5:06 p.m. update:
Ward 1 Councillor Andre Grzela has resigned from his position on Timmins City Council.
In what he calls 'a once in a lifetime opportunity’, he will be moving his family to the Ottawa suburb of Orleans to run a business specializing in hot tubs.
“What made the decision most difficult, is that this opportunity is in Orleans, just east of Ottawa. To leave family and friends, and an elected position, a fulfilling job and a place I was proud to call home was not an easy task,” he said, at times fighting off emotion.
Grzela was the youngest member of Timmins city council, by a wide margin.
“Its a great honour to have had the opportunity to serve on council. A position that enabled me to express what I believe to be right for our great city, as well as help residents with municipal issues and concerns along the way.”
He said residents, staff, and his fellow councillors taught him many lessons along the way.
“A wise person once told me 'trust the timing of your life' and that's exactly what my family and I are doing,” said Grzela.
“The City with the Heart of Gold will always be near and dear to my heart,” he said.
He will remain in his position as councillor until Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017.
Grzela said he has been mulling over the idea for some time now.
“It was a possible option months ago, and it only became a real tangible option a few weeks ago, when I went away on vacation. That's when my wife and I made the decision.”
Mayor Steve Black said the news comes as a bit of a blow.
“Council is obviously disappointed to lose Councillor Grzela as a member of our team. He's been a strong advocate for the community, for residents of all ages, and really a champion of where I see the majority of this council focused. Which is, developing the community for the future, and ensuring Timmins remains a great place to live,” he said.
The question of how to replace Grzela on council is a tricky one. Black said there will likely be a special meeting called next week to discuss the matter.
“By the legislation (Municipal Act), there are two routes to go. Council can either decide to call a by-election, or they can decide to go through a process and appoint a council member. In precedence, I believe there's been two situations in the history of the city of Timmins, that has been the method that previous councils have chosen to go. I'll say, in large part because by-elections are quite a costly process to go through. So I think that weighs into the decision, but its a decision that this council will have to make as a group,” said Black.
The timeline of finding a replacement will depend on which route they take.
“If its going to be a by-election, that's a lengthier process, and will require an announcement to give candidates the opportunity to file to run, and then the campaign period. If its going to be an appointment process, as soon as council decides that, the application process will probably open up. Council will then review and decide where to appoint,” said Black.
Grzela also worked in the office of Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson as a constituency assistant, a position he has also resigned from.
“For the record, my job is non-partisan. Although I work for a party member, constituency assistants are non-partisan. We serve everyone in the community,” said Grzela.
