Okotoks mourns loss of its longtime mayor
Bill Robertson remembered for his upbeat attitude and dedication to town
The town of Okotoks is grieving the loss of its mayor, Bill Robertson, who died Tuesday at the age of 67 following a battle with cancer.
Robertson was first elected as mayor in 2010 after serving as a town councillor for 15 years, and was re-elected in 2013 and 2017.
During his time with the town, which saw the population triple from 10,000 to 30,000, Robertson was instrumental in making Okotoks the first solar community in North America and in the opening of Seaman Stadium, home to the Okotoks Dawgs baseball team.
Okotoks councillor and current deputy mayor Florence Christophers said above all else, Robertson was a person who truly wanted to make the world a better place.
“I don't know a lot about him personally, but certainly through council you get to know a lot about a person. … Mayor Bill was a man who was both head and heart,” she said.
“(He) was a feeler, he was full of mischief and fun. He was kind and was very quick to bring the mood of a meeting up. If anything got too heavy or too negative, he would crack jokes. He really wanted other people to be happy, and to look on the bright side of life.”
Christophers said that as mayor, Robertson always encouraged his councillors to feel comfortable voicing their opinions and frequently said that if everyone was voting the same way on a subject, it meant that somebody wasn't thinking for themselves.
“He wanted us to disagree. He wanted us to tap into our community to bring all kinds of ideas to the table and to chart a path forward that had the best thinking amongst everybody. He was very passionate about bringing humour and good energy to the community.”
Before getting elected to council, Robertson was a teacher. Even after retirement, he would volunteer at local schools, visiting classrooms and sharing his wisdom about local government.
Tammy Mcintyre Masson was one of Robertson's students in elementary school before becoming a teacher herself and returning to the school she was taught at. There, she taught alongside Robertson for a year and she said she saw what passion he had for the role.
“He was just always kind and caring, always upbeat and joking around and just had compassion for the students that he teaches,” she said. “As a teacher, he was a passionate educator. He loved his colleagues and his students. And even years later, he'd always have time to stop and chat.”
Mcintyre Masson said finding out about his death, and not knowing he was sick, came as a big shock.
“I definitely feel heartbroken for the family and the loss for the community because he's been such a big part of our community for so long.”
Robertson leaves behind his wife Elaine and sons Michael, Jeffery and Bradley.
Christophers said she was also shocked to hear upon his passing that he had been sick, but keeping the illness to himself and his loved ones speaks to his character.
“I think that Mayor Bill probably didn't want to tell the community that he was battling cancer because I don't think he would have wanted anybody to be down and out or to grieve or to be worried about it before they needed to,” she said. “He was the kind of guy that would protect other people from hurt and distress.”
The town will be flying flags at half-mast to honour Robertson and a book of condolences is available for people to sign online and in person at the Okotoks Municipal Centre during regular business hours.
“Our community's just come through COVID and now we're being called to come together again to celebrate, to appreciate and grieve our mayor together,” Christophers said.