Councillor Honoured with Key to the City

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe calling it the highest honour given to an individual for serving their community... the key to the city.

He gave that honour to retiring Councillor Joe Kushner, after 50-years in office, during the last council meeting of this term.  "Joe, on a personal note, I want to thank you for your service, your perspective, your commitment to your constituents and your community, and for being very forgiving of a young, very brash, and stupid councillor..... [laughter]."

Councillors defeated in last week's muncipal elections also gave their farewell speeches.

Local MPP Jennie Stevens gave a heartfelt tribute.  "Joe, you did not earn the nickname Dr. No, for nothing.  If there was a proposal for spending money, you were probably checking the numbers before the rest of us were even sitting in our chairs."

She reminded him of an extremely rare accomplishment.  "You can say something very few people ever get a chance to say... you never lost an election.  You are choosing to leave on your own terms, what a record you have."

He first gave credit to his wife, saying he could not have made it without her.  "The first thing I did when I got on council, I said that my family, and my job at Brock University, are my top priorities.  And council, I will do the best I can, but I have limited time to work on it."

There was a long list of people to thank.  "I give our staff a lot of respect because they respond to our requests very quickly, and when we ask for a staff report, like some people ask for many, they expedite it."

Mayor Siscoe and council had him end the evening by using the gavel to dismiss council, to a standing ovation.