Within days of his official retirement as the city’s top administrator, Scott Stewart will be heading for new adventures in Alberta. He’s not making a quick escape, this is how the stars have aligned.
Stewart and his wife, Darlene, are heading west to set up their new life on a three-acre property in a rural area where they’ll be close to their two grown children and a soon-to-be-born great grandson.
“There's a couple of greenhouses on the property that'll keep a fellow busy, out of trouble,” the city’s CAO said with a smile. “We bought a tractor and I am going to have to learn some new skills. And that includes learning how to operate a tractor and all that jazz.
“We'll go in slowly and I'll keep peace in the valley.”
Stewart announced his upcoming retirement in January, with his last day in the office set for June 21. His retirement becomes official soon after.
Prior to coming to the City of Guelph as a deputy CAO in 2015, Stewart held municipal administration jobs with the cities of Burlington and Hamilton, as well as the Region of Peel. At the time of his arrival, his focus was infrastructure and development in the city.
Part of what attracted him to the position here is that Guelph was known for being willing to try new things.
“Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't,” he said, noting he’s long been driven to try new things in search of the best solutions.
“And it's as close to a single-tier municipality without being one,” he added of Guelph. “I think there's a lot to be said for everybody being in the same boardroom.”
After then-CAO Derrick Thomson and the city parted ways in 2019, Stewart decided to throw his hat into the ring for that position and got the job.
“I wasn't always convinced it was the right step for me when I put my name forward,” he said, explaining he enjoyed the deputy CAO role and would have been content to stay in it, but this opportunity presented itself.
“It has been a privilege and an honour to do this,” Stewart added of being CAO. “There's a lot of great staff here that do great work all the time.
“I hope I've left it a little better for the next CEO or city manager that comes along.”
Asked what he considers the biggest mark he’s left on the city, Stewart highlighted his efforts to tear down departmental silos, fostering collaboration and working together toward set goals.
In his eyes, a big piece of that was seeing council approve the city’s first strategic plan soon after he took over as the top staffer. The strategic plan sets an overarching vision for the city’s future, which drives staff recommendations to council on just about everything.
“The strat plan is really the north star,” he said. “We should be connected through one central document.”
That has led to the implementation of multi-year municipal budgets, top employer awards for the city, continuous improvement plans, coordinated downtown rejuvenation efforts and more.
Back in 2019, Stewart signed a five-year contract for the CAO position which expires this summer. That timing essentially aligns Stewart’s longtime goal of retiring while still in his 50s – he turns 60 in September – and the pending birth of a grandson.
Also contributing to the timing of his retirement is that Stewart suffered a stroke last year, which made him reevaluate some things in his life.
“I just think there's been timing and messaging that way are clearer things for me to just say, ‘you need to retire at an age that you can enjoy it,’” he said.
“I think we'll get out (to Alberta) and enjoy the family, but just really enjoy the lifestyle part of it.”
