THUNDER BAY – Mayors and councillors come and go, but the city’s general manager of infrastructure has remained a constant.
Until now.
At Monday night’s council meeting Darrel Matson, the long-time public servant for the City of Thunder Bay, officially said his farewells as he confirmed his retirement. That retirement ends 37 years of service with the city.
Matson, who has seen seven mayors come and go during his career, was honoured during Monday’s city council meeting. A meeting where council voted to designate the multiuse recreational trail on the west side of Golf Links Road from Harbour Expressway to Riviera Drive and continuing on the east side from Riviera to John Street Road as Darrell Matson Trail.
He also received a standing ovation from councillors, administration and city hall staff.
“I’m overwhelmed,” he said in an interview following an emotional farewell. “I certainly didn’t expect this.
“I look forward to in the future getting a couple of bikes and moving through Darrell Matson Trail. I’m sure my family and children will be very proud there’s a trail in this city named after their dad.”
Matson joined the city in 1978 and previously served as manager of the Environment Division before becoming serving his current role as general manager of infrastructure and operations in 2004.
One of his defining contributions will be the strategy in which the city maintains its infrastructure.
“Our City of Thunder Bay asset management plan has been examined by other communities, examined by the province and has been one that has stood the test of time,” Matson said.
“We continue to evaluate and adjust it on an annual basis which is one of the fundamental elements of an asset management plan.”
One of his most challenging situations on the job was during the May 2012 flooding and backup from the Atlantic Avenue sewage treatment plant that wreaked havoc on the city’s east end.
It was a difficult time but something he and the rest of administration learned from.
“It was something when we look back it was certainly an excellent learning experience from an emergency operations and emergency preparedness perspective,” he said.
Coun. Frank Pullia, who has known Matson for nearly 20 years since he was first elected in 1997, commended him on a lengthy career.
“To me he represents the best of the type of public servants you want working for you,” Pullia said.
“He was always available, always prepared and even when we had the ward meetings having him there reassured us councillors we had good back up.”
