Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan is taking time off for health reasons after being diagnosed with scarring of the lungs.
“I am tremendously disappointed to inform you that I must take some time to step back and take care of some personal health issues. Namely, I have been diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease – or scarring of the lungs,” he said in an announcement yesterday.
“At this time, my family and I are working with some of Canada’s best medical professionals to evaluate and determine the best treatment options. In the interim, with the rapidly evolving Covid-19 situation, I’m following the advice of my doctors to practice social distancing and obtain complete rest,” he pointed out.
“At this time, I do not have a timetable for my return, but I can take comfort knowing that the city’s in good hands with Kevin Ashe as Deputy Mayor, a strong and united council, and dedicated city staff looking after the best interests of our residents and businesses during this most unsure and volatile time. I look forward to coming back later this year recovered and healthy. God bless and be safe,” Mayor Ryan said.
“I have proudly served on Pickering Council for over 26 years. Since I became Mayor in 2003, I have devoted the majority of my time, energy, and passion to building a city that we can all be proud of. Through our collaborative efforts, we have achieved a tremendous amount of success. Pickering is regarded as one of the premier cities in Ontario. And yet, despite all that we have achieved together, we are still on the cusp of an even more dynamic and prosperous era,” he said.
Referring to the pandemic, he said: “We find ourselves in an extraordinary situation, and that is why extraordinary measures must be implemented. I ask the senior levels of government to consider temporarily closing shopping malls, theatres, tourist attractions, places of worship, offices, businesses, clubs, bars, and dine-in restaurants.
“We only have a narrow window available where we can prevent the uncontrollable spread of Covid-19 and flatten the curve. We are all in this together, so we all need to shoulder this personal responsibility for the greater good,” he added.
[Image courtesy Twitter]