Watson lauded for public service after declaring he won't seek re-election
CBC News | Posted: December 10, 2021 8:35 PM | Last Updated: December 11, 2021
Ottawa mayor announced he would not seek 4th term Friday
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is being lauded on social media for his years of service to the city after announcing Friday he would not seek a fourth straight term in the mayor's chair.
In a statement Friday morning, Watson wrote that he'd decided not to run again in the 2022 municipal election.
By the end of his tenure, Watson will have spent 12 years in a row in the mayor's chair. He also served as mayor before Ottawa amalgamated, and has held the post longer than anyone else in the history of the nation's capital.
"On the one hand, I loved almost every hour of every day and it was a true privilege and honour to serve as our city's Mayor," Watson wrote in his statement.
"However, I also knew that I would be turning 60 during this term of council, and if I was going to have one more career, then I needed to move on from elected office."
The announcement led to a deluge of reactions on social media. Here's some of it.
WATCH | Mayor reflects on three terms in office after announcing he won't run again
Watson spent part of Friday retweeting nice words from fellow Ottawa politicians and former colleagues.
The mayor's announcement also caught the eye of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
City councillors shared nice thoughts — even those who'd recently sparred with him.
One similarly departing councillor also offered Watson a new career path.
Not everyone was in the mood to offer plaudits, however.
Watson said in his statement he was proud of pushing through a number of initiatives that "were stuck in neutral," including the Confederation LRT line and the Lansdowne redevelopment — both of which started under his predecessor Larry O'Brien but came to fruition during Watson's tenure.
He also listed the Ottawa Art Gallery and Arts Court, the new central library, and welcoming 4,000 Syrian refugees to Ottawa among his accomplishments.
Ottawans will elect a new mayor for the first time since 2010 when they go to the polls next October.