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Always Prince George |
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Written by -- Editor Dave Paulson
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
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EDITOR DAVE PAULSONNORTH CENTRAL MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATIONCOLIN KINSLEY
That shouldn’t be surprising.
As comfortable speaking to 5,000 people as five, it is events such at this week’s convention of the North Central Municipal Association that Kinsley might miss most about being mayor of Prince George.
He’s a talker, a social animal, and big gatherings of his peers like NCMA or Union of B.C. Municipalities conventions is where Kinsley shines, garnering support or consensus on any number of topics pertinent to Prince George.
Always Prince George.
Love him or hate him, he has to be admired for his tireless stumping on behalf of this city. You’d almost believe he’d take a bullet or donate a kidney if it meant more jobs for Prince George.
Kinsley’s critics, their numbers seeming to multiply through his fourth and final term, have harped on his penchant for international travel, to China in particular.
But a decade ago Kinsley was among the first small-city mayors in Canada to recognize the opportunities presented through forging relations with an emerging economic powerhouse of 1.3 billion people, and his face-to-face presence there helped open doors for local businesses.
His missions -- whether to Asia or Europe -- also gave him insight into how other municipal governments did things, and how some practices could be adopted here.
But back home, he was constantly dogged by air pollution, potholes and troubles with downtown.
Kinsley caught the bug for local politics in the early ’80s as president of PGARA, the auto racing association, which was fighting city hall over a location for a new racing oval.
He was elected to city council in the fall of 1984 and became a protege of then-mayor Elmer Mercier, who had a personality as big as Kinsley’s would grow to be.
Almost a quarter-century later, close to 12 as mayor, Prince George is different -- in many good ways -- and Kinsley can claim part of the credit.
In 1984 nobody was talking about a university, a 6,000-seat arena, transportation links to China, Memphis and Seattle, jumbo jets or a medical school.
He helped shape the new Prince George but perhaps his biggest shortcoming was a failure to change with it.
For example, he badly misread the community mood over air quality.
Hanging on to the old-school belief that a little pollution was all right as long as it brought jobs wasn’t in step with new sensibilities in a worldlier, more sophisticated Prince George, the one Kinsley helped create.
Advocates for a cleaner environment were no longer a shell of outspoken critics from the left, but unified voices from across the spectrum -- community-minded people who intend to stay here, the kind of people Kinsley always sought to attract.
Kinsley wears his heart on his sleeve and he undoubtedly considers being mayor of Prince George the job of a lifetime.
But a dozen years in the job is a long time for any mayor.
Every high-profile politician wears out his or her welcome eventually, and Kinsley long ago had his fill of being on the receiving end of “short” jokes on the rubber chicken circuit.
The mayor has taken a back seat to no one on his commitment and dedication to the city.
But the time is right -- both for Kinsley and Prince George.
-- Editor Dave Paulson
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 08 May 2008 )
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