After eight years in Orillia’s highest office, Steve Clarke’s time as mayor is coming to an end.
Clarke opted not to run in this year’s municipal election, and with the newly elected council set to take office on Nov. 21, a few short weeks remain in his time as mayor.
“It's a strange time, make no mistake, going eight years of being so very, very involved in all things Orillia – to transition away from that will be different,” Clarke told OrilliaMatters.
In his work since being elected in 2014, Clarke and his fellow council members have passed a wide array of initiatives and projects.
He lists fulfilling key parts of the city’s Downtown Tomorrow plan, the Hydro One deal, the long-anticipated construction of the Orillia Recreation Centre, and the Climate Action Plan among the numerous accomplishments he’s proud of.
Ahead of any accomplishments in the council chamber, however, Clarke said he is most proud of the relationships he has built, noting it takes a team to run a city.
“The mayor is not an island, the mayor gets one vote,” Clarke said. “It's not a position of power – it's a position of influence, so I’ve just been very fortunate … to have the relationships that I have had for the last eight years.”
He highlighted the support of his fellow council members, the expertise of staff, and input from the public as part of the valuable relationships he’s built over the years.
“My council colleagues brought and bring great value to the council table to any discussion,” he said. “Certainly Gayle Jackson, our CAO, senior staff – my office had to rely on many staff in different departments to respond to the questions or concerns of constituents, so we really relied on a lot of people.
“I think if you're going to accomplish anything, those relationships are absolutely vital, and I've really enjoyed them and will remember those for years.”
There were also challenges over the past eight years – the pandemic not being the least of them – and Clarke said he relied on finding common ground with people to get results.
“To say there weren't times of stress would be wrong,” he said. “That's happened a number of times, but I think when you come into this job you have to understand that you need to be prepared for almost anything.”
“When those situations occur, if it's a situation with other people, you sit down and hammer things out, you come and find some common ground,” he said. “You reach out to our professional staff and others, if necessary, and find out what the best means of resolving something is, and you head in that direction.”
Beyond relying on his colleagues, Clarke also said remaining physically active helped him stay sharp on the job, whether he played a sport or hit the gym.
“I do need that for my physical fitness, but also my mental fitness,” Clarke said. “I did play some university sports, and there's some decent competition that took place there.”
“It's those experiences where you can learn to deal with adversity and turn directions around, and I think that my sports, competitive background, even though it was years ago, certainly gave me some tools to always know that there's a way forward.”
Despite the challenges, Clarke said he looks back happily on his time as mayor.
“It's an eight year period that I’ll have nothing but fond memories of,” he said.
While happy with his decision, Clarke said his family would have supported him if he had chosen to run again.
“They also would have been very supportive if I had run again, (and) they say that they're happy now, but maybe as I spend more time with them their feelings will change,” he joked.
Clarke noted numerous challenges the incoming council will be tasked with, listing the effects of inflation, working on infrastructure, affordable housing, mental health, addictions, and homelessness supports, and more.
He also pointed to climate change, intensification, and responsibly managing the looming boundary expansion as key issues for the incoming council.
“My recommendation to the next council (is) the mantra I've been using for the last year and a half: continuous growth and expansion is untenable,” he said. “It's undoable for a variety reasons, environmental being a prominent one, so we do need to maximize intensification efforts within the city.”
“I also maintain that every single neighbourhood in the city is going to have to do its part for intensification, whether that's a third unit, or a multiplex of some sort on a property.”
Although they will face a number of pressing challenges, Clarke likes the look of mayor-elect Don McIsaac and the incoming council.
“I do wish Don all the best, and the incoming council,” Clarke said. “There appears to be a good mix of new and fresh faces on council that will be balanced with four members of council that were re-elected, so there should be some good continuity.”
And while Clarke will likely keep an eye on local politics, the 63-year-old said it's time to turn his attention elsewhere.
"I plan on spending time back in the family businesses primarily, Brewery Bay Food Company," said Clarke who opened the downtown restaurant in 1993. He said he's also looking forward to spending more time with his family.
"And although I have no firm plans at the moment, after stepping back for a few.months, I will be involved in the community personally and through our businesses," said Clarke.
