By Coun. Diana J. Scott

This past month our area lost a truly great man and politician.

The passing of Jim Ogilvie – former mayor of the City of Kimberley – has made me reflect on what being a politician means. Jim was one of the reasons I decided to get into politics. When I first came to Cranbrook as a news reporter and anchor, I covered Kimberley City Council.

Although he seemed a bit gruff at first, upon hearing him speak, he was always thoughtful, straight to the point, and professional. He didn’t mince words. He listened. He spoke. He called the vote. He was humble and very hardworking. I didn’t know he wasn’t a hugger until his memorial service but he always accepted my greetings with a laugh and a small smile.

Jim was the sort of person who really cared about his community. He wasn’t into politics for any glory or accolades. He didn’t spend all that time on city issues because he wanted to be ‘in power.’ He cared about his community and wanted the best for it. He fought for things to happen in Kimberley. He didn’t fight in an adversarial way; though, he would just persistently put forth his position until it came to be.

I really liked everything about Jim. There are other politicians I’ve liked and respected along the way. When I worked in Saskatoon at the News Talk Radio Station, I spoke with Premier Roy Romanow almost every day. He was very accessible to the media. He was always very gracious and thoughtful.

Two other politicians I was fortunate to meet and interview were Paul Martin and Stephen Harper. Considering Martin’s position at the time, I was surprised how much time he spent with me and the one other reporter in Prince Albert. As I watched both their careers unfold over the years, I was always struck, not just with their arguments, but the way they said what they said. All three men were on point with their arguments; they were reasoned. Although all three had great passion, it wasn’t emotion that dictated their decisions or their speeches, it was reason.

Not everyone agreed with them, but if you were to question them, you could have a debate on merit, not just passion. What I love about Stephen Harper is his poise. He is under attack all the time but he continues to stay poised, articulate, on point, and unruffled. That is indeed a skill.

There are things to expect if you run for city council. It is such an enjoyable job but don’t kid yourself, it is not easy. You will not change everything overnight. You will not be loved by all. Your trips to the grocery store will take three times as long as people stop to tell you what they think you ought to do about certain issues. Mostly, I get stopped to talk about road issues. How I wish we had more money to deal with that!

The great thing about being a councillor is being close to the community. It’s a great feeling to know you are contributing to the betterment of the city. Councils don’t always make the right decisions but they do their best with the knowledge they have at the time. It’s no small feat to balance the interests of a small group of people with a passion for an issue with the interests of the greater community. It’s hard to take emotion out of the equation. It’s hard to make a decision knowing some people will not be happy with it. As a leader, however, that is your job. All you can do is your best and do it for the right reason.

– Councillor Diana J. Scott is a two-term City of Cranbrook councillor. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the City of Cranbrook.

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