ROTHENBURGER – Political hopefuls could learn a lot from Pat Wallace
Coun. Pat Wallace. (Image: CFJC Today)
PAT WALLACE hasn’t been on Kamloops City council forever. It just seems like it, in a good way.
When I arrived in Kamloops in 1970, it was the time of Mayor Peter Wing and councillors like Tony Romano, Howard Dack, Gordon Bregoliss, Meryl Matthews and Nelson Riis.
It seemed as though new municipalities were springing up everywhere — Brocklehurst, Dufferin and Valleyview, with Westsyde expected to be next. A couple of years later, Kamloops went through the pain of amalgamation, with former Brock mayor Al Thompson taking over as mayor of the conjoined city.
It was several years later when Pat Wallace entered civic politics, serving with several mayors, including Jim Walsh, Cliff Branchflower, Terry Lake, Peter Milobar and myself.
Kamloops is a different place than when Pat was first elected.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, former school board chair, former editor of The Kamloops Daily News, and a current director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He was awarded the Jack Webster Foundation’s lifetime achievement award in 2011. His editorials are published Monday through Thursdays, and Saturdays on CFJC Today, CFJC Midday and CFJC Evening News. Contact him at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
A 2-term limit should have been enacted years ago.
About time. She may have done some good over the years, but a council seat is not meant to be a career, and limits should be in place.
Kamloops has benefited from having Pat Wallace in council chambers. I wish her all the best as she retires from (in my perspective) this very busy, not-so-appreciated position.