It was the last meeting… of this term of council. The only thing on the agenda was everyone’s chance to say “goodbye”, at least for the eight members of council who were departing for greener, or different pastures. Yes, some people got emotional, and yes, there was a literal and symbolic passing of the torch between the outgoing and incoming mayor. To hear what everybody had to say about their last meeting and their time at council read the recap!
Last Meeting of Council – November 3, 2026
It was a bittersweet affair at this week’s council meeting, the last one of the current term. When council meets again a week from Monday it will be with a new mayor and seven new councillors, and the changing of the guard was addressed before the meeting came to a close.
The format of the meeting was simple. Mayor Cam Guthrie highlighted each of the departing councillors, talked about their accomplishments and his appreciation of their character, and then the councillor in question got a chance to say a few words, sometimes without crying…
Katherine Hauser (via Webex):
“Sorry to be reaching out from Manitoba. I just wanted to take time to thank all of my colleagues and all of the staff. It’s been a wild ride for 15 months. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next council accomplishes. I genuinely believe that there’s an opportunity for a fresh start and a much more collaborative approach. I’m really sad I won’t be a part of it, but I wish everyone around the horseshoe today, those of us leaving and those who are joining the new council, every success. And just thank you.”
Michele Richardson:
“It’s truly been an honour and a privilege to serve the residents of Guelph for the last four years, and while we haven’t always agreed around this horseshoe, I know that we all share the common goal of trying to make Guelph the best community it can be. I certainly want to thank my council colleagues for all the support over the last four year. And city staff, I don’t think people understand the depth and the amount of work that you guys do, and I certainly want to recognize that publicly because I was in awe of how much you guys get done in a very short period of time. I’m leaving with gratitude for the experience, the relationships that I’ve built, and the opportunity to make a difference in our city.”
Ken Yee Chew:
“It’s been a real privilege to be here, and I’m very grateful to the people of Ward 6 for placing their trust in me. In this role, you see the best in people, and moments when a little grace is needed, and I’m sure we all know that. You hear from people at their wits’ end, trying to make things work, and you also get to celebrate your successes at all those countless ribbon cuttings… I’ll miss some of the student visits to city hall, and some of the neighborhood visits and all the countless coffee chats. By the way, I never drank coffee until this job. […] This won’t be the last time you see me, and I look forward to finding new ways to serve and getting a few more hours of sleep. It’s been real being here with all of you. We have a beautiful city worth serving, and one that we should never give up on. I wish you all the best as some of us move on to a new season of life. Thank you, everyone, and the best is yet to come.”
Carly Klassen:
“Before this meeting, I was sitting down in my son’s room and I was reflecting on my one term of council, thinking to myself what I would want to share with him when he’s older. I’m thinking that in the next year I’m going to be able to take my son to a brand new public library that’s going to have several pieces of public art that has come from community fundraising by board members who’ve been volunteering for years. […] I’ve spent a lot of years advocating for things like infrastructure at AMO with Cam [Guthrie] alongside and I will never look at city streets the same way. Some of you can expect to receive emails from me in the future. I wish the next term of council a lot of courage. […] Just please, please take care of each other. It’s a tough, tough time out there, and the new people are going to need your support. Thank you for all of your efforts to make this this city a great place. You won’t get rid of me. I’m going to be around, and I’m sure we’ll cross paths in the future at some point.”
Erin Caton:
“What a special job this is. It was never really my intent to be a politician, so having one term doesn’t feel off to me. I came into this job because I wanted to solve problems, and it was so nice to get to do that with you all. […] I had such a great time bothering staff with all of my accessibility needs and questions and demands. I very recently put on YouTube my accessibility town hall so if you want to see staff just busting down barriers, I really recommend going to look at that because there was so much work that got done in four years. It was a really, really hard term and you have so many things get thrown at you that’s impossible to predict. I just really appreciated being here, and I’m looking forward to seeing what everybody else does.”
Christine Billings:
“What I will miss most about this role is helping the constituents. That’s how I started, that’s how I got into the first election back in ‘97, and it was all about supporting the neighborhood. In order to help constituents, you need the help behind you. That is city staff and I want to thank you. I know that the constituents were grateful when you came in to get things done. And I also want to thank you, Mr. Mayor, because we’ve spoken many times over many, many years, and it was really nice that we always had the understanding that at the end of the day, we could agree to disagree, and that’s what made it special. And I also want to thank you for all your hard work and dedication that you have given to this city. […] I’m just going to end by saying it was a very rewarding experience being a Guelph City Councillor, and I sincerely wish the next term of council all the best.”
Then it was Mayor Cam Guthrie’s moment for reflection and gratitude, and yes, he got emotional at times as well.
“It’s very difficult to believe that 12 years have passed since I had the privilege of becoming the mayor of the city,” Guthrie said. “When I began this journey in 2014, I thought I understood the responsibility that came with the office, but what I couldn’t fully appreciate was just how much the experience would mean to me, how many incredible people I would meet, how many challenges we would face together, and how deeply this community would become a part of my life.”
He talked about the accomplishments of the last 12 years, and he also talked about all the things he got credit for that actually started with past administrations. He discussed how the community came together to rapidly develop new social housing, and how the City also set a tone of fiscal responsibility and achieving a AAA credit rating. He also talked about strengthening Guelph’s national and international profile through affiliations like the Ontario Big City Mayors caucus and the Global Covenant of Mayors, and he praised council’s past and present and the City’s executive and leadership team for backing him up all the way.
Guthrie got especially emotional thanking Councillor Cathy Downer, his “council mom”, as he called her. “You gave me a hard time in my first term, but that’s all right, I wasn’t cleaning up my room,” he said. “You would call me, and I would call you, and it was very noticeable, especially during COVID, which was a really difficult time being the mayor. You’re one of just a handful of people that called and said, ‘How are you doing, Cam?’ And I never forgot that. Thank you.”
The outgoing mayor also thanked his family, noting that his two now-grown up children have known nothing but the political life for 16 years, “and I can tell you they put up with a lot,” he said.
“I will always be proud of this city, I always care deeply about its future, and while my time as mayor is coming to an end, my connection to this community is not. It’s been an incredible 12 years, an extraordinary privilege. It’s been the honor of my life. Thank you, Guelph.”
Staff then played a goodbye video featuring messages from Police Chief Gord Cobey, MP (and former city councillor) Dominique O’Rourke, former CAO Scott Stewart (live-ish from his farm), Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer, University of Guelph president Dr. Rene Van Acker, Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White, Kitchener Mayor Barry Vrbanovic (in Kitchener Rangers gear), and Premier Doug Ford. Guthrie joked that it was “like being at your own funeral.”
In one last move, Guthrie invited Mayor-Elect Leanne Caron to come up to the mayor’s chair. He presented her with the mayor’s gavel, which Guthrie said he only had to use once in 12 years, and a pair of golden scissors to do all those ribbon cuttings. During his remarks, Guthrie told Caron that he wished her much success as mayor and offered her some advice.
“Remember, you are the mayor of the entire city. Listen to those who supported you, but also to those who challenged you, and those who may not have even voted for you. Sometimes the most valuable perspectives come from people who disagree with us. Build strong relationships with council and the administration. You don’t have to agree on every issue, but that mutual respect, trust, and honest communication will serve you very, very well. Never lose sight of people behind the policies. Every budget decision, every planning application, every council debate ultimately will affect someone’s life, and it could affect their work or even their businesses here in this community. And finally, give yourself permission to lead in your own way. You don’t need to be the man who came before you. You need to be the mayor you have elected you to be. There will be difficult days, but there will be extraordinary moments when you see the difference that public service can make in the role that you’re giving. Embrace those moments. Guelph is a wonderful city with tremendous potential, and I hope you enjoy every opportunity to help shape his next chapter. Please also take care of yourself. This is very demanding, and don’t read social media.”
Caron said that she admired Guthrie for the ways he interacted with the community and the ways the community reached out back to him, and that he set a high standard for building relationships and fostering community connections. She also praised Guthrie for being a respected leader on the national stage and for managing the exceptional challenges of COVID-19 with grace and professionalism.
“Most of all, just in the last few weeks, your mentoring of me, your onboarding, your wisdom, and your transfer of knowledge has been really important to me, and I know we’ve had those discussions, and they will continue. This is not the end, this is just a new beginning. So thank you, Mr. Mayor for all your years of service,” Caron said.
Caron took the chair and called for a motion to adjourn, which was made by Councillor Billings and seconded by Mayor Guthrie. It was approved without object.
So it goes.
Click here to see the complete recap of the meeting.
