A late night phone call on Nov. 16 informing us that former Warden Brad Whitcombe passed away earlier that day was a terrible shock. Somehow, in some tragic turn of events, Brad was struck down by a form of fasciitis.
He will be remembered by his many friends and family as a passionate man who believed in community – its history and its future.
He tended to see the bigger picture, striving to answer the illusive question of what could be, rather than settling for what is. Brad was a decent man, full of ideals and hopes for tomorrow. He had a heart.
Whitcombe served as a representative for Puslinch from 1989 to 2010 in various capacities. Over that time the face of the county changed immensely and service enhancements took root. Rather than being satisfied with meeting minimum standards, Brad always pushed for better: better services, better facilities and better opportunities for all.
In celebration of the county’s 150th anniversary, the county planted 150,000 trees to commemorate the occasion. It was a feat some said was impossible, but it was achieved through Brad’s insistence, aided by Scott Wilson, county CAO. This one-time event grew into the Green Legacy Program which to date has overseen the planting of 1.8 million trees through partnerships with groups and individual landowners. Decades from now, Whitcombe’s vision of environmental stewardship will extend from Crieff to Clifford. Looking down from above, these forests will one day be a canopy of natural hues and textures no artist could replicate. He would like that.
Along with the natural environment, Whitcombe championed the revival of libraries and their role in the cultural fabric of Wellington County. Books yes, of which Brad was well-read, but more importantly these facilities embrace new technologies and offer comfortable spaces in which to celebrate and appreciate cultural arts.
County council chambers were up-graded under Brad’s watch, the former Guelph post office was tastefully restored and re-purposed as a public building. It was actually his passionate plea that saved the pier under the bridge that spans the Grand River near the Elora arena. We can still remember his speech that day, pleading with council to honour the past and give residents of the future a chance to marvel at the awesomeness of engineering. The laughable part is redemption of the pier was not that more expensive than it would have been to destroy it. There remains a lesson here.
Brad understood the implicit obligation that comes with being a civic champion. Life’s twists and turns gave him a pretty good outlook on life and crafted his clear empathy for others.
A leader has passed and a friend to many has perished far too soon.
