Ed Crewson: “The time of my life” : Shelburne Free Press : https://shelburnefreepress.ca

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Ed Crewson: “The time of my life”

“Like a good book that you never want to finish, but you cannot put down”
– Mayor Ed Crewson on his last night at council
Ed Crewson sat down in the Mayor's chair for the last time Monday night, after serving the Town of Shelburne on Council for 26 years, 17 of them from that chair. On County Council for 22 years, two terms as Warden, and Chair of every County committee except for the Roads, he had done it all. This included winning the hearts of Shelburne and proving to be the mayor who could not be beat at election time. Consequently, on September 10th, Ed Crewson withdrew his candidacy from the October 27th Municipal Election, saying, “There are good people waiting to take over…it is time to pass the torch.”
Mayor Elect Ken Bennington bid the Mayor a fond farewell from Council Monday night:
“For the past 25 years, Mayor Ed Crewson has been a champion for the Town of
Shelburne. Whether it was million dollar projects or crowning tournament champs on the little league soccer field, his aim was true, to make Shelburne the ‘Best small Town in Ontario'.
On behalf of the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Shelburne, and all its residents, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Ed Crewson and his family, for his years of undying dedication to the Town of Shelburne. We wish you well in your future endeavours, as you turn the page into a new chapter.”
John Telfer the CAO for the Town of Shelburne expressed best wishes on behalf of the staff:
“Mayor Crewson has served the community faithfully and with the utmost respect for the people he represented for over 25 years. Whether it was the role of Councillor, Reeve or Mayor, he did it with the best interests for the community in mind. As the Mayor for 17 years, this acknowledges his love and passion for local politics and to serve and be a part of Shelburne's bright future.
On behalf of Town staff in all departments, we wish Mr. Crewson and his family all the best in the future, and it was a pleasure to work with him over the years. He will be truly missed at Town Hall.”
Mayor Crewson and all in the chambers shared a ballad The Time of My Life accompanied by Josh Stringer on guitar, as he addressed his staff, Council and Town:
“Like a good book that you never want to finish, but you cannot put down, this last meeting of Shelburne Council that I will chair as Mayor, has filled me with conflicting emotions.
I am in this hall that, was, when I started 26 years ago, deemed unsafe for us to stand in and I think of all the changes that have been wrought by the councils of which I have been a part.
I have been so blessed to serve the people of Shelburne, in this place, with councillors and staff members, whom I have trusted and respected, knowing that we have served the people, with honour and integrity,
We have not done it for the money or the joy; we have done it because it was the right thing to do, as Randy always says, because we have shared the same values, the same hopes and dreams for this small place, that is the best place in the world.
My meager words cannot begin to adequately pay tribute to the effort and sacrifices you have made to make this town the best place in the world; but know that you all, councillors and staff, have my respect and appreciation for all that you have done.
The crises we have faced and overcome together; the funding challenges, the water and sewer challenges, the challenges of medical services shortages, the roads and weather challenges, and those that we still struggle with, such as economic development and recreation, are all challenges that together we have tackled and have struggled to overcome.
The work is not finished, it never will be finished, but together we have tackled them and I advise you to continue tackling these challenges as a team, as a community because together we are stronger and together you should work to overcome whatever you face in the future.
The people of Shelburne have entrusted you with leading the management of our town and I know you, Ken and Geoff, Randy and Tom and Walter, will all work together with the new members of council to continue the practices that we have made the rule here for the past 17 years.
My friend Bill Hill told me that a municipality is like your children, you invest in them your time and your effort, nurturing them to achieve their potential and that is how I have approached the business of the Town of Shelburne.
Council has to listen to the people, but it has to work together to convince the people that your vision is something achievable and desirable.
The biggest decision I think I ever made was to invest in the services that brought KTH to Shelburne; yes, it was $300,000 to provide the services to the property line, but that investment has brought the hope of economic opportunities to our town and the rewards have been exponentially greater than our initial investment.
Bringing KTH to Shelburne has provided this community with an economic anchor to move forward with everything else that has happened in Shelburne; the new industrial and commercial enterprises, the new houses and new doctors have come about because we had the confidence in each other to invest in the future of our town.
Meeting here most Monday nights has provided the people of Shelburne with the transparency that enables people to see what we are doing and to be a part of building this community into a place where we all have a part; where we all feel at home.
It has been my privilege to have played a leading role in shaping this place; my home that is nearest and dearest to my heart.
We have shared this time and this place, we have been changed by what we have done and we, together, as its architects, have changed this place we call home.
If I have done nothing else, I hope I have instilled in our people a sense of pride in who we are and what we have done and can do together.
This building and what we do here is important and should never be minimized or marginalized, because we serve the people, keeping them safe from harm, listening to their concerns and solving their problems.
I thank the people who have put their faith in me for 26 years and I thank you for believing in what we have done and continue to do here, together.
These past 26 years have, indeed, been the time of my life.”
The following motion was moved by Ken Bennington, seconded by Geoff Dunlop, and carried unanimously:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Shelburne distinguishes tonight as a very important historical Council event for the Town record, in the life of one man, his family and on behalf of all citizens in the Town of Shelburne;
AND FURTHER THAT the current Council of the Town of Shelburne acknowledges the current Mayor's role in the conduct of the business of this municipality for over 25 years;
AND FURTHER THAT we extend our mutual gratitude and best wishes to Mayor Crewson for the many years of dedicated service to both his citizens and his fellow Council members, as well as the Town employees that he has overseen during his tenure;
NOW THEREFORE being the last official Council meeting of his term, we wish all the best for Mayor Crewson and his family, as he moves forward into a new venture with all the admiration of his fellow colleagues and staff members that have served with him over the past 25 years.

By Marni Walsh

Post date: 2014-11-26 17:26:02
Post date GMT: 2014-11-26 22:26:02
Post modified date: 2014-12-03 13:15:45
Post modified date GMT: 2014-12-03 18:15:45