Tributes and condolences were shared for the late Sally Freeman at the beginning of the Quinte West City Council meeting on Wednesday.
The Trenton Ward councillor passed away on October 22 following a lengthy illness.
Freeman was one of the city’s longest running councillors, with her career in public service beginning in 1995 when she was elected as an alderman to the City of Trenton, before the beginning of the amalgamation to Quinte West.
From that point, Freeman served on every council with the exception of one term when she ran for mayor unsuccessfully.
She is credited with her involvement on the board that oversaw the amalgamation of Quinte West in 1998 and supporting the construction of the Quinte West Fire/Rescue Headquarters and Station 1 in 2018.
Other accomplishments include her contributions to the Quinte Museum of Natural History, her service on the board of directors for Trenval, and her collaboration with the Ontario Health Coalition addressing barriers to quality home care for families in Quinte West among others.
“Sally’s legacy of service, compassion and commitment will be remembered and cherished by all who had the privilege of knowing her,” Mayor Jim Harrison said at the beginning of the meeting.
“On behalf of council, city staff and the residents of Quinte West, I extend our sincere deepest condolences to her family, friends and loved ones. She will be deeply missed, but her impact on the community will never be forgotten.”
All councillors gave their tributes to Freeman, with each giving a rose at the end of their speeches. Those roses, as well as a bouquet of roses, were given to the family of Freeman in attendance.
Councillor Lynda Reid spoke of her longtime friendship with Freeman.
“Sally and I spent countless hours talking on the phone and trying to go on little adventures like visiting City Hall one last time, Sally loved every minute of that excursion, as did I and all the staff and friends we saw that day,” Reid said battling through tears.
“I will miss my friend dearly and will forever hold her friendship and our time together in my heart. On behalf of the Reid family, I’d like to let Sally’s family know how much she was loved, and how fondly she will always be remembered.”
You can listen to the full tributes from councillors below.
A Celebration of Life for Sally will be held on December 14 at Trent Port Marina from 2 to 5 p.m.
