Outgoing Sudbury city councillors say goodbye at final meeting

With Greater Sudbury's new crop of city councillors set to be sworn in next week, the outgoing council held it's final meeting Tuesday night — with several goodbyes and words of thanks to start off the meeting.

The next council will look much the same as the current one, with nine out of 11 councillors re-elected. Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo did not run again, and councillors Robert Kirwan and Geoff McCausland were defeated. Mayor Brian Bigger dropped out part way through the race.

There were no farewell words from the mayor at Tuesday night's council meeting. He was absent, as was Kirwan. 

McCausland and Jakubo, however, shared words of thanks and said goodbye to their council colleagues, staff and the public. 

Jakubo encouraged the incoming council to continue to make decisions "through the lens for the future," thinking not just about the impact of their decisions in the short term but in 50 or 100 years as well. He said the goal for the city must be "sustainability and growth." 

Jakubo congratulated those who were successful in the election. He added that while he respects the results, he is "truly sad that we will not have a forward looking voice like councillor McCausland's around the table."

'Cheering from the sidelines'

McCausland shared two key lessons he learned during his term on council: that the role of councillor is "way more important" than he ever imagined, and that the city is also "much better run" than he ever imagined. 

He thanked city staff, as well as members of the public, business leaders, and his fellow councillors. 

"We didn't always agree, but we got far more done than most will ever believe," McCausland said, adding that it was a particularly challenging term for council.

"We signed up for pools, potholes and playgrounds, and instead navigated a pandemic."

Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, councillor for Ward 12, highlighted some of those achievements. She listed off projects championed by her colleagues around the table — from a therapeutic leisure pool to the Capreol waterfront park to transitional housing. 

"Everyone has done some fantastic work," Landry-Altmann said, and "it's council as a whole that supported each other."

McCausland said he will be "cheering from the sidelines," and continuing to find ways to be involved in the community. 

Councillors heard several staff reports during Tuesday's meeting, but a number of items were deferred to the next council meeting, when the new council will be in place.