LEONARD: I tell them this story and stress that there will always be another meeting, another motion, and another debate but often there is not a second chance to be a part of a significant family event
Frank Leonard asks, "Family first, or at least a close second?" A year after getting elected Saanich Alderman in 1986, I was elected to the Capital Regional District Board, and one year after that I became Chair of the newly minted CRD Environment Committee. The environment was becoming a key political issue and we were struggling with two key issues: the need for sewage treatment; and the need for more landfill space. Becoming Chair of the Committee that owned these files was a great opportunity and an incredible responsibility. My first weekend in this new position witnessed quite the setback. Not only did we have a meager recycling effort but the one facility we had to receive recyclables burned down. I recall driving to the Borden Street location as only smolders remained thinking that I really did have to tackle the reduction of waste from the ground up. My instincts told me that in order to expand the landfill we ne...