Garth Vallely a mayor who led the charge
TIM KALINOWSKI
Garth Vallely always believed there was more to life than just getting by. People deserved to lead good lives. Abundant lives. Lives free from want or suffering. A great communicator, an attentive listener and a consensus builder by nature, Vallely spent years working in the trenches as a local community organizer helping take on some of the most serious social issues of his day before ever designing to get involved in politics.
“I came in with an idea I wanted to serve,” Vallely recently told the Medicine Hat News. “I had been so involved in the community with so many organizations that I began to get the feeling there was a reason why this was happening to you. So where can you do things that can influence and help all segments of society in our city? By running for office I felt it would lend some stature to what I worked toward in my other community work. That’s all that was in it for me.”
The son of a millwright, Garth Vallely was born in 1939 in Kettering, England. His earliest memories were of the Second World War.
"I remember traveling around and picking up shell casings in my back yard from the night fighter planes during the
raids,” Vallely told the Medicine Hat News. “I also remember British and American planes flying back to England and you see through the fuselage and notice that they were coming in on just two or three engines. I remember all of that very vividly and I get a little choked up."
In 1953, Vallely’s father opted to take a position with the CIL plant in Edmonton and moved his family to Canada. When his parents divorced in 1956, Vallely went to work as a millwright’s helper. A few years later he met the love his life and married.
“I was married when I was 19 to my wife Maryanne. That’s the best thing that ever happened to me was marrying her; and that’s a fact.”
Vallely lived and worked in Medicine Hat for brief periods over the years before deciding to finally settle down in the city in 1984.
“I lived and worked in Medicine Hat three times in my lifetime. Once when I just graduated high school in Edmonton way back in 1956. I was a millwright’s helper when they built that first Western Fertilizer plant out there. And then I worked for a local developer in Medicine Hat for part of one year in the late
1970s. And then I got into the restaurant business with Boston Pizza franchising. First one was in Brooks and then Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.”
Vallely fell in love with the city, but felt it could be even better than it was. He volunteered for community service organizations like the munit
Community ndat
Salvation Army
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Foundation, United Way, at
I D
Support Centre, Medicine Hat Community Housing Society and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, just to name a few. Vallely often found himself thrust into a leadership role.
“I always wanted to know how I could make Medicine Hat better,” said Vallely. “Everyy
ybody should have a chance to mato make a go
a home and a f
e a good living, have nd a family
liv
and be successful in tthe com
er where
ttheyhey work or wha
he community no matter
what they do. continued on page 74
e d i our communities ❚ our region ❚ our people 73
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A non-profit volunteer committee of citizens from Medicine Hat and District presents:
Canada Day 201
Canada 015
JUL JULY ST 1ST volunt
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IN KIN COULEE PARK
For more information on the event or to volunteer please call 403.527.9242 email
canadamh@telus.net
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canadamh@telus.net y
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