After losing to Joe Preston in the 2018 St. Thomas mayoral race, Steve Wookey wondered whether he would ever serve on city council again.
But after Linda Stevenson died in 2020, Wookey was appointed to fill the vacant seat.
Wookey recalls the scenario.
“So they called me, and I thought, you know what, I could finish out that term. And I got back, and I realized, I love this.”
He was elected to council for this third term in 2022, with over 5,500 votes.
“It has been a very positive experience. And I’m also confident that when I see who’s running and the newer candidates, it’ll still be a great team in the next term, regardless of whether I get voted in or not. I hope I do. But I have confidence that that whole team philosophy will continue.
Wookey delved into the housing partnerships the city has established with organizations like Indwell, the YWCA, and Eastwood Housing.
“And when they come to us with ideas, we’re like, yes, let’s do it. And now that we’ve got that kind of dealt with, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s going on. Now we can move into the affordable housing corridor a little bit more.
“You’ve got industrial development on one side and social support advocacy on the other side. This is about doing things to help the people of the city of St. Thomas.”
One potential future site for housing, among other uses, is the former Wellington Street School.
For those who have followed Wookey as a city councillor, they know he is passionate about an active lifestyle.
Wookey added, “There’s a 5 per cent parkland dedication, but now when everything’s denser, there are more people sharing that 5 per cent. I believe we need to make further investments in parks, trails, and open spaces. So that people have a chance to be outside and active. So for me, I’m always looking forward. When there’s a new subdivision plan, what can we do to increase its livability?”
He pointed to the city’s Strategic Plan as a significant success story in this term of council.
“Yes, and I’m very proud of that. So, yes, I’m running for re-election, but I know that if I’m not re-elected, that Strategic Plan will live on. We’ve set a good foundation that I think we’ll see continue with the next council.
“And I think what outgoing Mayor Joe Preston has made a key point is that we have to revisit that Strategic Plan regularly.”
“And that’s why when people say about the next mayor, I’m saying, look, you need somebody who understands what’s going on here, understands governance versus management, understands the dangers of strong mayor powers, quite frankly, and can step in and move this thing along.
“Now, thankfully, we have a very strong leadership team at the city. The city manager and all the directors are very strong.”
Wookey’s campaign has no catchy slogan or buzz phrases.
“I’ve loved politics since I was a kid. I was the kid who was going through the political cartoons and papers when I was eight years old and trying to figure out the joke. I still am passionate about serving the city. I think we’re moving in a good direction, and I’m looking forward to being on the team, if that happens. And if not, I’ll be proud of what I did, and I’ll move on to my career in modelling . . . not.”
He offered this message leading up to Election Day.
Written by Ian McCallum
