Mayor Nancy Peckford honoured past community leaders and looked towards North Grenville’s future at a ceremony this week.
The municipality is celebrating 25 years since it was amalgamated from the Town of Kemptville and the Townships of South Gower and Oxford-on-Rideau.
Staff members organized a ceremony to mark the occasion that was held at the Municipal Centre Tuesday night and saw a new Mayoral Chain of Office presented to Peckford, as well as past mayors.
“I really want to thank former mayor Bruce Harrison for being here, to wear it, because he needed to wear it,” Peckford said. “I am only here in passing, and we really need to respect and recognize and celebrate the leaders who were so integral to bringing North Grenville together and allowing it to be what it is today.”
Peckford said the 1998 ice storm, which began days after amalgamation, was an extremely important factor in bringing the community together.
“Neighbours helped neighbours, strangers became friends, local businesses stepped up time after time, and together we weathered the harshest of conditions,” she said. “We went into the ice storm as a collection of townships, and emerged as a single, strong municipality.”
Peckford concluded her remarks by saying she hopes to see North Grenville maintain that strong, unified mentality while remembering its roots for the next 25 years and beyond.
