Gail Woodfine

Some thoughts on mentorship, municipal life, and the people who answer the phone Municipal work is hard, even if it doesn’t always look that way from the outside. Decisions are public. Relationships matter. Governance lines have to be respected every single day. And when things go wrong, there’s usually very little room for error and not much time to recover. For many people, it can feel like there’s no pause button. After spending a good part of my career in the municipal sector, one thing...

Before the first faceoff at the World Juniors, teams decide how they want to show up. This time of year, councils have that same choice. It’s worth remembering that councils don’t just make decisions. They set the tone. That tone shows up everywhere, in council chambers, in staff offices, and around kitchen tables across the community. Late last year, I wrote about council not being a battlefield, but a family table. That idea still resonates. Families, like councils, don’t always agree. But...

What Hockey and Baseball Teach Us About Leadership It’s late in the game, tensions are high, and every play matters. The team is on the ice, working hard and following the plan. Then, mid-game, the coach changes the strategy without calling a time out, hits the ice. No skates, no stick, no gear. They charge toward the crease, ready to stop the next shot themselves. The confusion is palpable. What’s going on? The players freeze mid-pass. The crowd goes silent. And before long, the other team...