She’s hoping her successor will carry on the fight for the things that make Delta an incredible place to live, work and play.
Speaking on behalf of the city as mayor for the final time at a Delta Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting, Lois Jackson on Wednesday reflected on the many changes the municipality has gone through since she was first elected to council in 1973, and having served as mayor for almost 20 years.
The longtime civic politician, who’s not seeking re-election as mayor this fall, talked about the rapid growth during the 60’s and 70’s, the province’s profound introduction of the Agricultural Land Reserve which, in the long-term, helped maintain much of Delta’s important farmlands, traffic impacts from port expansion and the challenges Delta still faces, including the lobby effort for the now stalled George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project. She also proudly reflected on many of the initiatives undertaken to improve Delta’s livability as well as assisting businesses, all the while working towards eliminating the municipal debt.
“I hope my successor sees the value of continuing to protect and preserve the agricultural roots that have been planted here and pushes back against land speculators…. I hope my successor builds upon Delta’s Climate Change Initiative by challenging staff and the community to find more ways to mitigate our environmental impact,” she told chamber members at the Delta Town & Country Inn.
“I never envisioned that the Delta Shake and Shingle landfill site could be transformed into such productive industrial land. I hope my successor spurs others to consider developments in the area….My vision also included the replacement of the George Massey Tunnel. Although this project sits at a standstill, I don’t think the battle is over. When you look back in time, as far back as William Ladner, you will see that this is a fight that has been passed on and on, reeve after reeve and mayor after mayor. So I look to my successor to continue to fight, as we all have, for an upgraded crossing over the Fraser River.”
Jackson said each reeve and mayor before her left a legacy and, when she reflects on what her legacy will be, she hopes Delta residents and business owners know that she did her utmost to uphold Delta’s motto “Ours to Preserve By Hand in Heart.”
“I want people to remember me as someone who always looked out for their community – someone who would raise their voice even when others wouldn’t, and someone who would fight to keep this community connected even as urban sprawl occurred around them,” she said.
Jackson also said, “I have often referred to Delta as small-town living with big city problems. We keep trying to protect what we have here in Delta but are continually facing external pressures to grow, expand and become something bigger.”
Jackson also pointed out the outstanding work of senior city staff over the years including former CAO George Harvie, who’s currently on vacation leave until his official retirement in May, a man whom she described as “a wonderful force” for the city.
Also in the audience were councillors Sylvia Bishop, who recently announced her mayoralty bid in this October’s municipal election, and Robert Campbell, a former longtime Jackson ally who’s running on Bishop’s ticket.
