sense of purpose, responsibility and accomplishment, the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles, of achieving goals, of adjusting to problems and the unexpected.
“I know I shall miss all of that. But above all, I will miss the people that I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with in such a positive way along the path of the last four years. Then there is the almost daily assessment of performance with feedback from multiple constituents in many different forms and locations whether it is on the sidewalk or at the grocery store. This feedback was real and timely and all important to keep focused and working on the right things.”
TT: What was your greatest experience in your role as mayor?
MM: “Probably the greatest experience was finding ways to pull together many partners to advance significant projects on behalf of the community. These partners included a wide and diverse range of individuals each with their own interests and goals and yet still being able to recognize there were many opportunities of mutual interest. It was achieving a personal connection with regional, provincial, federal representatives along with many in the private sector that often made the difference in finding a common approach to advance the interests of our community through the support and assistance of others.
“Without these connections, the support of council, and the strong and dedicated staff at City Hall , it would not have been possible to advance five significant projects – the Victoria Street Bridge Lighting, the Columbia River Skywalk, the Riverfront Centre, the upgrades to the Trail Regional Airport with a new Terminal Building and rehabilitated runway and most recently the completion of the skate park.
“Then we had the pleasure, quite unexpectedly, of welcoming Rich and Annie Murphy when they came into our community looking to purchase a hockey team. What a difference this has made in bringing new participation and interest in support of our youth as they develop into future leaders. A hockey game night brings a special excitement into the community that has not been seen for many years. When did we last see traffic jams in downtown Trail! All of this has contributed to a new confidence in our community that is attracting further private investment in working towards the revitalization goals.”
TT: What was the most unexpected lesson?
MM: “I quickly realized that being the mayor was not unlike my previous job in that I was on call and needed to be available 24/7. However there were not too many night time calls but I needed to be accessible to the community. I received many invitations to participate in various community events and each of these were very special to me.
“I realized just how important it was to set aside any personal plans to take advantage of these opportunities. I learned that not everyone was going to agree with what we were doing and this was tough feedback but it always provided for a good reality check. However, the overall support was so overwhelming that this gave me the confidence that we were in fact heading in the right direction and could direct all our energy and attention to fulfilling the mandate we had been provided.”
TT: Any closing comments?
MM: “It has been a privilege and honor to serve as the Mayor of Trail. We started our term with a very aggressive strategic plan and now looking at what we accomplished, I believe we can say that we achieved most of what we set out to do. Some of what we were not able to accomplish, and there was not much, was not for lack of trying but certainly in most cases was largely not under our full control.
“I will look back at my time on council with much fondness and taking considerable pride and satisfaction in what was accomplished. Through the collective effort and contributions of many, we were able to steer the community in a new direction. There is a very exciting future ahead that will continue to enhance the growth, vitality and pride in the community.
“Leaving the mayor’s office comes with a turmoil of emotions: regret, satisfaction, relief, excitement, and a little apprehension. Regrets that there are always some things that don’t work out according to plan, and there is a lingering disappointment that I didn’t get everything done. But then there is some comfort in that no one ever does. There is always more to be done. I can only pass the torch and hope it burns brightly enough to light the path for those who follow.
“I wish Mayor Elect Lisa Pasin and the new Council much success during their term of office.”
