It was time to return to politics: Kilger

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

Elisabeth Johns

Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 10:00

Local News - Bob Kilger has a secret. If it wasn't for the former MP's son, Chad Kilger, playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he probably wouldn't watch the team, he jokes.

The once-deputy speaker turned mayoral candidate spoke candidly at his home with his wife of 35 years, Bernice, about his life in and out of politics.

Kilger, 62, spent almost 16 years as a Liberal federal member of parliament for the local riding, so to say his political and media savvy is proficient is to say the least.

But the biggest secret Kilger has been holding on to is why - why did he join the mayoral race after declaring retirement from politics following a stunning defeat to Conservative MP Guy Lauzon in 2004.

"Whenever I lost, I was quite disappointed," he said. "When your time is up, some people consider to run again. I was satisfied with what I had accomplished." At the time, he wanted to enjoy time with his family - his three boys, Jason, Chad and Ryan, and four grandchildren.

But there was something missing. Ever since he helped with the Cornwall Community Hospital fundraiser, he had that itch to return to the job he passionately loves and cares about.

"It's one more opportunity to put something back into my hometown."

Bernice pipes up in agreement that it was time for him to return to politics - besides, they missed the life and the people they met along the campaign trail.

Kilger championed the long-awaited ethanol plant and was able to secure a $10.5-million grant promised for the beleaguered co-operative (which still has not built a plant to date).

He also chaired the "Kilger Committee," which developed a report to modernize the way parliament works, chaired the committee on Bill C-55, also known as Canada's New Anti-Terrorism Bill, and was a member of the board of Internal Economy for nine years.

However, he was criticized for being in office for a decade and a half and not fixing many of the problems the riding faced - and still faces - like unemployment, smuggling and border issues.

Kilger's past is emblematic of many of those who live and work in the city. He went to Cornwall Classical College and St. Lawrence High School. He was a Domtar worker. He played hockey - and eventually went on to play junior hockey with National Hockey League great Bobby Orr, among others.

In the 1970s and early 80s, Kilger worked as a linesman and a referee for the NHL. He was often on the road, away from his wife and kids at home. This caused some duress upon him, not being as close to his family as he would have liked, and he soon became a part-owner of St. Hubert, a local franchise restaurant.

During this time, when his uncle and close confidant, Aime Leblanc, was elected to city council, Kilger thought to himself, 'Someday I would love to have the opportunity to emulate him.'

And so he decided to jump into the fray after he was approached by the Liberal party to run federally.

He divested himself from the business and made a major career change.

That change helped him facilitate an ongoing kinship with former city mayor and federal Trade Minister Ed Lumley, who Kilger considers to be his mentor.

It's interesting to consider the two total opposites chumming about, as Kilger is soft-spoken and jests when he's comfortable, whereas Lumley is known to be a much more brazen, shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy.

These types of political contacts in Kilger's rolodex, who can help to affect change, are ones he has no problem touting when discussing his edge over the other mayoral candidates. "I represented the people of our city for 15 and a half years," he said. "This will afford me the opportunity to put into practice the leadership skills I've acquired."

He says he can, in fact, make a difference. He believes there are two keys to a community's success and those are young people and civic pride.

"Of course, we need to address how we're seen by the outside world," Kilger said in a previous interview, suggesting there are people in the city who believe Cornwall is run down, a ghost town - not a great place to call home.

"How do we address how we feel about ourselves?" addicted to politics

For Kilger, there's no two ways around it: politics is an addiction. "In the end, there is no greater satisfaction than making a difference in someone's life," he declared.

"You have to be very committed to giving it your all, so someday you might be remembered as someone who did make a difference.

"You have to be among the doers and the believers who can."