Derek Corrigan has attended thousands of meetings over the last 31 years – council, committees, regional boards and with community groups, businesses, premiers, prime ministers and more.
But his final public council meeting as mayor was likely one of the few times the veteran politician became visibly emotional.
Corrigan was first elected as councillor in 1987 and served in that role until being elected mayor in 2002. He won re-election four time before losing to mayor-elect Mike Hurley on Oct. 20.
“I feel great about what we’ve accomplished and what I’ve accomplished personally,” Corrigan said. “And as I leave, I wish you all the very best of luck and success in the future in the city that I love.”
Mayor Derek Corrigan also got choked up while closing his final council meeting as mayor with a short speech. #vanpoli pic.twitter.com/xX0AP7DS6g
— KelvinGawley (@KelvinGawley) October 30, 2018
The former lawyer made the comments in closing a short council meeting that saw members approve a short list of mostly minor reports and bylaws.
Corrigan praised the city’s citizens, City Hall staff and councillors during his speech.
“Let me finish by saying that it was been a great ride over 31 years,” he said. “That’s an incredible span of political life and it has been an incredible privilege to serve the people of Burnaby for that long.”
Corrigan will officially relinquish the title of mayor on Nov. 5 when Hurley is sworn in. On that day, however, the faces around the table will change little. All seven sitting councillors, members of Corrigan’s Burnaby Citizens Association, were re-elected with the Green Party’s Joe Keithley winning the seat left vacant by now-MLA Anne Kang.
“While we changed some of the people around the table, I don’t think the direction is going to change much,” Corrigan said.
Corrigan said he plans to take on new challenges and spend more time with his three grandchildren.
“Over the course of my career here, I’ve developed both diabetes and hypertension and I’m feeling healthier already,” he said.
The mayor’s comments followed an emotional tribute from Coun. Colleen Jordan, who called his leadership “the glue that held us together.”
“I’ve been suffering the last few days – one might call it survivor’s guilt – because it seems like one person is suffering at the hands of the electors when we, as a council, have done things collectively and all together,” Jordan said.
Coun. Colleen Jordan got choked up reading Tom Petty lyrics in tribute to Derek Corrigan in his final moments presiding over a council meeting as mayor. #vanpoli pic.twitter.com/5Abihob64h
— KelvinGawley (@KelvinGawley) October 30, 2018
Jordan listed some of Corrigan’s accomplishments including renaming the Greater Vancouver Regional District to Metro Vancouver, helping develop the Mayors’ Council 10-year transit plan, leading the fight against the proposed George Massey Bridge and his dogged opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.
Jordan turned to music to end her remarks.
“Many would think that if there’s a song that represents your style, it would be Sinatra’s ‘My Way,’ but I know that it is otherwise,” she said, before reciting a verse from what she said is Corrigan’s favourite song, Tom Petty’s “I won’t back down.”
“I know what’s right / I got just one life / In a world that keeps on pushing me around / But I will stand my ground / And I won’t back down”
