(image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

DECADES OF SERVICE

Ken Christian prepares to leave office after 29 years of service to Kamloops

Oct 24, 2022 | 4:12 PM

KAMLOOPS — Ken Christian has held public office for the past 29 years, first elected in 1993. He served on the Kamloops-Thompson School District Board of Education from 1993 to 2011, before joining city council for six years and finally becoming mayor in 2017.

This week will be mayor Christian’s final week at City Hall as he will pass the torch to Reid Hamer-Jackson on Tuesday (Nov. 1) night.

“Fast forward 18 years through the school district system, in various capacities. Then tour of duty as a councillor, regional hospital district, regional district and then the last five years as mayor. Would not have dreamed it, but very happy to have had that as an incredible adventure,” said Christian.

Dieter Dudy served alongside Christian for two terms at City Hall. The outgoing city councillor believes Christian treated the city as if it was family.

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“If you saw how he was with his family, you would understand that he considers the community to be an extension of that family, so he treats both in exactly the same way. He is going to be missed, big time. He is that type of person that everybody should aspire to be,” said Dudy.

Last week, Mayor Christian was honoured by the Tk’emlups chief and council with an honour song and a blanket ceremony. Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir noted that the blanket ceremony is one of the highest honours one can receive.

“To be able to share the importance, not only truth and reconciliation but a real relationship in building communities together, being able to support communities together. And to truly walk as government to government,” said Casimir.

“Most importantly we have had a great deal of mutual respect that is grounded in friendship, that I think is the foundation for the memorandum of understanding that we have with Tk’emlups and the success of our relationship that now is recognized nationally,” added Christian.

As Christian prepares to leave City Hall for the final time as mayor on Tuesday (Nov. 1) night, he strongly believes the city is in a better place than we he first arrived.

“We are starting to rediscover our roots as Canada’s Tournament Capital, we are starting to see numbers go up at the airport, the university is back running at full strength. Unemployment is low and people are coming here because they are seeing the livability that we all saw when we moved here,” said Christian.

After nearly three decades in public office, Christian is looking forward to spending more time with his family and maybe even working out. And while he said, ‘Never say never,’ he doesn’t expect to return to public office.

“I certainly need an opportunity to move away from it, and let other people have those opportunities and see where they can take us. There are other things that are of interest to me and I will be pursuing those other interests,” said Christian.