Janet Nyhof took a chance when she saw an ad in the paper 34 years ago.
She was working for the Simcoe County District School Board when she saw an opportunity for a contract position as a clerk typist with the City of Orillia.
That temporary gig led to opportunity after opportunity, as Nyhof worked her way up the municipal ladder.
“If I hadn’t started working here, I don’t know where I would have ended up,” she said.
A year after starting at the city, she secured a full-time job as a switchboard operator. Only a few months later, she had a secretary’s position, which she held for five years before becoming executive secretary.
She continued to successfully apply for positions as they became available, all in the clerk’s department: office manager, assistant manager of council services, assistant clerk, acting clerk and, finally, deputy clerk — a position she held since 2009.
“When I got into the assistant (clerk) role, I thought one day I’d want to be deputy, but I never wanted to go beyond deputy,” she said, noting the job of clerk is “a big responsibility and it can be very stressful.”
On Friday, she called it a career as she set out on her next adventure: retirement. She reflected on the past 34 years during an interview with OrilliaMatters.
Nyhof grew up in Severn Township and moved into Orillia in 1986.
“Because I grew up here, you’re closer to the situations. It hits home more. You can relate to some of the issues,” she said.
Opining about them, however, was never an option.
“We’ve learned to not have opinions on matters. You work strictly by procedures and policies. If you lose track of those things, it affects the municipality, the bigger picture,” she said.
It wasn’t always easy for her to bite her tongue, “but you still hold back from it,” she said. “It’s embedded in you.”
Her role as deputy clerk had her preparing meeting agendas, attending council meetings, following up with residents, businesses and organizations about their inquiries to the city, preparing bylaws and typing up minutes from meetings. She also provided advice to council and staff and was the staff support for the accessibility advisory committee.
When she started working for the city, its offices were somewhat scattered. City hall was at the corner of West Street and Coldwater Road. Parks and recreation, as well as council chamber, were inside the Orillia Opera House. In 1997, they all came together in the current building, the Orillia City Centre, at 50 Andrew St. S.
Nyhof said she is proud of the progress the city has made over the years. One success that stands out is Orillia’s trail system. She was on the trails committee as staff support not long after she started working for the city.
“I remember us doing a road trip to Collingwood to look at their trails,” she said. “Now, how great is our trail system?”
Nyhof has worked through 10 elections in the municipality — the first one being in 1985, when Ted Emond, who was re-elected last month to a second term as Ward 1 councillor, was elected mayor.
Elections were always exciting for Nyhof and her colleagues in the clerk’s department.
“I don’t know if any clerk will say they don’t enjoy elections, as much work as they are,” she said. “I’m not saying it’s not stressful and a lot of work, but everybody pulls together.”
She approached her duties with confidence, and she thanked two people, especially, for helping her be able to do that: Ron Ellett, a former deputy clerk Nyhof refers to as her mentor, and Bruce Bayne, former clerk administrator.
“Between (Ellett) and Mr. Bayne, you couldn’t have asked for two nicer people,” she said. “They were gentlemen.”
Working with new faces after each election has kept things interesting. Nyhof and others are responsible for training new councillors and mayors, including educating them on the Municipal Act.
“We’ve always said our position is to make them look good,” she said with a laugh. “It’s exciting. We get to train them to be the most productive and we’re giving them the tools to be successful. We want them to be successful.”
Her final council meeting was Nov. 26. It was an emotional night as council and staff bid farewell to Coun. Jeff Clark, who did not seek re-election, and Coun. Sarah Valiquette-Thompson, who was elected in Severn.
Then, Mayor Steve Clarke read aloud from a certificate he presented to Nyhof that listed her various roles with the city over the years. Nyhof held it together well, remembering the advice she was given from a friend.
“Her advice to me was to take a moment, reflect on where you are, who’s around you and what’s happening, and soak it in. You know you’ll never be in that situation again,” she said.
With no more evening meetings to attend, she looks forward to spending more time with family. Her husband, John, retired and closed Nyhof Automotive in 2017. They will do some travelling in their fifth wheel.
It’s the little things she’s looking forward to, also. A big part of her job was reading, but certainly not for leisure. It’s what many would consider bedtime reading.
“I do not get a chance to read what I want to read. Give me a novel. I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” she said.
