The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-11-21, Page 2931 Deo4 1 0967 §54.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER -21, 1974
A fulltime mayor
THIRD SECTION
e office was anywhere
he happened to be.
BY JEFF SEDDON
In the past four years Mayor
Harry Worsell hasalways tried
to act in a mannerhe thought ,
vas typical of the Prettiest
Town in Canada. He never con-
sidered himself a political
wizard, just good old Harry, of
good old Goderich.
Harry never .considered a life.
of public office until nine years
ago when the ballot was one
name short of the required
number. He decided to fill the
vacant seat on council and so
started'. a, political, career that
spans nearly a decade.
~ "I never thought I'd be
mayor", admitted Harry as he
,learned back in his easy chair.
"When.I started I had no inten-
tion of even trying to be
mayor."
The plumber -politician came
up through the ranks of .the
town council serving one term
'in 'each position until elected
mayor. . He has nbt suffered
from his exposure to the public.
The rosy complexion and red
hair - that earned him. the
nickname "Red" are still ob-
vious although the, hair is star-
ting to gray. But most impor-
tant the friendly ‘,disposition
and warm personality • for
which people know him best
have remained unchanged.
"When 'I go out and meet the
people I . treat everyone the
same whether they have a
million dollars or whether they
have nothing. It doesn't cost
anythirig to' be friendly.'.'
That's Harry's philosophy.
Meeting the peo'pl'e he
represented was One of the
strong points Harry had. during
his term as mayor. He recalled
incidents from the past two
years that may have angered or
frustrated him at the time but
are funny when he looks back.
"People have called me in
the early hours of the morning
to come down to the police
station because they or their
children have been involved"
with the police. Drunks call me
and. start cursing and
sometimes I,have to curse back
at them. People all me about a
hole in the road and I talktto
them and tell them that the
town has a road supervisor. I
always try my best to help and
if I can't I tell them why I
can't. I have always tried to be
honest."
The fact that the mayor is a
plumber apd not a doctor or
lawyer has been an asset, ac-
cording to Harry. He sees
people in their houses when lie
is on a ,lob and they will -come
to him with problems that they
wouldn't come with to a
professional man. When he was
not in the mayor's chair he was
dressed in work clothes and
was more like "one of the
boys" , than the mayor of the
town.-
° Harry has lived 'in Goderich
all his life and has 'seen the
growth of the town 'since he
started paying taxes. He :has
always attempted to sell the
town to industry or promote it
to tourists and has never tried
to put on a show as mayor.- He
uses the same frank arid honest
manner that he would with a
plumbing customer.
The job of mayor of Goderic!-
is not really a part-time ven-
ture. During his term Harry has
spent as many as 60 hours a
week being mayor and still kept
up his responsibilities as a
.plumber.
"I'think' we need a fulltime
"Red Worsell - 1966
mayor", he said. "People want
to see the mayor, about things
and are not always content
witha councillor. If they knew
the mayor was in his office in
the town hall they could go up
and . see him. I was always
available through the store but
it is °not the same as being in
the town hall." •
The . past four years have
been tough ones for Harry. He
was always on the move either
. as a plumber or>'.a mayor. His
hectic schedule became' evident
when the Signal -Star tried to
14. 'get t thi: interview with him.
The only free time ,he had. was
on Saturday morning at nine
o'clock because he had an ap-
pointment at 10:30. p "
"I always tried to see peop'le
who asked me to see them and
I don't think there are many I
didn't call on. But there is so
'much to do as mayor you can't
really look after A business at
the same time. 'You can't mix
two jobs and do ahem 'both
right."
Policy making andthe spen-
ding of taxpayers' money were
things foreign to Harry when he
first sat on council but' from
then until now he has followed
his own judgement in council
decisions. He always voted the
way he felt was right and never
strayed from his beliefs just to
push . something through coun-
cil. • .
Over his term On council such
things as a water main to the
salt mine; the South Storm
Sewer, the airport and the of-
ficial plan of the town have
required his participation.
The new water amain was
passed 'and constructed' to sup-
ply Sifto with water from the
May�r Worsell — 1972
14,
town and enable them to stop
drawing from the Maitland
River. The move was made by
the town at the end,of a
longstanding agreemenbet-
ween the two factions and has '
served to keep the two parties
working together.
The sewer legislation was in-
troduced to council shortly af-
ter Harry was and was
finalized shortly before Harry
decided to leave. He.feels the
project could have 'been done
for half the price it will cost
now if it had have been looked
after at the start But is satisfied
that it is done and knows that
it ,was badly needed.
The only project that Harry
wanted to see done that has not
"been looked . after is a road
from Huron Road to Bayfield
Road across the southeast cor-
.. ner of the town: He feels the
throughway is needed and is
confident that it will be coin-,
• pleted by the next council.
Sewage , and water faFilities
for the east side of Goderich
are also projects Harry ''would
like to see improved. He thinks
a second water tower should be
constructed to• give the
residents there more tap
pressure but comments that a
water main on the Huron to
:Bayfield Road would 'solve the
problem as well.
• • Harry is 'not removing . him-
self from public life. He has en -
teed the race for PUC com-
r:eissioner and wants to keep iap
on the activities of council. •
If the , town takes on.' a
fulltime mayor Barry may get -
bad: in the running.
"I • may be back as a coun-
cillor, reeve. deputy -reeve or
even mayor but now Lowe it to
my family .to get out for a
while", he said.
Harriet was. super
Mayor Harry Worsell never seemed like the leader of the county town. He was more like one of
the"boys.,He was always -quick to dress up to aid a worthy cause and was one of the few elec-
ted officials that walked or rode' a bicycle on a fund raising marathon and went the whole
distance, (staff -photo).
Mayor Harry Worsell laid a Remembrance Day wreath at the
foot of The cenotaph on behalf of the town and placed a
poppy on it as a personal token of his apprecialtion for
those who served. (staff -photo) .
k winning technique
Harry Worsell may not have been the best mayorin the province, but he Was the best mayor
with a plow. He won the mayor's plowing match this year in competition et the International
Plowing Match in Georgetown. (staff -photo)