Coun. Jaimie McEvoy is grateful to the support he has received from his colleagues on city council, city staff and community members since suffering a heart attack earlier this year.
The veteran New Westminster councillor suffered a heart attack on Feb. 2 and underwent triple-bypass surgery on Feb. 12 at Royal Columbian Hospital. At its Feb. 26 meeting, council approved a medical leave of absence for McEvoy, as required by the Local Government Act.
McEvoy was back in city council chambers Monday night.
“Happy to see you back,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone at the start of the meeting. “Great to see you healthy; I know you still have some limitations about what you can do .. but it's really good to see you back.”
Later in the meeting, McEvoy said he is glad to be back at work as a councillor.
“I’m not back 100 per cent; there's still a process that I'm going through,” he said. “It's been quite a journey, but I will be full bore at some point.”
McEvoy thanked all of his colleagues for being supportive of him during his time away.
“Mayor Patrick, I think, deserves some credit. He was very supportive personally,” he said. “He kept me informed to the level that I was able to be informed because I was on strict no-stress rules for most of the time that I was away.”
According to McEvoy, chief administrative officer took “a very firm position” that she would be insisting on whatever advice was recommended by McEvoy’s doctors.
“I had huge support from the public,” he said. “Even in the hospital, I got so many flowers that at some point they had to come in and take them all the way because the pollen was affecting other people in the in the ward.”
McEvoy said he is grateful for the messages and visits he has received and general support of community members.
“You know, quite honestly, there was a possibility I might not be here, and I am here, so I'm hugely grateful for that,” he said at Monday’s meeting. “And I just want to thank all of council and staff and the public for your support during this time.”
Coun. Daniel Fontaine said he’s grateful that McEvoy was back in council chambers because it means he is on the mend and is getting healthier every day.
“You may not be 100 per cent right now, but I know before long, you will be,” he said. “We missed your sage wisdom … and your commonsense approach to stuff. So, I'm pleased that you're back at council.”
