Okotoks mayor loses battle with cancer

One of Okotoks’ greatest advocates and longest-serving mayors has passed away.

Bill Robertson died July 7 after a battle with cancer that took him away from the council table for the past three months.

He was first elected to council in 1995 and served as councillor for five terms – 15 years – before becoming mayor, a title he proudly held for the past 11 years. He announced on May 7 he would not be seeking re-election.

Robertson had also taught for years at École Percy Pegler School, where the gymnasium was named after him in 2012.

That was where Coun. Matt Rockley first met Robertson.

“Bill was one of the first people I knew when we moved to Okotoks in 1990, because I was in Grade 6 when we moved here and it was kind of partway through the year, and he was a Grade 6 teacher at Percy Pegler,” said Rockley.

Years later, when he first ran for council in 2010, Rockley said he was up against several candidates and in order to set himself apart he announced in a public forum he would be supporting Robertson’s competitor.

During a mingle event following the forum, Robertson congratulated Rockley for doing a great job, despite “one little part that wasn’t that great.”

“He was legitimately proud of me, even though I had endorsed his competitor for mayor,” said Rockley. “I just thought, that shows what a big person he was and how he always saw the positive in things and always wanted to make people feel good about themselves.

“The Town and the world certainly lost a good one.”

Working with Robertson for the past 11 years has been nothing short of amazing, he said.

He witnessed first-hand how Robertson was able to bring a lighter side to any meeting, and how well-liked he was in regional meetings and among members of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association.

“Everybody knew Bill, everybody liked Bill,” said Rockley. “He was always bringing people together with laughter and common objectives.”

When CAO Elaine Vincent came to town in 2016, Robertson took time each Friday for eight weeks to tour her around Okotoks, stopping in a different sector each week for a walkabout. He would tell her the history of each neighbourhood, when it was developed and by whom, which issues had arisen or still existed in each area, who lived where and how they were connected to the town.

"That blew me away," said Vincent. "He knew the whole town like the back of his hand, and he took such pride in sharing that with people so that you could learn, too."

Within her first year she quickly learned more about the kind of person Robertson was. It didn't take long for her to realize the skill he had in communicating and working with children.

"That's where you saw the power of Mayor Bill," said Vincent. "He could work a room of kids better than anyone I've ever seen - he could get them calm, he could get them excited, and he could create such passion for democracy."

He did that by inviting classes to council chambers, where they could pretend to be mayors and councillors and hold debates and votes on issues.

She said it was amazing to watch him share his passion for government with youth.

His commitment to Okotoks was always obvious, she said. Once, while they were walking up Veterans Way, he ran into an unfamiliar couple and asked if they were from town, introducing himself as the mayor.

"He stopped doing what we was doing, took them on a tour, went and bought a local gift certificate to a business so they could experience that," said Vincent. "That's just what he did. Okotoks bled out of his soul and he did his best to amplify Okotoks' voice everywhere he went."

From engaging and lightening meeting rooms with bits of poetry to advocating for literacy, she said he made his mark on every room he entered.

He was an incredible person to work with, she said. The staff at the Town of Okotoks and members of the public were always treated with respect.

"No matter how tough a situation got, no matter what side of an issue he was on, he always made the staff feel like they were the most important person in the room and they had incredible abilities," said Vincent. "You don't get that every day, and that was by far, from administration's perspective, his towering strength.

"Everybody felt important and that they mattered, and he did that so well."

Robertson was well-known for his command of Robert's Rules of Order, the parliamentary procedure followed by municipal councils.

"It didn't matter if you were at an AUMA convention with 1,000 mayors, it didn't matter if you were at the mid-sized caucus or wherever, if ever there was a question there was one source of truth, and that was Mayor Bill," said Vincent.

His knowledge of the rules of order always impressed Coun. Tanya Thorn.

"One of the things I can definitively say he taught me a lot about is Robert's Rules," said Thorn. "He knew them so well and he chairs a great meeting. I learned a lot from him."

It was more than just parliamentary procedure - she said he taught her how important the little things are, like greeting new residents to town, celebrating the feats of local sports teams, groups, clubs or individuals, and engaging with youth.

An avid advocate for Okotoks, he usually had a Town pen, tattoo or pin to hand out to those he met.

"I watched him at a number of different events take the pin off of his jacket to give to somebody," said Thorn. "He was just so proud of our community, and I think that's why our community chose him for the last 26 years to represent them."

She said it's a sad moment for Okotoks, to lose a genuine man who was always smiling and proud of his town.

"This is what we'll all unite over, is the grief for the passing of a fabulous community advocate and community leader," said Thorn. "It will be a loss for our community."

Foothills County observed a moment of silence to honour Robertson at its July 7 meeting.

“We knew he was unwell and we were not expecting it to be so soon,” said Reeve Suzanne Oel. “Our thoughts are with the Town of Okotoks and with Bill’s family.”

Coun. R.D. McHugh, who served on various regional committees with Robertson, said he admired the mayor’s tact and ability to conduct meetings.

“The passing of Bill is unfortunate news,” said McHugh. “I will always remember him as a great parliamentarian and his ability to chair, I always kind of looked up to him for his stature that way.

“He will be deeply missed.”

Flags at Town facilities have been lowered to half-mast in honour of Robertson and a memorial has been created at the Okotoks Municipal Centre with a book of condolences residents are invited to sign during office hours Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It may also be signed virtually at www.okotoks.ca/mayor-Robertson.

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