ESTEVAN - Monday night's meeting of Estevan city council was most likely the final one for Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig.
Ludwig, 67, has been Estevan's mayor since 2012 and was a councillor from 1994-2012. He announced late last year he would not seek re-election in the November 2024 civic election. While there is one more scheduled council meeting remaining for this term on Sept. 23, Ludwig will be on holidays at that time.
Ludwig said the past 30 years have gone by quickly.
"I've enjoyed my 30 years on council," he said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. "As I look back, it's been great. I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of interesting people and do a lot of problem-solving in a team environment over the years."
His 12-year tenure as mayor is the longest in Estevan since Harry Nicholson was at the helm of the city in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
During his time as a councillor from 1994-2012, there were four different mayors. And while he's been on council, there have been more than 25 different councillors.
Ludwig's holiday will start shortly before the nomination period for the civic election begins on Sept. 24, and he'll be back after the deadline for nominations on Oct. 9. Ludwig said the timing of the holiday is coincidental.
"After many conversations with my better half, my good wife [Denise], we both believe that it's time I took a bow. We're both of the same mind that it's time to look at other opportunities and see what comes my way."
Ludwig doesn't believe there is anything that could cause him to change his mind about seeking another term. He's confident there will be good people running who will have a positive outlook and do the best they can for the community.
"I do believe that we will have some good candidates step forward, and of those people, I'm sure that our community will take a good, hard look and elect the right people who will continue to move our community forward."
The mayor said he hasn't had a lot of second thoughts since announcing his pending retirement from politics. He's considering his options on whether he dabbles in something or enjoys a full-blown retirement. He retired from Westmoreland Mining LLC in November 2021 after a mining career that spanned more than 40 years.
"If nothing else, just basically retire and enjoy the time I have left with my family, with my grandkids. As our grandkids get older, it's more important to spend the amount of time that we can … with them."
He expects he will always pay close attention to city council because it's been such a big part of his life for 30 years. He hopes the next mayor will be transparent, be surrounded by good people, have the best of the community in mind, not be afraid to ask questions, try to get good input from the community and council on major projects, and make decisions with integrity.
Coun. Travis Frank, who also isn't seeking re-election, thanked Ludwig at Monday's meeting for the mayor's 30 years of service.
"Thirty years serving your community is astounding," said Frank. "I think we can all be very inspired by your many years of dedication to the community, to working hard."
Frank said the work for council members is significant for what is essentially a volunteer job. Council members receive a lot of verbal abuse from the community.
"On behalf of the many councils that you've worked with, and everybody else, I wouldn't want you to get out of that chair without knowing that we're very grateful for your commitment to the community," Frank said to applause from those in council chambers.
Ludwig then reflected on some of his accomplishments. While he was still a councillor, he was the chairman of the new arena committee. Numerous infrastructure projects have been completed during his tenure. Water mains have been replaced, roads have been resurfaced and sidewalks have been built or repaired.
The master pathway and sidewalk project was finished in 2021, the city's water source shifted from Boundary to Rafferty Dam and a second water reservoir was built. The city's water tower was refurbished and downtown revitalization is ongoing.
Estevan has also hosted a lot of marquee events over the years.
There have been controversies and decisions that were second-guessed by the public. Some projects were more difficult than others, but Ludwig said they ended successfully.
While he has likely participated in his final council meeting, Ludwig will have one or two meetings to attend through the Estevan board of police commissioners. They are slated to meet Sept. 11 and Oct. 15.
