GUYSBOROUGH — In a heartfelt appreciation for three decades of dedication to the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), the smiles on the faces of well-wishers were as broad as the list of accomplishments of the man they’d come to honour.
“Vernon Pitts,” said Warden Paul Long to the staff who gathered at the municipal building Nov. 26 to see the MODG’s former warden and councillor receive a provincial government long-service award and municipal certificate of appreciation “always saw the bigger picture. Doing the right thing for the entire municipality was his focus each day.”
It was a fitting tribute to a man who had served as District 6 councillor since 1994 – before he was defeated in October’s municipal election – and as MODG deputy warden (2008-2013) and warden (2013-2024). He’s also served on several committees, including: property services, environmental services, financial services, staff and personnel, landfill liaison and Eastern Region Solid Waste Management.
But, more than that, Long stated in an email to The Journal, his self-determination on behalf of the municipality was an example to others.
“Thirty years ago we were in the midst of a steady decline in population, the financial outlook was bleak, and we were looked upon provincially as a ‘have not’ municipality,” he said. “Together, with the council of the day, Vernon helped to shape the rebuild of our community. Through the development of the projects like the Sable Offshore Energy Project, Sable Wind and the municipal landfill facility, to the many pending projected developments we have today, the MODG has grown into a municipality that is a leader in economic development.”
Today, he said, “We are turning the tide on outmigration, young and old alike are seeing our entire municipality as a place to come to set down roots and raise families.... Much has changed in terms of economic development and in how we view ourselves as a community ... It was, in large part ... Vernon’s leadership that paved the way to where we are.”
Much of that leadership, he added, stemmed from Pitts’ determination to tell it like it was to other levels of government, a propensity that earned him respect around various bargaining tables. “People knew that any conversation that involved MODG was going to be done with our best interests at the forefront. He wasn’t scared to have the hard conversations, when it came to making decisions about the overall good for the entire municipality.”
MODG Chief Administrative Officer Barry Carroll concurred that one of Pitts’ important legacies was promoting key and strategic investments across the municipality that strengthened public services and infrastructure broadly, including local volunteer fire departments.
“There was a time when fire departments had to have all kinds of fundraising events to sustain themselves, and today we have 10 fire departments and 13 fire stations that are all well-equipped,” he told The Journal. “We were able to help them so they don’t have to do that fundraising every weekend. And, Vernon was a big proponent of that.”
As for the wheels of municipal administration, Carroll said, ‘Staff had a great relationship with him. He took our advice and, even when he didn’t agree, we always had cordial conversations until we arrived a decision or a recommendation that everybody could live by. He had our backs. He listened to residents when they had concerns. He worked with staff to address them.”
Pitts did not return The Journal’s request for comment by press time this week, but Long said: “As [Vernon] mentioned in his closing remarks during his acceptance of his long service award, the award from MODG is the one he will cherish the most.
“His advice to recognize and appreciate who we are and who we work with each day will allow us to continue to do great things as a municipality.”
