CBS mayors past and present celebrate the first 50 years

By Mark Squibb/December 20, 2023

The Town of CBS this month hosted a gala event for members of councils past and present as a part of the town’s 50^th anniversary celebration.

“People were telling stories about how hard it was to do that or how hard it was to get funding for this over the years, and they told it in a way that you could tell they enjoyed the work and their time on council,” said current Mayor Darrin Bent. “It was a great time for all those who attended. This was an opportunity for them to get together and remember their time on council. I heard from a number of them that they simply appreciated being remembered as being on council and appreciated the opportunity to get together with their former colleagues and to meet people that served on councils either prior to them or since then. There were people there who had served on council that I had never meet before.”

One such person was Stan Waterman who served with Mayor Richard Gosse.

“Stan was 91 years old, and he came out because he wanted to see his former colleagues and reminisce with them and talk about the town, the town that they worked to build,” said Bent.

CBS was incorporated in 1973, with Gerald Greenslade, who died in 2016, serving as the first mayor.

“Every decade has its own challenges, and its own milestones,” said Bent. “I think back to when Gerald Greenslade and Kevin Fowler (the town’s second mayor) served, and the challenge they had just to get started, to put in the first water and sewer, and convince people that paying taxes into the town was a good idea, to help build infrastructure and pave roads. It wasn’t until just before 2020 that we paved the last dirt road in CBS, so it’s a process that takes a long time.”

The Town is still installing water and sewer lines on some roads.

“Its something that this council, just like the very first council, believe in and feel strongly still that we must continue, despite the enormous cost,” said Bent.

The event was a time for councillors to reminisce and share stories.

“It was interesting to hear councils talk about a project from 1980 that would have cost $1 to $2 million to do at the time, but they had no way of getting that kind of money,” said Bent. “And now, to do the exact same thing, we’re talking $100 million. And still today there’s no way you can get that kind of money. So, even though times have changed, and the town has grown and is much bigger – when they started the town it was about 8,000 people and we’re approaching 30,000 now – and the infrastructure is well on and the roads are paved and all that, the challenges tend to be somewhat similar every decade, for every council. Until the last water and sewer is in, that will be the challenge of each council.”

Bent said that common amongst all was a genuine interest in building a better community for all residents.

“Somebody asked me if I asked the previous mayors for any advice, and I didn’t, but I think the universal feeling amongst them was that they all came to council wanting to help the town move forward and the only way to do that was to keep your head down and keep working, and keep pushing forward, no matter what,” said Bent. “And I’m glad that all of them came together who had such a key role in building and growing our community into the fantastic, sought-after place that it is today.”

Bent said that legacy has continued to the present day.

“I look around my council table, and all of the people around my council table have for many years invested their time and effort into building our community long before they got on council,” said Bent. “And I think that’s pretty common throughout.”

Bent, who admits he’s a bad judge of numbers, said roughly 70 people came out for the event, including partners and spouses and whatnot.

“Councillors Gerard Tilley and Rex Hillier did the leg work tracking people down, and they did an excellent job, because I think there was only one living former councillor they were unable to contact,” said Bent.

The Town also passed out commemorative medals. Members of councils past who were not able to attend, or family members of those who have passed, may contact the Town to pick up a medal.