Departing Saskatoon city councillors get emotional about the sacrifices required to serve, especially the women with children, like Coun. Mairin Loewen.
Saskatoon city council blew the budget for its last meeting — but only for tissues.
Departing Mayor Charlie Clark and the 10 councillors elected four years ago got emotional at the end of their final meeting together last week.
Loewen reflected on her start on council when she was given a BlackBerry hip holster, which she found recently while cleaning out her desk. Loewen made joking reference to her age, 27, when she joined council, becoming the youngest person elected. She remains the youngest woman elected to council.
So Loewen brought a perspective to city hall that had been mostly absent in what has historically been a severely male-dominated political sphere. Loewen was followed in 2016 by two more young women, Coun. Hilary Gough and Gersher.
The usually composed Loewen tearfully described the challenges she faced to serve on council since she gave birth to her son, citing help from her parents, her brother and 26 aunts and uncles.
“There were seven different relatives engaged today alone to care for my son and this is the only reason I’ve been able to do this work,” Loewen sobbed. Last Wednesday’s council meeting was followed by a public hearing meeting set to start at 6 p.m.
So hardly the ‘childless cat ladies’ stereotype.
Whether you agree with this council’s decisions or not, the sacrifices made by politicians like Loewen should resonate with all, particularly parents, but especially in an era when social media is disproportionately cruel and even vile to women politicians.
Only one of the five women on council, Coun. Bev Dubois, is seeking re-election (to her sixth term), although Coun. Cynthia Block is running to become the city’s first female mayor.
While all five got teary during their speeches, they were hardly alone.
Coun. Ann Iwanchuk, who was part of the female majority from 2016 to 2020, attended the meeting to hear her former colleagues’ speeches.
But the odds are stacked against women, so Saskatoon should appreciate how rare the departing council has been.
Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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