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Q and A with newly elected FCM First Vice President Geoff Stewart – Colchester County Deputy Mayor
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS
BROOKFIELD, N.S. — Municipality of Colchester County Deputy Mayor Geoff Stewart, representing District 3, was recently elected First Vice President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). He completed third and second vice chair duties in the past couple of terms and is now second in command to FCM’s newly elected President Scott Pearce, who is the Mayor of the Township of Gore, Quebec.
Stewart sat down with SaltWire for a Q and A about his time in municipal politics, which began in 2012, and his new role with the FCM.
Q: Originally getting involved in municipal politics, what was the thought process?
Stewart: It was the right time for me. I had thought about getting involved; I’ve always been involved in different things in the community that had a political twist to it, with the fire service, minor hockey, junior hockey, and the union when I was working for Lafarge.
There were things going on in the community at the time that I spoke out against, and I thought this is the time for me to get involved. So when the election was called that fall, I decided to put my name forward … put my name on a ballot.
Q: What have you enjoyed about being part of Colchester Council over the years?
Stewart: It has been a real pleasure to be able to serve the people. You reap what you sow, as they say, so for me, there are a lot of positive things that have been done in the community, in the area, and it’s nice to have a voice and be a part of that.
Q: Any particular highlights?
Stewart: Certainly one of the big things in my own personal area was the sidewalk being replaced that were deteriorating in our community and expanding the sidewalks throughout the community.
Also, being a part of the Fundy Discovery Site. I’ve chaired that committee since its inception so to see the progress being made out there and how the public has embraced what’s being done, it’s very heartwarming to know you’re doing something that people want … that they enjoy.
Q: What about the challenges?
Stewart: Things that are challenges are, certainly, some of the timelines it takes to get things accomplished. For me, I was in business for myself so when I became involved in something and made a decision, I would just go out and do it.
In the political arena, things take a little longer to happen … sometimes longer than what you want. But eventually, you get to where you want to be.
Q: How did your involvement in the FCM come about?
Stewart: In 2017, I was asked to get involved. In those days it was UNSM – the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, and, I thought, why not? Some members on council were asking me to get involved and have a voice at that table.
So I put my name forward and I went on to become president of NSFM (Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities – rebranded name of the UNSM). So I became President of NSFM and through my involvement with NSFM, I sat on the board of FCM.
When my term expired with NSFM, I was away from it for a year or so, and then the opportunity came, and I was again approached by members of our council to put my name forward with the FCM as an Atlantic Canada rep.
So I put my name forward and ended up being elected and now it’s a progression; you go from third (vice-president) to second to first and eventually next year I’ll become president.
Q: How does that feel – it’s quite a title?
Stewart: It’s truly an honor and a privilege to be recognized by your peers, not only in your county but across the province and the country to fill a role like that. I feel very fortunate.
I was looking back through some of the history and there has never been anyone from Colchester County who has filled that role. I’m the first person from Colchester County in the current role that I fill now and if I go on to be president, I’ll be the first person who has accomplished that part of it as well.
Q: What does the role entail?
Stewart: Basically, the FCM is an advocacy organization that promotes policies and funding opportunities for municipalities across Canada, from coast to coast to coast. We represent over 2,000 municipalities and over 90 per cent of the Canadian population belong to those municipalities.
Big cities, urban centers, and rural Canada, at all levels, and it’s non-partisan, not affiliated with any one party. So whatever party is in power, we continue to advocate for programs that help municipal projects and needs across the country.
Generally, there are board meetings every quarter, for the full board. The executive meets every month or six weeks, and then there are five of us who are considered table officers, we meet, generally, every second week with staff and discuss what’s going on and where we’re going.
And we do an advocacy day in November or December every year where we go to Ottawa and lobby the MPs, both in opposition and in governance, and meet with the Senators … try to lobby and advocate for the programs we want to see pushed at the federal level.
