After 14 years serving the Town of Creston and celebrating his 75th birthday, Mayor Ron Toyota is moving on to retirement.
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Throughout his civic career, he drew some inspiration from his father, Tak Toyota, who had also been a very community-minded person. Tak served on town council, was chairman of the Blossom Festival, and developed the original Battle of the Bands.
In 2008, Toyota took it upon himself to get more involved and run for office.
“I ran to say, I think we can do a better job,” he said.
With no prior experience on town council, he said it took one full year to really learn the ins and outs of operations.
“We have a complex system,” he said. “You can’t just read a book and learn it. It takes hands-on experience.”
Over his last four terms, there have been many projects he has been proud to see come to fruition, such as construction of the Ramada in 2012 and development of the Telus fibre optic network by Telus in 2014.
In his first term, one of the major highlights was the opening of the Creston and District Community Complex (CDCC) in 2010 - a $25 million project.
“The whole community complex is so powerful for our valley,” he said. “Yes, it cost a lot of money, but it was worth it because of the usage. It it just made sense. It was well built, and it’s a beautiful, beautiful facility.”
He added that the recreational centre has helped attract young professionals to the community.
“I know that there are physicians here that had we not had that facility, it would have been a real detriment for them making a decision to come here,” he said.
The Creston Valley Health Working Group, which recruits new doctors, has been a powerful tool during his time in office.
“Currently, there are 22 physicians working in the Creston Valley,” he said. “They want to live here for the lifestyle, and they come here to raise their young families.”
Over the last decade, Toyota boasts that the Town of Creston has received over $20 million worth of government grants for infrastructure, which required a lot of staff planning ahead of time. The funding has gone towards several major projects, with approximately $7 million for the Arrow Creek Water system, $2 million for upgrades to the CDCC, $3 million for the Community Park, and $8 million for a wastewater treatment system.
While much has been accomplished, there is still much work to be done by future councils - like rerouting highway traffic off Main Street.
“It’s been talked about since 2000,” he said. “People don’t understand the complications. There have been suggestions of other roads, like Erickson, but they don’t know the technical issues and liability issues. I’m hoping the new council will be successful in moving it forward.”
In September of this year, Toyota’s council was able to celebrate a big win at the grand opening of the Creston Emergency Services Building. The project was victim to years of frustrating setbacks. The final costs to complete the CESB added up to $9.9 million, after a failed referendum for borrowing in 2017 and inflation during the pandemic.
“I’m not pleased with the timeline, and I’m not pleased with the cost, but it was out of our control,” Toyota said. “But it is a beautiful, efficient facility that will serve our firefighters and the Work Experience Program well for the next 100 years.”
On another positive note, Toyota speaks fondly of his friendship with Nasukin Jason Louie of the Lower Kootenay Band.
“There have been ups and downs, but over the last 14 years, this relationship has been my biggest accomplishment,” he said. “It really takes a lot of time to build trust.”
He relayed the story of the first meeting with Louie, after his calls kept going unanswered.
“Finally, after getting phone call after phone call, he picked up and we connected,” said Toyota. “He said, ‘Why in the hell do you want to talk to me?’ And I told him I just wanted to meet. And that slowly evolved to having lunch once a month and becoming a genuine friendship.”
Louie has returned the sentiment about their work together and wishes the mayor a happy retirement.
“He’s put in his time, and I’m going to miss his presence,” said Louie. “Ron’s work with the Lower Kootenay Band is probably the best any mayor of this town has ever done. Ron supported us and learned about our culture and participated in a respectful manner. We sat at the table as equals, which has not happened in the past.”
While Toyota is moving on to a slower pace of life, he still plans to be involved in one way or another. One project that he’s particularly passionate about is planning Creston’s centennial on Nov. 14, 2024, for which a committee has formed.
“It needs a lot of work and organization, so that’s the type of thing that interests me,” he said.
While spending the last few weeks in his office, he has counted down the remaining days on his calendar with a big smile on his face.
“It’s like anything in life - 90 per cent of it has been just beautiful,” he said. “I’d like to think we have a community here that we’re proud of. I’m in charge, supposedly, but it’s really come down to having four good councils and staff over the years.”
He looks forward to his well-earned travels ahead, with plans to drive through the U.S. for four months with his wife Judy in their RV. Before heading off on his new venture, he will celebrate the inauguration of new mayor Arnold DeBoon on Nov. 8.
Now, the civic torch has passed to his daughter, Denise Dumas, who was recently elected as a town councillor, with his mentorship guiding her campaign.