Building Bridges: A Big City Mayor Reflects on Leadership

"So what's it like to be the mayor?"

If you aspire to be a carpenter, a doctor, or a farmer, it's not difficult to find information about the role - both online and elsewhere. It's much more difficult to find out what it would be like to be a city councillor or mayor. As a result, many people run for public office without fully understanding what they're getting into. In 1994, Don Atchison was one of those people. Born and raised in Saskatoon, Don Atchison has devoted his life to public service and leadership. After serving three terms as a City Councillor, he was elected for four terms as mayor (2003 to 2016), making him Saskatoon's longest-serving mayor. His leadership has driven major growth and key infrastructure improvements for the city.

One of the reasons he wrote "Building Bridges" was to give those who are considering running for office a clear understanding of what they are "getting into." But there are two other reasons as well. The second reason is for readers to understand the life of a politician - to learn a little bit about what it's like to be someone who is willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous critics to make their community, province, and country a better place. And thirdly, to explore the history of the development of the city Don Atchison chose to serve - Saskatoon. The author believes that history is important, and much of it can easily be lost; we may know what happened, but we don't always know the why or the how - the stuff that helps us connect the dots and assists us in making good decisions in the future.

Donald J. Atchison is a recipient of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.