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Surviving City Hall (Nightwood $22.95)
Raised on the prairies and in the Okanagan, Donna Macdonald fell in love in 1972-with the town of Nelson-and then became a technician for the Forest Service.
That led to forestry work in Mozambique with her partner and daughter, as well as being a co-founder of the Nelson & District Women's Centre, working for an MP and an MLA, editing a weekly newspaper and freelancing.
In 1988 she ran for Nelson City council and began her longest job ever-19 years as a Nelson City councillor-until December of 2014.
Now her memoir offers stories and reflections that explore both the mechanics of local government and the humanity of that work.
As Hillary Clinton tries to become the first female president of the United States, here's an excerpt from Surviving City Hall (Nightwood $22.95) about a memorable conversation Donna Macdonald had with her mother when Macdonald decided to run for mayor of Nelson.
Not getting Mum's vote:
The first time I considered running for mayor, I had driven to the Okanagan to visit my mother in the care home where she lived. Whispering Pines was an old family home in an orchard, now modified to house the frail elderly. I thought maybe Blossoming Apples or Chattering Cherries might have been a more appropriate name. Mum's room was institutional pastel blue, small and hot. Single bed, bureau, chair, TV. The stifling air was deadening.
For the most part, Mum's mind had already departed for greener pastures, and our conversation was usually a repetition of, "Why did it take you so long to get here? Who's your brother married to now? Why doesn't your sister ever visit?"; Et cetera. But sometimes she was sharp as a pine needle. As she lay in her bed that day, I tried to make more interesting conversation. "Guess what, Mum? I'm going to run for mayor. I think.";
"Why would you do that?"; Her question was not lovingly and gently put, but more like an interrogation.
"Well, the mayor we've got right now has got everybody fighting with everybody else. We need a different style, a different kind of mayor.";
"But why would you run for mayor?"; Uh oh, I thought, here comes the repetition.
"Well, you know, I've been on council for eight years now, and I think I could do a good job as mayor. Or at least way better than he has.";
"But why would you run for mayor?"; she persevered. "That's a man's job."; Oh, I see. Well, no approval or encouragement forthcoming here. I can understand how this generally life-frustrated eighty-year old woman would say and believe that. It turns out, however, she's far from alone.
I'm not saying I lost two mayoral elections just because I didn't have the right genitalia (and the cultural training that goes with them) and if things had been different (for example, three-piece suits hanging in my closet), I would have been mayor. I can't say for sure. But I got some hints. My phone canvassers were hearing this: "Well, she's a nice person and all, and she works hard, but I'm not sure she's tough enough. She's a really good councillor, but I think it takes a man to be mayor. A businessman.";
Longtime Duncan town councillor Sharon Jackson doesn't know Macdonald but she knows full well some of the problems of small-town politics after twenty years on Duncan's council.
After reading Surviving City Hall, Jackson wrote, "She hits the nail on the head, every time. What was especially true for me was the response of citizens, some of whom she had known for years, turning on her because of a council decision, even if she had not supported the motion.
"You are 'on' every hour of every day. People stop to talk, ask questions or complain at the grocery store, at the hair dresser or at the theatre. It is hard not to be on the defensive and to really listen.
"I think this book should be required reading for every aspiring councillor, mayor or regional director, because it is precisely what you can expect.
"For those who do not plan to run for office, it is a very interesting glimpse into how municipalities work and why things are done the way they are.";
Donna Macdonald has received the 2016 Richard Carver Award for Emerging Writers for Surviving City Hall, sharing the award with Kootenay Bay novelist Alanda Greene. It's sponsored by the Nelson and District Arts Council and the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival.
978-0-88971-320-8
That led to forestry work in Mozambique with her partner and daughter, as well as being a co-founder of the Nelson & District Women's Centre, working for an MP and an MLA, editing a weekly newspaper and freelancing.
In 1988 she ran for Nelson City council and began her longest job ever-19 years as a Nelson City councillor-until December of 2014.
Now her memoir offers stories and reflections that explore both the mechanics of local government and the humanity of that work.
As Hillary Clinton tries to become the first female president of the United States, here's an excerpt from Surviving City Hall (Nightwood $22.95) about a memorable conversation Donna Macdonald had with her mother when Macdonald decided to run for mayor of Nelson.
Not getting Mum's vote:
The first time I considered running for mayor, I had driven to the Okanagan to visit my mother in the care home where she lived. Whispering Pines was an old family home in an orchard, now modified to house the frail elderly. I thought maybe Blossoming Apples or Chattering Cherries might have been a more appropriate name. Mum's room was institutional pastel blue, small and hot. Single bed, bureau, chair, TV. The stifling air was deadening.
For the most part, Mum's mind had already departed for greener pastures, and our conversation was usually a repetition of, "Why did it take you so long to get here? Who's your brother married to now? Why doesn't your sister ever visit?"; Et cetera. But sometimes she was sharp as a pine needle. As she lay in her bed that day, I tried to make more interesting conversation. "Guess what, Mum? I'm going to run for mayor. I think.";
"Why would you do that?"; Her question was not lovingly and gently put, but more like an interrogation.
"Well, the mayor we've got right now has got everybody fighting with everybody else. We need a different style, a different kind of mayor.";
"But why would you run for mayor?"; Uh oh, I thought, here comes the repetition.
"Well, you know, I've been on council for eight years now, and I think I could do a good job as mayor. Or at least way better than he has.";
"But why would you run for mayor?"; she persevered. "That's a man's job."; Oh, I see. Well, no approval or encouragement forthcoming here. I can understand how this generally life-frustrated eighty-year old woman would say and believe that. It turns out, however, she's far from alone.
I'm not saying I lost two mayoral elections just because I didn't have the right genitalia (and the cultural training that goes with them) and if things had been different (for example, three-piece suits hanging in my closet), I would have been mayor. I can't say for sure. But I got some hints. My phone canvassers were hearing this: "Well, she's a nice person and all, and she works hard, but I'm not sure she's tough enough. She's a really good councillor, but I think it takes a man to be mayor. A businessman.";
Longtime Duncan town councillor Sharon Jackson doesn't know Macdonald but she knows full well some of the problems of small-town politics after twenty years on Duncan's council.
After reading Surviving City Hall, Jackson wrote, "She hits the nail on the head, every time. What was especially true for me was the response of citizens, some of whom she had known for years, turning on her because of a council decision, even if she had not supported the motion.
"You are 'on' every hour of every day. People stop to talk, ask questions or complain at the grocery store, at the hair dresser or at the theatre. It is hard not to be on the defensive and to really listen.
"I think this book should be required reading for every aspiring councillor, mayor or regional director, because it is precisely what you can expect.
"For those who do not plan to run for office, it is a very interesting glimpse into how municipalities work and why things are done the way they are.";
Donna Macdonald has received the 2016 Richard Carver Award for Emerging Writers for Surviving City Hall, sharing the award with Kootenay Bay novelist Alanda Greene. It's sponsored by the Nelson and District Arts Council and the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival.
978-0-88971-320-8
Submitted on September 5, 2016 in By David.
