PRRD administrator Moray Stewart remembered fondly

The Peace River Regional District is honouring the passing of former administrator Moray Stewart, who served from 1975 to 2002 – dedicating himself to the betterment of communities in Northeast BC. 

In the wake of Stewart’s passing on March 24, PRRD directors dedicated a page in his memory at their June 29 board meeting. Chair Leonard Hiebert said while Stewart was well before his time, he acknowledged the former CAO’s work in pushing for Fair Share. 

“He played a key role in getting the Fair Share into this region and was really really instrumental in making sure and following through with that,” said Hiebert. 

Former PRRD Electoral Area B director Karen Goodings said she had the good fortune to work with Stewart and remembers his forward-thinking, good humour, and ability to bend the rules when needed.  

“He was a Scotsman and very reserved, as most of them are, and he was very careful. He was the kind of administrator who wanted to get things done,” said Goodings. “And didn’t necessarily always follow exactly the rules that were laid out in order to help.”

In fact, the two disagreed on more than one occasion, added Goodings, but greatly appreciated Stewart. 

“He was great to work with and work under. I appreciated him very much. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t times that we didn’t disagree because we did. He was usually right, by the way,” said Goodings. 

Stewart was also an animal lover, fond of both horses and dogs, said Goodings, noting he named his dog ‘Bylaw’ – which she felt was fitting for his position at the PRRD. 

“He was just an all-around very interesting person. He spoke many languages and was well-educated. I’m sure a lot of it was self-taught,” she said. 

On May 10, District of Kent CAO Wallace Mah penned a letter to the Local Government Management Association (LGMA) describing the legacy left by his colleague. 

“Moray was a bit of a renaissance man, with his Scottish intellect and infused passion, in shaping northeastern British Columbia to incorporate numerous regional services to rural communities including the ‘Fair Share’ taxation of oil and gas pipelines,” wrote Mah. 

He added that many will remember Stewart for teaching professional development at the Municipal Administration Training Institute and for his assistance to many regional districts in developing joint public services in the early 1980s. 

In 1999, Moray received the LGMA’s Professional Award for Innovative Management, and in 2009, he contributed to 40 Years: A Regional District Perspective, a resource compilation of stories and lessons learned by regional districts.

“Moray, you are not gone. You will live on in our hearts and minds in local government,” wrote Mah.

Tom Summer, Local Journalism Initiative.