Thank you, from Mayor Libby O'Hara

Mayor Libby O'Hara officially concluded her duties on Monday, May 26, with the swearing in of the new Quispamsis Council.

At the ceremony, O'Hara offered some final thoughts as she completed her 15 years of public service. A copy of her remarks are below:

Good Evening, everyone,

Tonight, I stand before you with a full heart, deep gratitude and more memories than I could possibly fit into eight minutes.

Fifteen years ago, I stepped into municipal politics because I believed in this community. I believed in the people of Quispamsis. I believe that local government matters because it touches everyday life----- our people, our roads, our parks, our safety, our recreation, our neighborhoods, and most importantly our sense of belonging.

What I did not fully appreciate back then was just how much this community would shape me in return.
I always believed if we give attention to our town then we would actually shape what Quispamsis will become, but Quispamsis has shaped me.

Serving as your mayor has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

Over the years we have accomplished much together. We have seen growth in our town, investments in infrastructure, improvements in recreation and public services, a response to housing needs and transportation, and the strengthening of a community that people are proud to call home.

But as everyone in this room knows, leadership is not measured only during the easy times.

Together, we have also faced difficult moments. We navigated uncertainty, economic pressures, changing governments, regional challenges, and moments when decisions were not simple and certainly not unanimous. There were long nights, difficult conversations and times when we had to make choices that required courage more than popularity.

Yet through every challenge, what stood out to me was the resilience of this Town's council and staff as well as this community. Together, we worked to arrive at final decisions we believed best served our town.

Time and again, the people of Quispamsis showed patience, generosity, common sense, and a willingness to pull together when it mattered most.

This is the true strength of a town.
Not buildings.
Not budgets.
Not politics.

It’s people.

I have often said that municipalities succeed when they remember they are in the ‘people’ business. Roads and infrastructure matter, but communities are ultimately built on trust, relationships, and shared purpose.

Communication is paramount in all relationships and leading a town requires the openness to listen, to put community before ego, and to collaborate while respecting differing opinions.

I want to thank the residents of Quispamsis for placing their trust in me over these many years. Public service is not something anyone accomplishes alone. Every election, every conversation in the grocery store, every email, every wave across a parking lot, reminded me who I worked for.

And yes, they occasionally reminded me when you disagreed with me, too.

It comes with the territory.

I also want to thank my fellow Council members, past and present. We did not always agree – and frankly, if we had, we probably were not doing our jobs properly. But I genuinely respected the passion and commitment each person brought to the table. Healthy debate is part of democracy. What matters is, at the end of the day, we all wanted what was best for Quispamsis.

To our town staff, thank you for your professionalism, patience and dedication. Municipal employees are often the unsung heroes of a community. Residents see the final result, but behind every project, every emergency response, every recreation program, and every public service, are people who work hard every single day.

I have been fortunate to work alongside exceptional people.

And to my family – thank you for sharing me with public life for 15 years. Your love and support fueled my strength every day.

Now, as I prepare to step away from municipal office, people often ask me what I’m most proud of.
Certainly, there are projects and milestones that matter.

But honestly, I am most proud that through 15 years of change and challenge, Quispamsis remained a community that people believed in.

A place that has been recognized as the #1 community in which to live in Atlantic Canada – not just once, but twice.
A place where families want to raise children.
A place where volunteers step forward.
A place where neighbours still help neighbours.
A place where optimism continues to outweigh cynicism.
A place where decorum leads all decisions in this Chamber.

And so tonight, I do not simply want to look backward, I want to leave a message about the future.
The future of Quispamsis is bright. Communities do not thrive because they avoid change, they thrive because they face change with confidence, wisdom, and compassion.

The next generation of leaders will have new challenges ahead, but I have confidence in this town.
Because I have seen what this community can do when people listen to one another, work together, and focus on the bigger picture instead of the next headline.

In many ways, municipalities are where democracies feel most real. It is where decisions directly affect people’s daily lives. It is where citizens can still walk up to their mayor in a coffee shop and tell them exactly what they think.

Before I close, I want to leave you with this thought:

A successful community is not defined only by what it builds, but by what it leaves behind for those who come next. For me, while this chapter closes, my love for Quispamsis never will.

This town has given me friendships, lessons, challenges, unforgettable moments, and the privilege of serving people I deeply admire.

Thank you for that privilege.
Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your support.
And thank you for allowing me the honour of serving as your mayor.

The best days for Quispamsis are still ahead.

Thank you.