Algonquin Highlands deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux has called time on her eight-year political career, telling The Highlander she won’t be seeking re-election in the fall.
She said her choice was to either run for mayor, or not at all; a decision she has been pondering daily for the better part of a year.
Early on, she eliminated just running as a councillor, which potentially qualifies for deputy mayor, but said, “I don’t want to be one of the members of the peanut gallery, who points and says, ‘if I were the mayor.’ So, it was all or not.
Dailloux said she had a vision for the kind of changes she could make as head of council; such as deeper community partnerships and environmental stewardship. While “lofty,” she felt she could pull it off after “hard-earned pragmatism” garnered from eight years on council.
But, “at what cost?” she asked herself.
“Throwing my ‘everything’ towards that vision has been very tempting. And to be honest, I think I’d be good at it. I know I would bring a lot of heart to the work. But there would be significant drawbacks. My life is rich and full; my creative life and volunteer work are extremely important to me. The reality is, these would have to be swept aside for four years if I made it to that chair. Life is so short, so precious, and I am just not willing to let them go.”
Dailloux said she is at peace with her decision, but will miss the work come next fall.
“What helps is knowing there are a multitude of ways I can continue to contribute to my community, and in some respects, perhaps more directly than if I were to stay on council. I look forward to that. It’s a good decision. It’s the right one.”
Dailloux would like to stay on the board of Point in Time, saying she is a “huge fan. I want to do more with them if they’ll keep me.”
She’d like to remain on the board of the Haliburton County Public Library (HCPL), but is now a council appointee.
Dailloux is also passionate about continuing her role on the board of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust. “I love the work the land trust is doing. I really want to be a more active participant in their work, and just haven’t had the time for it, now I will.”
She is also interested in Crown land issues that have impacted Algonquin Highlands, and other parts of the County and would like to contribute in areas of water and lake health.
One of her biggest accomplishments on council was being part of the partnerships that brought the green burial section to St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Algonquin Highlands, for which there was an official opening ceremony May 31.
She is also pleased with her involvement in returning a Dorset branch to the HCPL service. She said it is rare for a community to get a library back once it has closed.
Dailloux is also chuffed council has taken a more consultative approach to decisionmaking, using its Bang the Table platform to get public input on major projects.
The soon-to-be former councillor has another title to add to her resume; that of author. Dailloux said she is in the midst of writing a book. “It’s a really important part of what I’m doing now. I’ve always wanted to write and I’m about 70,000 words in. The idea of that slipping away for four years is unpalatable.”
