At long last, Port Hardy has its mayor back. And just in time, with fiscal 2014 budgets being set for the coming year in local municipalities and regional districts across the province.
Bev Parnham returned to a warm welcome Monday as she took her customary seat at the head of the table in Port Hardy’s council chambers.
“Really happy to have our dear Mayor Bev back for tonight’s council meeting!” Councillor Jessie Hemphill, who had been serving as deputy mayor, wrote on her Facebook wall. “It’s been fun playing mayor, but my old council chair missed me.”
Parnham was the victim late last fall of a sudden and mysterious infection that left her in intensive care in a Victoria hospital and her survival uncertain.
She eventually recovered, but surgery has left her wheelchair-bound and needing regular physical therapy sessions down-Island.
Parnham has remained active in local governance from afar, “attending” both council and Regional District of Mount Waddington meetings via conference call.
That changed Monday when she returned to chambers in person, and council has adopted an amended meeting schedule for the next few months to accommodate Parnham’s travel for continuing therapy sessions.
Like Hemphill, Parnham’s grandchildren, other family and friends must surely be glad to have her back where she belongs.
We feel the same way. Welcome back, Mayor.