Former town councillor and employee Frank Peck was remembered at Monday night’s council meeting by Mayor Sean McIntyre.
“Frank Peck was a valued member of our community who served Sylvan Lake as a municipal employee, an active volunteer and member of council for two terms (from 2004-2010) during an extremely high growth period for the town,” he said.
Peck worked with the town from 1991-2000 as Superintendent of Public Works. “He was a progressive ‘out of the box’ thinker. He was responsible for bringing water meters to Sylvan Lake. He was the force behind the mobile equipment reserve, and he started a partnership with Trans Alta that resulted in the town getting their building for public works.”
McIntyre noted Peck was “very physically active” as an avid golfer and goalie with the Old Timer’s hockey league.
“It was while he served on council in 2009, that Frank’s health and mobility were suddenly and drastically reduced. But he refused to let these changes define his life and he found new ways to stay active and to contribute.
“He was a committed volunteer on Sylvan Lake Community Housing Society, including two years as chair. He had the ability to ‘Dream Big’ when it came to providing affordable housing options to the community, and he encouraged others to also look at the bigger picture. He never lost his enthusiasm even if the ‘bigger picture’ view did not always prevail.
“Frank sat as a member of Municipal Planning Commission where he was respected for his honesty, integrity and for being a ‘straight shooter’. He had a good understanding of the issues that came forward and he expressed his opinion and held his ground always in a professional manner.
“He was also a member of the municipal library board and other groups and boards where his opinion was sought after and appreciated for the expertise, passion and progressive thinking he brought to every volunteer position,” said McIntyre.
He added that “with respect to Frank’s dedication to Sylvan Lake I think it is important to note that he served as chair of the Municipal Planning Commission meeting on Monday just days before his passing”, last Wednesday.
A celebration of his life was held on Tuesday.