After a 28-year career in municipal politics, 19 of which were spent as Pickering’s longest serving mayor, Mayor Dave Ryan announced at Monday night’s city council meeting that he has decided to officially retire at the end of this term of office when the new council is sworn in on November 21.
For nearly three decades, Mayor Ryan has provided strong, steady, progressive, and visionary leadership helping Pickering evolve from a little bedroom community into a dynamic, diverse, thriving, and sustainable city, said a city statement.
During his mayoralty, the city has seen many key and transformational projects come into realization, including:
- The Frenchman’s Bay Harbour Entrance reconstruction;
- New Fire Headquarters;
- The world’s longest enclosed pedestrian bridge;
- Durham Live;
- Securing $7.8 million in non-tax gaming revenue for the city via Pickering Casino Resort;
- Seaton; world-class businesses relocating to the Innovation Corridor;
- Canada’s largest filming backlot;
- Pickering Soccer Centre;
- The expansion of high-speed broadband across the city;
- The state-of-the art Operations Centre;
- The Durham College/Centennial College Joint Learning Centre;
- The Mayor’s Gala raising $2.6 million for the Ajax-Pickering hospital;
- The Canadian Centre for Nuclear Sustainability; and
- The Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre, to name a few.
“It has been an absolute honour and privilege to serve the residents, businesses, community groups, and stakeholders of this great city. Looking at Pickering’s evolution, I can’t help but marvel at all that we have accomplished together, said Mayor Ryan in an open letter.
He pointed out that Pickering is recognized as one of Ontario’s elite municipalities, and with that knowledge, “I am choosing to step away from my role as mayor after this term so that I can focus exclusively on my health and most importantly, my family.”
Medical leave of absence
In 2020, Mayor Ryan took a medical leave of absence when he was diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease. He subsequently received a lung transplant and spent the five months recovering from the surgery. [See related stories below].
“This was not an easy decision to make, as my heart and soul is still fully invested in our community. However, I am at peace with my decision to step down, as I am fully confident that my colleagues on council, our CAO, and dedicated staff will continue the leading work we are doing in building a more modern, vibrant, progressive, and inclusive city,” said Mayor Ryan.
“I have so many fond memories to look back on, but what truly made my time as mayor special was getting to know so many of you. I have enjoyed all of our interactions, chats, discussions, and meetings that we’ve shared, whether it was in a boardroom, at a community event, shopping at a local store, or just out in the community. These wonderful moments are indelibly etched into my being. From the bottom of my heart – thank you and God bless!” he added.
Mayor Ryan has penned a fulsome and heartfelt ‘open letter to residents’, which can be read in the digital edition of Pickering’s Your City Magazine here.