An Open
Mayor Dave Ryan, City of Pickering
My Dear Friends and Neighbours,
Letter to Residents
support,Ihaveservedinthatcapacityfor5consecutiv andover19years.THANKYOU! ServingtheCityofPickeringasyourMayorforthepast19 yearshasbeenoneofthegreatestprivilegesofmylife. But This all began, because my family and I had an emotional as many of you are now aware, I will be stepping down at the investmentinthisplacewecalledhome.Weactively endofthistermofoce. participated in our community and paid attention to and engaged in issues that we felt were important. ThishasbeenoneofthemostdicultdecisionsthatI’veever had to make. Youhavetakenthetimetoreadthismagazine,soyoutooar investedinPickering.Iwanttothankyouandencourageyou Many hours of personal contemplation and discussion with andyourneighbourstobecomeactivelyengagedinthecivic familyandclosefriendshaveledmetotheconclusion that andmoreimportantly,takethetimetovote.Ica discourse after28yearsofservingourcommunity,itistimetofocus overstatetheimportanceofvoting,andIbelievethatwe exclusivelyonmyhealthandmostimportantly,myfamily. a personal obligation to exercise this fundamental democratic right.Eachofusmakesadierenceinthefabricofour Myfirstpoliticaldecisionin19wasequallyasdicult. communityeitherbywhatwedoordon’tdo. Yousee,Ihadneverimaginedenteringpolitics.Atthattime, Iwasactiveinmycommunityandontheboardofourlocal Iwanttomakeaspecialcallouttoourdiversecommunitie community association. When approached by association thoseequity-seekingindividualstobecomeactivelyinv members to run for local Council, I was honoured, but municipalgovernmentbyeitherjoiningamunicipalcommit declined,asAnneandIwerebusyraisingafamilyandwe or running for Council. City Hall needs to better represent the both held jobs we enjoyed. communityitservesandwithyouractiveinvolvement,itc
However,theywereverypersistentintheireorts,and ‘PickeringProud’isnotjustaslogantome.Itembodies increasingly,Ifeltanobligationtoanswerthecalleverything ofcivic thathasenergizedme,motivatedmycommitment duty.WithAnne’ssupport,IagreedtorunforCouncil,but andanchoredmyresolve.Overtheyears,you,myCouncil unfortunatelylostthatfirsttry.However,withthecolleagues, continuedandthewonderfulPickeringstahaveembarke encouragementofthecommunity,Iransuccessfullyin194, anepicjourneythathasseenourhome,ourPickering,evolv andagainin197and20.In203,Iretiredfroma3-year from a suburban town, and a little bedroom community, into an careeratIBMwhenIwasvotedinasMayor.Withyour active,thriving,ambitiouscitylookingtothefuture.
6 | Your City Magazine - Issue 3
