For 37 years City Councillor Fred Neale has tried to make his community a better place. Now, after much consideration, he has decided he will not be seeking re-election in the fall.
“It’s time for me,” Councillor Neale says, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “I’m turning 80 this year. I have got most of the things that I wanted to get done done. It’s time to retire.”
Councillor Neale has been a Thorold City Councillor since 1985 and he has achieved many different things during his tenure, such as the creation of Mel Swart Park and the Lake Gibson Corridor.
“Over those many years there’s not one thing I can say that is more important than another," Councillor Neale says. “I’ve enjoyed meeting a lot of people and solving some of their issues."
Even though he won't be on city council anymore, Councillor Neale says he will still continue to work on some projects, like the proposed expansion of the Thorold Public Library.
“I’m a busy person, I’ve always been busy,” he says. “There are a number of projects that I would still like to be involved with. The community work will not stop.”
It’s a bittersweet moment but Councillor Neale says it’s been an honour serving Thorold.
“I’m a Thoroldite,” he says. “I was born and raised across the street from McMillan Park. It’s been an interesting but rewarding life. Let me tell you, I’ve enjoyed it. There are a few things that I would have liked to change but those things are just for somebody else.”
