Durham Region Newspapers banner

Whitby Free Press, 27 Nov 1991, p. 12

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

MN ff. 091 By MIke Kowalskl Neit Monday night a new ea bogins iii Whitb0,'.hietry After il yare, in ofieO, Bob Atterslillnolonger h maor Attersley wifl hand *over te reins of wr oveteran counciflor 4=.rEdwards., the. vitr ini this MoIntsmyoo oloction. But whether this will alsoý .mark 'the.end-of hi. political career, Attersley is fl-ot saying (5se'poate story). Firit'elected'to Town< COUin. binessman64, 'the- 5-many.ld people .searlior or biy, decidingnot ta .e.k re-election. Even though h., had flled tiie nec.ssar documents in Jonuary onabling hum ta, accept Campa*g donations, Attersley ultimtel ruled out anotiier bid for tii.job b. has held since 1980. A desire .,ta .roturn Wto t. da-o-a uning of bis varions businessinteresta was .the, primary reason for bis docisioný, Attersley said during, an: interview with'he Fr.. 'Press. Also, ofter occompishing the. threo major goals he set for himself 1yeas'ooAttersiay,., feit tiie timneyhad come for a new face in the. mayor's office. Aclaimed as mayor in 1980,-' Atterle~y targetted three specific areas o "the.town-whicii ho feit required attention. These were: -tii. former Firostanee plant which was owned by Generol Motor at the time; "t bothered me that tiiere was a 477?,000-sq. ft.building sitting tiiore empty." -the former Cartier-MeNamara prprty in Port WbItby; It did notbing fr th. lokefront." -the foundation for a motel (long since obondoned) on Thickson Road and Consumera Drive; It, sat tiiore for six yearswaiting for something tea ho don.." Now, dlaims Attersley, tiiese are no longer probloms. He said "60 er.cent" of the Firostoneplant "L been gutted ond redeveloped." The Cartier-McNamara1 property will soon ho the home ofi Coscan Development Corp.'s proposed residential complex for tiie waterfr-ont, while thei. Thickson-Consumers site basi been developed by on. of Attersley's own commercial interests. "If's takon me a long ime but ilyoslater l'y. completed what problem areas tiiere were for me,su'd ttrsley. lnovdin three ifeeà compan*es emlyng about 150, people Attesey :said Optii O bis businesses hW tu ho entrusted to, others -because of the demonds of being Mayor. "I approciate allowed me. the time toasit in the, office of. Mayor, now r'd like ta get bock in and give tiiem a bond." Atterslçy said _h. ýwàas in- àa position wh heiicould compani.. to z S "Who con give up tbree yoars land then step bock in (ta their .previous job)? l'y. given Up il." Attersley said Most people do not IN ONE of hi fully appreciate mayor, Bob tiie sacrifices a Anthony Lau, person must on Saturday. make in haud, waltlng politics. Fifteen-bour day. wero not uncommhon and often weokends wero spent on municipal business as woll, said Attorsley. "Thi is not a port-time job, it's fuIl-time and that makes it difficult for a lot of~ people who could do tii. job. 'Thon tiiey con ho voted out in threo years and have ta look for a new job." StilI, despite tii. demanda a political careor places on an. individual, Attérsedy hmu "no regrets" about the pat il years. .Lookig back on, bis term as Mayor, Attersey i. espocially Je' last cominunity appearance ý Attêroley Joined WhltbyI Ig (left) to wetcome Sauta CIaul -A large crowd of eager cklldi g to give Sauta thefr Christmas Photo byMavh Rteenor, W proud of the way Whitby has grown as a municipality. Growth ho attributes to an oggressivo compaign launchod at "putting Whitby on the map." With the. help of Jeanette Babington, Wlitby's marketing and oconomic development officer, and bis executive assitant Verna Roberts, Attersley dovised a "game plan" to odvortise Whitby acroas the world. IWhitby may hogrowingtofa. 'Though thie two-of them-nrd "Youý don't'put a fence around 9witii- thé. supp o0f (Whitbyr a community. rm happy that administrtormIi wallac% e, . O1 1chaos, tis coenmuzity ta promoted theé v. i. ton."From . a communitij' * "We went standit w. ar te ienvyqf the aftor -the (Durbam) Rgoi urtopean .-:nd Attersey defendà the. apaneae development polîilosetfcoun cils arkets during thé past décade. -. auge we.t Wonted taIregoadess...an M~8 when I' took aiversify over the. official plan was olr.ady nhtb in, 1hadnoinut inte-jt the havetary on mayor and counen Oftheda1 (Mid one cmpay." '70. put in ti.officii pan. AtteMofficiai plan is a document ~$' expandthat whiciisoâpuùWteï' speciflc boand w!le tel have uses in a municipait.y.), înotbingagnt "I worked within tth. officiai' M, din' plan and I think l'y. taken for to t want Whitby in much criticismà ... coundil didn't tei. position .0,f drag pol I ta ,Wbitby, t one. industry want dolve ber.." Attersley domintingit." said that if Whitby renidents are. Acrdng to 'not pl.ased with thei. wayý th ef1r Atterle this community is growin, tiiey, now .. ap p h mhashave an -opportunity_- ta _help paid dividende shape the. townIs futur.,",. thei Wlhy is inthie procss of municipality updating the current officiai la 'boiiin anàd 'public meetings have ben attracting beld on a regular basis for almoot development twýo years. o nd global "We're gomjg tbrougii. our recogition. official plan ï-eview. and 'yet we "I uropehave ime.ting hrôl oro and the Pa&c fcfiveë people'show" p. im, poeople -"ýtNo1ws :,tii. time -ta do know wiioro somothing,, not ýwait,15 years and Whitbyi.. A thon complain." montii ago As ho awaits noit Monday's while in meeting of the. now council, Ottawa, I'mot Attersley i. ,kopt bnsywii ombassdorsofpaperwork. of ý"%éWsSUU-documnents,,tà b. Korea aMd sgndth doeon't .ciang."Il,ntil ,e a hY Japon, they ho (Edwards) ta'kest. oath of Mail ow ner knew a lot of fice." e to the mail about Whitby." A±tersley said the offly advioe Iren were on Attersloy ho bas passedl on ta bis successor sa wlsh liste, said, "tit's hard is not ta "underestimate", the Vhtby r.. p»M to put words ta demandla 0f the positiopn.uiAs wise it" after iioaring as I thought 1 was, I représentatives underestimated tii. demanda of of otiior countries taik knowingly the. job.ý' about your tawn. "Mie responsibility of the total I juat think our marketing community -fous ,on. the. maror's departinent bas don.- a super should.rs, I u nder.stimated it." job. Attersley said h. hopesthati However, witii rapid growtii Edwards"vwill ho -ahie ta ezoy the cornes on influx of people benefita, of 'a supportve council as penhaps at a foster rate thon a ho always did. municipality con reasonably b. "I hadgroat,'councils ta work oxpected to bondle. witb, I was fortunate ta have But Attersley i. quick ta dismias ony suggestion that SEE PAGE 17 Local figures remember Mayor Bo By Mike Kowalski -Bob Attersbley was a no-non- sens. mayor who worked day and nigbt promotingWVhitby. That is the consensus of a Pro. Pros survey of local officiais on tiie ove of Attersloy"s doparture from the, Whitby mayor's chair. After il years ini tho' job, Whitby's bongest-sorving mayor beaves office next Mon day and vetoron councillor Tom Edfwards will ho sworn in as the town's 44tii mayor. According to Edwards, Attors- loy'. major accomphshmeuit was making Whitby mnternationally known. "'No mayor prior to Mayor -Attersley promulgated the exis- tence of the Town of Whitby," said Edwards. «I took offonce when ho triod to make it a bousebold namo acrosa the, world ond thon triod Wo make Whitby a city,» Edwards admit- ted. '«But wiien b. found out most People didn't want tiiat (chang- tact)ho dropped it." 1. .Ioev~ Edwards conceded tha t Atrsley's .aggressive aLpproaciin promotig Witby, ha p aid off. BîIîboýard campaigns in Frank- fort, Germany and Tokyo, Japan, resulted in companios basod in tiiose countries invosting in Whtby, said Edwards. «Tero'.s no question in mny mind that was his major accomplishinent." But for Edwards, it was Atterles «uncanny ability» to load a écohsivo" council that ho will remembor. "It was no accident that altiiougi tiiore woro two or tiiroo mjrdisputes and friction dove- boed council ultimately workod in a cobesivo fashion,» said Edwards. Edwards said Whitby council- lors were envied by thoir coun- terparta across Durham uRogi4on for their abilitjr W work togothor: <l'ho wayw sd up an issue, discussod it, voted on it 'and thon movod on to tho noxt ono.» Edwarde isaid'Attersley iiad tW contend witii individuals witii sizoable egos of thoir own, but ultimately the. Wwn was what mattered. 1 "Ho leavés a large pair of su. or-aynot,.fi," Edwards added. Durham Region chairman Gary Horrerna said ho probably had a closer relationship withZ Attersley than any other area neat, cdean and. tidy" H=ema. said this was due to the proximnity of thoir offices and their days together on the. old Ontario county council. "He's stroightforword- and has the ability to make decisions,» said Herroma. "'Bob was always ini high gear and was a tough taskmaster. Ho keteeyhd neat, dlean and 1hbyChamber of Commerce president Bob Stanley descrlbed Attersley sas .a «driying. force, la, Wbitby'ewhos. beadersliiipwill ho mîssod. <'As presidont of tiie chamber wiienevor thoro was somethingiÏ foît h. should know I nover besitated cafling him,» said Stan- loy. "Ho had a pood relationship witi tii. business community and bas ta hoe givon a lot of credit for londing tiie companies that came Wo Whitby - Atlantic Pack- aging, McGraw-Hill. "lie don. an oxcellent job and I will ho sad W oomhlm go." In addition t hisemnicial duties, Attorsioy ha beenpa membeQr of Durham Rogion's plice services board (formerly tepolice commission) since 1980 and its chairman since 1983. Police chef David Edwards said Attorsley haboon a "tre- mondous assot" W ,tho force." «H.' beon. a terrifie chairmon who bas led ns ithe right dirýection and supported us whon wneeded it,"» said Edwarda. «W. ipolice srie will miss him.' Edwarda said one of the. Most importtfùnctions of the ýqard. i. Wo bargain with tiie police association. Under Attorsboy's leadership, Edwards could not rocali ono police contract baving W o eset- "I tink thatilaa sign of good honeat, hard bargaining,» saici Edwards.! .<' "W. iDurhamn' Reion, the. police association !ndysT f have had a good rolationsiiip with him.n Durham Region Police Associa- tion president Dalo Allon said there wa a feeling of "mutual respoct" hotween the union ond Attorsley. "Durinig tii. number of yoars we dealt witbhum w. found hlm to ho a ough but fair negotiator,» said AI an. «W. enerally onded up with a sottloment that was fuir W both sides." Allan said bath p rtes also understood that oaehjiad itsown job W do. "IF tiero wias a problem i Borne area w. put it asido ond wont on to the noxt business as it arose,,w. didn't lotit affectour

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy