/-Mde Hyde's Departure Ends Close THE INTELLIGENCER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1970 Ties By HARRY MULHALL Staff Reporter City lajnrvriAfnrf'i/vs- ̂ . In tfoe mobile society, home- town departures can be a fairly faceless sitreaim. Occasionally ftere's a glitter of personality in the flow that catches public attention -- like Gerald B. Hyde. Mr. Hyde Khas week con- firmed he was resigning as e% purchasing amd person- nel director to launch a per- pommel departmeant for the Western Ontario musiacipaiity of St. Thomas, As «a city hiaM oM-cial Mir. Hyde 1ms been obscured Jrom mudi pubic 'attewtkxn for Satf L?7 f^ ^^ municipal financing. The inves- SSL*?^ ^"^^Itigation reported the ci ty, "! eS iSos^rr ? *6 Seemingly *»*#*& tor somea ssB2 t̂S^ i - r^-had been -*•**fa de- Lifelong friends and suppor- ters from former days at first sought out the aid of his poli- tical experience in their own campaigns. inquire mto mal^ hM f ^* Mmei he «» »««** ""d6 a sfeam- -a^ w«n ** ma»wd*y| bh> of city hall politics, and, T ,JT?' / t̂11011^ h6'*1 be the last to In lOSft Via frwvl, *«J jt ' •• .j ., ,, "I just can't do it as a city employee, I've put that be- hind me," he says. "But it's darned h/ard to s&y to a friend I can't help you -- I work at city hall now." "The world of politics is be- hind me. I don't intend to revive it either." But his community actfvit-, es aro cfi*T1 -- - - - • " «•-<*»., ^n. **»vj MVH* ^svsubiV't?, diiVi» although he'd be the last to }p_ _;-- y*««u«ny actrvit-/ a<Wt it. the political future Sjjg « »g«4 F o r / «rer of Bridge Street J^ Churd.^eissecreta.y^S- Sales anH AA rn..u be- „ --_ -̂ uimt; woeo bis na&ve community teelf was emerging feuto a new eco- nomic emironmeint. Yet, itfoat emergeoee can be d5rec% Inked to hiss name. Once, 12 years -aigo, Belle- ,• vM& fought to annex land ifirom ifcs towiaslhiip neighbors lor acreage it claimed was vi*ai for expaatSQon. Today, much of Hhat hard- won space had disappeared-- swalowed in unprecedenfted colondziation by industry, com- merce atnd housing. Annexation -- once so bit- terly resenfted -- became a fact through ihe persifstteece of fee 1958-59 city ha! ad- At 1ihe teme, Gerraild Hyde was In Ms eaoiy thMies, one of Hhe youngest mayors in BeMevaHe's hisrtiory. His departure now from the hometown civil service is eroding a record of mumdcipai! contribution -- on school boards, councils a<nd public m.MI tit*-- angrily contested, particuE ^7' * W3S m unha*W by the suburbs -whlS tS -* Clr?umstan^." began at College Street i the ̂ Sidney Street fafft n.iT'S biggest Problem," re calls Mr. Hyde, "was to mab *e people in those areas ft ^ were part of Bellevaie. «* outsiders." Therp w»m ssf~r ̂ «2pSSSî vSS «*^L3^ "•»" t^ ̂ end of his one-year term he again sought the mav °A7/̂ ^asr>PPosedy: most seriously injured longed to GeraW Hyde. His personal qualities, ex- trative abilities, had markec ve^f J 1 re°reation, he has for him in many a local observ SJT" T rf the «tty'4 er s mind as a sure candidate 5S2SS I*0"161* ~ whe^ for senior government. for*hl2* lndul^ng a passioJ Typically, today he shun{ in b"dfe' revealing any conjectures orwhi JZ?™ rf his first acts' a time now past. S-****0* "> the Western The hockey incident he re the L T^ Was te <*eck calls as a "tough period t2L,?vMW>**»r <* bowling go through. But that's Then, after four years out of public office, he again re- turned to the scene -- this time running in an election for the city's utilities com- mission. As always he won -- and repeated the victory two years later. "These two elections made me feel the majority of the people of Belleville had con- fidence in me," he says. Hie elections confirmed a hometown appreciation of the Hyde integrity. It was a qual- ity that showed up in differ- e*rvt- x*r*^«.«-- - A - -fcl959I*<^eda7SS ent circums-ta^r^r' --- rmrfc fuf AI_ . ** Tn 1Qft£ i_ *n iyw> he successfully It's a<lso a family traddftaon. Has farther, Charles Hyde wass a city councMor whose Hhree election caimpadgras produced 18 aide<n»a<nife years. At one time both father amd son sat on the same council. «.»» tuatyva: -- one of the rare occasions when the city's highest office has been held by acclamation. Simultaneously the new and bigger Belleville came into be- i n g -- a city of 30,000. Soon after. Bellev l̂e McFar- lands went to Czechoslovakia anid returned t* hockey champions. sought appointment to the vacant post of city purchas- ing agent. *?6r muc*> time spent in Public service by way of pol- itics he was continuing the record - this time as a pT ke servant. Every politician has relied -- including three children -- move to St. Thom- as where Mr. Hyde takes up his post April 1. Dealing strictly with person- nel is a job he's anticipating, he says. Working with people is fascinating," Mr. Hyde says. He leaves his hometown at a time when it's expanding fas- ter than ever before in its his- tory. Mr. Hyde notes the number of industrialists and other new residents who have been re- cent arrivals. "I'm sure they feel it's a pretty good place to be," he concludes. "Ive always f e l l that way/ horJrm, u Z l r * world*nocke^ champions. mu * veteran and -- desoite hie Then came the day w h e r Public appointment «n.~! Mayor Hyde eaBed a cane* ***** ta^SSn^ S£ of council on the hockey tean ̂ at fclmi^ financing. Shortly after he publicly requested a royal ,*- w^v/im - yuungest mayor in is Belleville's history, a time in i- politics when youthful lead- r- ershaip was still not faslhion- e <aible. y I He pushed a number of ob-| jectives^ notably a sewage '. disposal plant. 1 But topping them all was an- r nexation. Belleville, at the 1 time still had the dimensions a large-size country town, Dooulation 20,000.