David Boushy has served the community over 50 years

Cathy Dobson/Local Journalism Initiative

Words of appreciation for a job well done are pouring in following City/County Councillor David Boushy’s announcement he is retiring from public office after more than 50 years.

“Devoted to the people of Sarnia, David cares about people over politics,” wrote Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley.

As a long-time municipal politician himself, Bradley’s longevity on city council is surpassed only by Boushy’s who was first elected in 1964 when Sarnia had aldermen, not councillors, and the population was under 17,000.

“(David) has served with kindness and respect for his colleagues and his fellow citizens,” Bradley posted on social media.

“(I) can’t pay tribute to David without mentioning (his wife) Leila,” he added. “She is a force of nature with her devotion to David and the community.”  

Boushy, 94, said Thursday he will miss political life, especially if “the new council doesn’t make good decisions.”

“That will make me crazy,” he told The Independent. “But I realize I’m an age when I should take it easy and leave the job to someone else.”

Boushy was born in Lebanon and came to Canada in 1951 as a teenager.  He worked as a senior technician at Imperial Oil and decided to run for a seat on Sarnia council “because I believe serving your community is the right thing to do.

“It’s not about doing things for myself.  It’s about doing things for the good of the community.”

He said Sarnia was “a different place” in the 1960s, with more people earning good salaries, more large companies located here, and a strong sense of family “when you’d have everyone having dinner around the table every night.”

That’s changed significantly now, said Boushy. Serving the community became more difficult when several of the larger corporations left, he said.

“But I think there are a lot of good people in this community and we can turn it around,” he said.  “I think a strong council can make things better.”

Boushy won countless elections, frequently topping the polls for the city/county seat.  He lost his council seat briefly in the 1980s after running for mayor and losing to Marcel Saddy.

In 1995, he was elected Sarnia-Lambton’s MPP and served as a backbencher in the Progressive Conservative Mike Harris government.

“I enjoyed that,” he said.  “I did a lot of work behind the scenes.” While at Queen’s Park, Boushy lobbied for and got a provincially-funded MRI for Sarnia General Hospital.  He also advocated for sound barriers along Highway 402, which were installed in 1997.

Fellow City/County Councillor Brian White mentioned Boushy’s experience as an MPP in paying tribute to him Thursday.

“I consider Dave a mentor and a friend,” White wrote.  “His heart is unwavering.  He is truly a kind man.  When I ran provincially, he approached me to offer his guidance and positive wishes, even though his time in provincial government was with a different party.

“Dave embodies the values and respect that good community governance should be about,” said White. 

Councillor Adam Kilner who has served with Boushy for the past four years, noted that Boushy served Sarnia-Lambton for “more than half his long life.”

“Much gratitude to Dave and Leila for your friendship, your kindness and your mentorship,” Kilner wrote.  “In gratitude to your long service.”

Boushy said he is often approached by younger people looking for advice about running for office.

“I tell them that if you are honest and want nothing but the best for your community, then you should run,” he said.  “It takes integrity. Once you take a stance, you can’t change your mind.”

“Serving the community has been (my) greatest honour,” he added in his written statement. “(I) always believed that leadership is about listening, working together and doing what is right for the people.”

Boushy will continue to attend city and county council meetings until the summer.