By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer
He stood up for the little guy.
That was the reputation enjoyed by Marceil Saddy, our 65th Mayor.
The London, Ontario native argued against tax increases at every turn, using his well-worn example of how Council’s actions would impact on the “little old lady on Brock Street”.
During an interview, Former Alderman Don Poore, who served on Saddy’s Council, said “Marceil was a populist Mayor who wanted to hold taxes down. He made it stick then and it still sticks today. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a significant tax increase here”.
Born in 1924, Saddy graduated from the University of Western Ontario before coming to Sarnia with partner Jack Fullerton to found the ‘Gazette’ weekly newspaper.
While covering Council meetings as a reporter he became interested in municipal politics and ran successfully for an Aldermanic seat in 1966. His political career was off to a promising start but in 1972 he lost a bid to unseat incumbent Mayor Paul Blundy.
Re-elected as an Alderman in 1974, Saddy went on to win the Mayor’s chair six years later. He soon proved to be a popular Chief Magistrate, winning landslide re-election victories in 1982 and 1985.
Working with senior government officials, he helped secure Sarnia Bay Marina and a new Sarnia Airport terminal. He also had a hand in a dramatic upgrading of the City’s VIA Rail Train Station.
During his time at the helm Council also built a new police headquarters and converted the old Lochiel Street School into a community centre. Mayor Saddy was also credited with playing a crucial role in development of a senior citizens’ home on the St. Clair River.
On the downtown redevelopment front, his Council approved a loan program providing up to $750,000.00 to business people who renovated the exteriors of their buildings.
Mayor Saddy’s greatest political obsession was a desire to expand the City’s boundaries. He fought for years for an amalgamation with Clearwater but didn’t live to see the 1997 marriage between the City and Town.
However, Mr. Poore believed Saddy helped make amalgamation possible by keeping the issue alive over the years.
Mayor Saddy, a life-long bachelor, died in office of lung cancer on March 7, 988. He was 63.