Former Woodlands County Mayor Jim Rennie speaks candidly about his reasons for stepping down

Mental health is important for everyone no matter who you are or whether you are homeless, a successful business owner, a stay-at-home parent, or an elected official. Following recent events that played out in the public forum, Woodlands County Mayor Jim Rennie put in his resignation to council although he will remain an elected official as a councillor for Whitecourt East. Effective as of February 4, 2019, the resignation cited his reason for stepping down as health issues. Councillor Ron Govenlock was appointed mayor to replace him.

The conversation around what health issues were behind the resignation arose the moment the news hit and, in wanting to open a dialogue on an important subject, Rennie decided to speak openly about the decision. “I wanted to take the necessary time to put my family first and deal with something that has been causing us grief,” he explained. Rennie said he had been dealing with a specific matter that was manageable until it became personal and his family started being affected.

Rennie said his children began hearing things at school. Finding out something that should have remained as his issue, as a public official, was being put onto his children out of spite and was unimaginable. “It was very upsetting for them and, to me, that is completely unacceptable. I would never do that. I would never ever do that to someone else’s children. To let a matter that is between adults reach the children is unacceptable. You just don’t do that,” he explained.

“Seeing my children upset, honestly, became overwhelming. I knew I had to take the measures necessary to deal with the situation. It was becoming a problem for me to handle and, with the effect on my family, I recognized that I needed help.” Rennie said he wanted to publicly talk about it because he hopes that others can learn from his experience.

“It’s no different than breaking your arm or your leg. Yes, you can see those issues more clearly, but we can’t ignore our mental health. I’m the worst guy ever to say that something is wrong with me or to ask for help. But I’m glad I did,” Rennie said. He is grateful to the rest of council for its support and is thankful to Govenlock for stepping up to take over as mayor. “I admire him for stepping up as he has. He has stepped up big time and I appreciate that very much. I support Mayor Govenlock 100 per cent,” he added.

Rennie has held the mayor’s seat since 2005 and said that some of his greatest mayoral accomplishments include building inter-municipal partnerships. “Even in a tougher year we still have lots to look forward to. We have some great opportunities coming down the road and our council is very focused on that.”

Seeking medical advice has been a relief for Rennie and he encourages others to do the same especially if the stress of life is getting to be too much. “I’ve learned that true strength is asking for help and not keeping it in and trying to deal with things yourself. I could care less about what people say about me because I can handle that, but my children are different. That I couldn’t handle. I think most parents would understand that. I can’t have people insulting my children. I signed up for this role, not them, and they are off limits. My family is off limits.”

Rennie said he remains focused on his role as a councillor representing Whitecourt East and that without the added responsibilities of mayor, he will be able to give proper attention to his personal matters. He said he hopes to gain back his previous role as mayor some time in the future.

“Focusing on family and ourselves is important. We, as a society, must change the discussion about our mental health and take away the stigma around it. There is no shame in asking for help and recognizing that we need to take a step back. Dr. Jane Ojedokun and her husband, Dr. Joseph at Life Medical Clinic are very astute on mental health. I would certainly recommend speaking to them,” Rennie said.

He said if one person decides to put himself first after reading about his experience then it will have been worth it to come forward. “Don’t be afraid to do it. We all deal with things differently, but we are all the same in the sense that we need to make our mental health a priority. I didn’t understand mental health before this, and I think that most people are the same way. My family deserves me at my best as do the residents of Woodlands County. That is my focus going forward,” he concluded.