e-KNOW Editorial

It’s nice to see the City of Kimberley honour former long-time Mayor Jim Ogilvie by renaming a major thoroughfare after him.

The city recently erected signs renaming 312th Street to Jim Ogilvie Way, recognizing his incredible 46 years in local politics.

“The road connects Marysville and Kimberley, which is appropriate for Jim,” said Mayor Ron McRae earlier this week.

Indeed it is.

Ogilvie is a legend among municipal politics participants and watchers in British Columbia, not just for the length of time he served but for the distinction and straight-forwardness in which he served his community and region.

Not only did Jim drive Kimberley as mayor for nearly four decades, he was also a strong and respected voice on the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors, on which he served several terms as its chair.

Jim was a no-nonsense leader who always took the shortest route to reason and a legacy of his time as head of the regional board was the cohesion with which the board worked.

Still one of the tightest working regional boards in the province, in terms of cooperativeness among its directors representing a large and diverse area, the way RDEK does business is in a large part reflective of Jim’s leadership.

This morning (Friday, August 8), a small ceremony is being held at the corner of Jim Ogilvie Way and Rotary Drive, starting at 11 a.m., to officially recognize the road name change and honour Jim.

Normally, I would attend such an event because of the historical significance and mark it in e-KNOW. Unfortunately, Carrie and I left on our honeymoon at 6 a.m. today. It is our first vacation in three plus years – so it is only such an important (and needed) occasion as such that keeps me away from Kimberley this morning.

Congratulations on this honour, Jim, one of many you earned over your illustrious career in municipal politics. It is safe to say that dozens of people from throughout the four main areas of this region owe you a great deal for showing them how to be a successful local politician and thousands more have benefitted from your leadership and foresight.

Following the ceremony, refreshments will be served at the Kimberley Aquatic Centre, Kimberley Alpine Resort Multi-purpose Room.

Cheers and all the best

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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