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Gaertner, Gilliland, and Weese saluted for service at final meeting

October 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Aurorans went to the polls on October 26, and there are few certainties in any election. One guarantee, however, was the Council of 2026 – 2030 would have at least four new faces with the retirement of Councillors Wendy Gaertner and Ron Weese, the departure of Councillor Rachel Gilliland, and the decision of Councillor John Gallo seek the Mayor’s chair.

At the last regular meeting of the 2022 – 2026 Council term, and Gaertner, Gilliland, and Weese were lauded for their years of public service – and, in the case of Councillor Gaertner, more than two decades of continuous service on Council.

Leading the tributes was Councillor Gallo, who began with heartfelt words to Councillor Gilliland, who was then in the middle of her ultimately successful campaign to becme Deputy Mayor in the Township of the Blue Mountains.

“For Rachel, Aurora has been much more than a place she represented. It is a place where her [family has called] home for nearly three decades, a community where she and her husband raised their family and a Town where her family connections reach back generations,” said Gallo. “Throughout her time on Council, Rachel brought energy, determination, and a strong commitment to the residents she represented. She was never afraid to ask questions, raise concerns, or advocate for an issue she believed was important to the community.”

Councillor Weese, said Gallo, brought “something very important to Council – a genuine passion for community,” a passion that was particularly reflected in his dedication to recreation, sport, trails and active transportation, accessibility, and staying active.

“Whether it was recreation, sports, trails, active transportation, accessibility, or simply encouraging people to get outside and be active, Ron consistently brought those issues forward because he believed they contributed to a healthier and stronger Aurora,” Gallo continued. “Ron has also demonstrated something I think is important in public service: you can disagree on an issue, debate it vigorously, vote differently, and still respect the people sitting around the table. I admire that trait. Persistence, which Ron has a lot of, comes from caring about the community and wanting to make it better.”

The final tribute went to Councillor Gaertner, who was first elected to Council 23 years ago.

Gallo said he and Gaertner had agreed and disagreed on many issues over the years, but that Gaertner’s genuine care for the community was never in question.

“Anyone who has served with Wendy knows she’s prepared. Wendy asks questions, then she asks follow-up questions, just like tonight. And occasionally, just when you think we’re ready to vote, Wendy finds one more question,” said Gallo with a smile. “Wendy believes our job around this table is not simply to accept what is put in front of us. It is to understand it, challenge it when necessary, and make sure that we are doing the right thing for Aurora.

“Nowhere has it been more evident than in her commitment to our environment. Long before environmental sustainability became something every municipality talked about, Wendy was talking about it. Her environmental involvement goes back years and her time on Council. She served on the Aurora’s Environmental Advisory Committee and later chaired it. Over the years, she has consistently raised issues involving our trees, our natural environment, energy use, climate change, stormwater infrastructure, and the long-term environmental consequences of the decisions that we make.

“Wendy has never been afraid to be the lone voice around this table. I really respect that. When six people were already ready to move and Wendy wasn’t convinced, well, we weren’t moving quite yet. That persistence can sometimes make Council meetings longer, but over the years, I have come to appreciate something important about it: Democracy needs people who ask, ‘are we sure?’ It needs people who are willing to question the majority, to look at an issue differently, and sometimes to make the rest of us feel uncomfortable enough to take another look.”

Having served on Council together for several terms, Gallo said he respected Gaertner’s commitment and dedication to the Town.

“You have given an enormous amount of your life to Aurora,” Gallo continued. “You have been consistent, persistent, and yes, occasionally relentless, and I mean that as a compliment. Your voice has made a difference, your advocacy for our environment has made a difference, and Aurora is better for having had someone around the table who was always willing to ask one more question. Wendy, thank you for more than two decades of service to our community. Thank you for caring, thank you for your friendship, thank you for the contribution you have made to the Town we all love.

“As you leave the Council table for this second last time, I hope you do knowing that your voice mattered, your work mattered, and your years of service left their mark on Aurora. Twenty-plus years from now, people may not remember every debate we had or every vote we took, but they will enjoy the trees you fought for, the natural spaces you stood up for, and a community that is better because you cared enough to keep asking questions.”

Joining in the tributes was Ward 4 Councillor Michael Thompson. Suggesting he was expecting to make more fulsome comments at Council’s final meeting in November, which is often more of a farewell than a meeting that moves municipal business forward, he heralded Gaertner’s “contributions and dedication” and the service given to the Town by Gilliland and Weese.

Gilliland, who participated in the meeting virtually due to illness, also suggested she would have more to say on November 10, but said she appreciated Gallo’s remarks, which “took me by surprise.”

Gaertner, however, shared some insights into her political journey.

“In 2004, Councillor (John) West called me ‘a little mouse,’ and Councillor (Damir) Vrancic said that he wasn’t allowed to call me a little mouse. The next thing I remember being called was, ‘I was like a dog with a bone.’ I wouldn’t give up,” said Gaertner, noting this tenacity was even reflected in a skit performed at the farewell party for a long-time department director, where she was depicted asking “just one more question.”

“Maybe the final interesting thing is that when the last meeting when Councillor (Evelyn) Buck was here, she came over to me and she said, ‘I wish we’d been on the same side.’ I took that as a compliment. Anyway, thank you both. It’s not easy to vote alone, but I got used to it!”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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