.png;w=960)
Timmins' longest-serving mayor is being remembered as a real gentleman and for his sense of humour.
Victor M. Power died on Feb. 3, with tributes for his decades-long political career continuing to flow in.
In Parliament this week, MP Charlie Angus talked about Power, who Angus says was a legend in the north.
"In his years of service, he oversaw the transition from a roughneck mining town to a regional centre of business, health and education. This combination of engagement, outreach, and a belief in the goodness of people set a standard that politicians at every level should emulate," said Angus in a news release..
The MP also recognized Power's widow, Clarice.
"Vic couldn’t have done it without his loving wife Clarice. They were the ultimate power couple. She knocked on every door in the city during elections. She was the hostess who made everyone feel welcome and Clarice brought class, culture and pride to our northern home," he said.
A simple announcement in the Porcupine Advance starts the public telling of Power's life: "Born—In Timmins, Ont., on Thursday, Feb. 22, 1934, to Mr. and Mrs. John Power—a son."
Over his nearly nine decades, Power's story — his triumphs and challenges — made regular front-page headlines.
Before entering politics, he was the head of the guidance department at Timmins High and Vocational School.
His political career spans four decades, starting as a councillor with the former Town of Timmins and later moving up to the mayor's seat after amalgamation.
He first entered municipal politics in 1966 as an alderman. He successfully ran for mayor in 1980 and served for eight years. Following a defeat in 1988, he returned as mayor in 1991 and served continuously until 2000 when he announced his retirement. He returned to politics several years for his final term as mayor from 2003-06.
Over the years he also served as chairman of the Northeastern Ontario Mayors Action Group, commissioner of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, vice-president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities.
The year after he officially stepped away from politics, the Timmins airport was renamed the Victor M. Power Airport. His accolades include Ontario's Municpal Long Service Medal, Chamber of Commerce President's Award, the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Timmins Porcupine, the governor general's Order of Canada, and Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
It was Power who inspired Ray Auclair to get into municipal politics.
Auclair served as a councillor in Timmins for nine years, six of which were with Power.
Auclair's first election win was 1988 — the year that Power lost the mayor's seat to Dennis Welin. He'd wait three years before sitting around the table with his political inspiration.
“I liked the fact that he was a real gentleman. He was a professional. Always in a tie, always well dressed, polite. Sometimes I didn’t agree with what he said, but we both respected our opinions,” said Auclair.
Power was the first mayor at the helm of a council that John Curley was elected to.
It was 1991. Power returned to the mayor's seat and Curley earned his first electoral win, representing Ward 2 in South Porcupine (he is now the councillor for Porcupine).
"We did lots of stuff together, trying to get him in there and as well as trying to get myself in there. But I've always had a lot of respect for Vic. In all the years I've dealt with Vic ... I never found somebody like him where he was really there for the whole city. Vic went all over. Vic would show up to the Porcupine Mall, he'd go shopping, picking up this, picking up that," Curley said.
"His door was always open, he'd talked to anybody and I give him a lot of respect for that."
At the council table, Power let people speak.
"And that means a lot when you're sitting around that table and not being controlled," said Curley.
When the residents responded negatively to an issue, Power "never locked the door," he said.
Power took Curley under his wing, giving the rookie councillor boards to sit on and introducing him to different ministers.
How Power treated people is a common theme among those sharing memories.
The long-time mayor was known for his ability to connect and remember people's names.
"If you had a little do going on, a birthday party or whatever the case might be — he was there for you. If you asked him, he would make the attendance or he would provide a certificate or something. He knew what the residents were looking for from him," said Curley.
"He'll be sorely missed. People still talk about him down south. You could be you could see that he's made an impact ... once that news went out, I got calls from some of the colleagues from Nappanee and down in Ottawa," he said.
Bill Gvozdanovic served on council during Power's last term in municipal politics.
"It was a wonderful three years. One thing people didn’t see ... was the wonderful sense of humour that he had, he had a very witty sense of humour. It was funny because if the meetings got around 8 o’clock I could tell Vic wanted to go home and I would raise my hand to speak and he would gesture with his hands — because the camera wasn’t on him — ‘no, no’ or mouth it … for me not to speak. It was hilarious," said Gvozdanovic.
"I had a good relationship with him and anytime I hear his name or think of Vic, I’ll always smile."
After leaving politics, Power was still a fixture in the community.
He'd attend bigger events in the community or inaugural council meetings.
A cold, blustery winter day in January 2022, Auclair ran into his friend in a grocery store parking lot.
It had been years since they'd last seen each other and Power was struggling to push a cart to his car through the slush.
After lending a helping hand, Auclair asked if there was anything else he could do.
Power replied that he hated driving in the winter weather and would love to have the Globe and Mail.
"So I went and picked him up a Globe and Mail. For two Saturdays I brought him the Globe and he says to me, ‘You know Ray, the Globe and Mail is every day.’ So every day after that I bought him the Globe and Mail,” recalled Auclair.
Power is survived by his wife Clarice, his son Kevin (Christine) and granddaughter Evelyn. He was one of 14 children for John and Lila.
A private family service is being held at St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral.
A public celebration of life will be held in the spring. His obituary is available here.
Public memories
A book of condolences is available at city hall until the end of the day on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Over the past week, residents have also shared memories of Power with TimminsToday. Here's what they said:
"My original memory of Vic was when I was in my mid-teens and I joined up with a few others to form a junior service club called Alpha Phalanx. He was a driving force in moving it ahead, very straightforward and very honest.
"My oldest son Tom Steepe became sports director at CFCL [la poste des nouvelle] and kept me abreast of Vic and his activities as mayor of Timmins."
Vince Steepe, who is now 90 years old and was raised in Schumacher until he was 22 years old
"Vic Power could have pursued a career in broadcasting. He was a competent announcer, but saw broadcasting as a stepping-stone to other interests.
"I got to know him in 1955 when we worked for competing radio stations in Timmins. He once told me that the experience in radio and television was a way to hone his communication skills. And, he put those skills to good use when he became a teacher and guidance counsellor and again when he threw his hat into the political arena.
"After I left Timmins to pursue a career in the media, we kept in touch. On my visits to Timmins, Vic took me on tours of the town or we met for lunch, during which he spoke about his optimism about the future of his community. At times, I thought his enthusiasm would make him a good Canadian ambassador. The electorate, it seems, had other ideas. So, perhaps, that’s why he became the longest-serving mayor in the history of Timmins."
Rene Pappone, retired parliamentary correspondent
"Mr. Power was an amazing person. He always remembered my husband Ken and that he married me, the Fournier girl he would say. He was Ken's guidance counsellor in high school. He never forgot who Ken was. He called Ken, when Ken received a safety award from Kidd Creek, personally and congratulated him on this. Most recently, we had lunch with Mr. Power in the St. Mary's manor where my own mother lives. He remembered both Ken and I and chatted through lunch with us. He told Ken to say hi to his mother, who he said he remembered worked at the Bank of Montreal. Our deepest sympathies, in this great loss, goes to the Power family. Mr. Power was a great human being. A great man. We are happy to have known him."
Ken and Kim Beamish
