Stew Young tight-lipped about possible 10th term, 30th year as Langford mayor
If there's one local leader who's synonymous with their community, it's Stew Young and Langford.
He's been the mayor for nearly 10 terms and three decades.
Young won the mayorship in 1992 as a bearded businessman, seen here on the right in acid wash jeans.
Stew Young is pictured in 1992.
But now there's rumblings that he may be ready to move on, as his potential 10th term approaches in October.
Young recently retired from running his business, ending decades of what he says were 16-to-17-hour work days.
Now, he focuses more time on all things Langford as the municipality's mayor, though he has yet to announce if he's running for re-election later this year.
For those close to him, they say it's not unusual.
"There'll be days when he says, 'Oh I'm not running again.' And I say, 'Oh, OK,' and I don't believe it,'" said Denise Blackwell, a Langford councillor who's been at the table as long as Young has.
Young became the mayor of Langford when the municipality was still small. There was no centre strip to the city, no stadium, and no Costco.
"Well, you know, I grew up out here. I was born here and there was nothing going on," said Young on Tuesday.
And while he's helped shape the municipality, he also added, "who wants to do this job for 30 years? Come on."
According to Young, he never officially says if he's running for mayor until about three months before an election.
If he doesn't run, Blackwell says she'd consider putting her hat in the ring.
"I always ask her, 'Are you going to run?'" said Young. "She says, 'I don't know, are you running?'"
Blackwell says if she were to run, it would be to help the next generation chart their path forward for the city.
For now, Young says he won't announce if he's running until closer to October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.