Longtime city councillors say goodbye at final council meeting before next term begins

Jeff Leeper is packing up his office at City Hall. There's a lot that piles up after 12 years on council. You get a lot of mugs and a lot of t-shirts in this job. And a lot of friendships too. Today was his last council meeting after an unsuccessful run for mayor, a chance to say goodbye to his colleagues. You're all here for the same reason I was, because you love your community and you want to make it better. We've disagreed sometimes, but we have never been enemies. Two-term councillor Glenn Gower had a lot of thank yous, for his staff, for his neighbours, and for his family. Public service and being an elected official is not something you do alone, and even if families might prefer to stay on the sidelines, they do end up absorbing those late nights and the public scrutiny and the interruptions and the stress. Elected officials, we get the spotlight. Sometimes our families get the shade. Gower came to terms with giving up his council seat a long time ago. He says it's time for new perspectives around the council table. When I first ran, I made a promise that I would only serve two terms. And I have no regrets about that. Overall, I've really enjoyed this experience, but I still feel it's really important that we have an opportunity for new voices, fresh ideas, different experiences around the council table. I'm really excited for the three new women who are joining council. Alan Hubley is one of the longest serving councillors. He was defeated in last month's election. Now, he's leaving after 16 years. I never saw myself as a politician. I was a community advocate that came here to help my residents and I delivered. I was sent here with integrity and compassion for others and I leave here with both still intact. Each councillor got a picture of something meaningful from their ward, a park, a main street, a field house. They reflected on all that's happened during their tenures, the highs and the lows. The disastrous opening of LRT Line 1 and then COVID-19, the convoy, Boy, derecho, tornadoes. It was biblical. And then there was the day that Murphy the Snake got loose. There's no one assigned to finding loose boa constrictors, so guess whose job it is. Leeper says that's what's so rewarding about being a city councillor. Someone residents turn to for help. It's taken him to some strange and beautiful places. I've judged a lot of pies. I've written and I've performed with Lucky Ron a song about a hydropole. I've been dunked in a lot of tanks. I've broken into construction sites. I've scattered the ashes of beloved residents where ashes are not allowed to be scattered. Yep, I've gone looking for a five-foot snake in this job. I didn't expect to do that. I would do it all over again. But now, it's time for a rest. Natalie, I'll be home for dinner. I love you. Arthur White-Crummey, CBC News, Ottawa.