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Highest possible award bestowed on longest-serving Langley City councillor

There were several rounds of applause and hugs for Gayle Martin Monday night, March 20, as Langley City’s longest-serving councillor was granted the highest honour the municipality can bestow.

There were several rounds of applause and hugs for Gayle Martin Monday night, March 20, as Langley City’s longest-serving councillor was granted the highest honour the municipality can bestow.

“It’s something that I never, ever would have expected,” Martin remarked after Mayor Nathan Pachal presented her with Freedom of the City of Langley at the opening of Monday’s council meeting.

“It is a real honour, and I feel that honour, and I’m so appreciative,” Martin added.

Family and friends were present, including her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and brother.

Pachal and several council members took the opportunity to hug Martin, who called it “a very emotional time.”

Martin, a councillor for 32 years, thanked her mother, who she noted would have been 98 this year, for being supportive when she first decided to run for council.

“I was a single mom of a six-year-old and my mom was there every step of the way,” Martin recalled.

“We all know that you couldn’t do this job without the support of family and friends.”

Martin also thanked staff at the City, calling them the best “anywhere in Metro Vancouver.”

READ ALSO: Longest sitting Langley City councillor to be given special honour

In presenting the award, Mayor Pachal called it “an honour and privilege” to recognize Martin, saying she has “mentored, guided and provided invaluable advice to many incumbent and new members of Council.”

Martin, he noted, played an “instrumental role in numerous community-building projects” including the Downtown Langley Master Plan, Sendall Gardens upgrading, City Park upgrading, Innes Plaza renewal, the Casino/Convention Centre/Hotel development, Al Anderson Memorial Pool expansion project, new cenotaph at Douglas Park, McBurney Plaza Renewal project, Timms Community expansion project, among many others.

In addition to serving on council and the Metro Vancouver board of directors, Martin was a founding member and past president of Soroptimist International of the Langleys, on the board of directors of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce including serving two years as president, a volunteer at the Gateway of Hope where she is also a member of the community council, and volunteered for St. Joe’s soup kitchen and Critter Care Wildlife Society.

Martin was on the Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) Board of Directors for 16 consecutive years and served as the Vice Chair for two years and Chair for four years.

Martin is only the sixth person to have received the honour in Langley City history.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Last meeting for two Langley City councillors


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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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