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Fredericton’s Longest Serving Mayor Recognized for 24 Years of Service
Fredericton, NB – City of Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside was recognized for 24 years of service to municipal government by Premier Shawn Graham at the regular Fredericton Council meeting of November 23, 2009. The premier was on hand to present Woodside with his service pin.
Woodside, who has been mayor for over 18.5 years, is Fredericton’s longest-serving mayor. He was first elected to City Council in 1981 and was elected Mayor in 1986 and served five straight terms before resigning in 1999 to pursue other interests. He was returned as Mayor in 2004 and on May 12, 2008, he was re-elected to his record seventh term as Mayor.
This record of service makes Mayor Woodside one of the longest serving city mayors in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada, as well as one of the longest serving mayors of a Canadian provincial capital city.
During his 24-years of service to the City of Fredericton, Mayor Woodside has been witness to the “ebb and flow” of life in New Brunswick’s Capital City. He was part of the City Council that adopted Fredericton’s pay-as-you-go policy for capital projects with the intent of reducing the City’s debt.
In the 1990’s, the City’s confidence level started to increase. Under Mayor Woodside, the City’s first economic development strategy was formulated and the community was engaged.
The city has benefited from the entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses and the research being carried out in various sectors. By the early 2000’s, the city was in an enviable position from both a financial and infrastructure perspective. The municipal government was almost debt free. Basic infrastructure was in good shape. And the municipal government had become ISO 9001 certified as a quality management organization.
The City found itself in a position to start making innovative investments in the community. Fredericton’s free WiFi network became a reality. Plans were made to replace aging arenas and recreation infrastructure. And the economic development vision for a downtown convention centre was formulated.
Fredericton has been named one of the Top Seven intelligent communities in the world. Through Mayor Woodside’s efforts, the community has rallied around “green” and Fredericton has become a leader in municipal greenhouse gas reduction. Immigration has become a focus for Woodside and the City.
Mayor Woodside is a great ambassador for the city. Not only has he recently been promoting the city in locations like China and Korea, but he regularly welcomes dignitaries to the city. He also finds time to attend a wide variety of community events and his door is always open to residents of the city.
In addition to his efforts in municipal government, Mayor Woodside has worked as a radio talk show host and announcer; he has operated a successful tour boat business; owned his own media and public relations consulting company; managed a car rental agency; and, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
In addition to municipal government, Mayor Woodside has found time to be an award-winning public speaker. He is also the founding Chairman of the "Try Hugs, Not Drugs" Huggie Youth Project and has spoken on substance abuse to international audiences. He is currently involved with Portage New Brunswick.
Mayor Woodside is affiliated with a number of associations and organizations. He was a 1995 recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship Award and has been nominated for a Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen Award. Family is important to Woodside. He is married with three children.
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Media Contact: Wayne Knorr, Communications Manager, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2181
