Rick Page has retired after nearly a decade in one of the top spots at city hall.
Page, the city’s director of legislative services, officially retired on May 30. He had worked as the city clerk since April 2005.
“The City of New Westminster has changed, even in the short time that I’ve been here, so radically that it’s been very exciting for me professionally. We got to grapple with all kinds of things that you don’t see come up that often,” Page said. “As you evolve and change, the challenges become more and more different. I found that really good.”
Prior to joining the City of New Westminster, Page worked for Statistics Canada and the Greater Vancouver Regional District and did municipal consulting in communities including Belcarra, Pemberton, Whistler and West Vancouver.
Page was off work for a period of time after being injured in a car accident at Eighth Street and Royal Avenue on July 8, 2013. A motorist went through a red light and broadsided his car.
“I am 60 and I had been planning to retire at 62. It was sort of in the works already,” he said. “With the accident and such, I decided that life was really precious and I should really retire now and enjoy what time I’ve got.”
Along with being New Westminster’s director of legislative services, Page served as acting city administrator between the time Paul Daminato retired and Lisa Spitale was named chief administrative officer.
During his tenure with the city, Page’s roles included coordinating the city’s 150th anniversary celebrations and sister and friendship city relationships, including planning trips to Asia.
“I enjoyed the international relations work. We established agreements with a number of cities overseas. These are solid businesses agreements, not just pieces of paper. It’s something the city can build on,” he said. “I am hoping whoever takes over that portfolio works to that end because we worked very hard to get there.”
In addition to public service, Page also enjoyed a musical career with his band Flashback – Solid Gold Rock ‘n’ Roll, which performed at assorted venues including cruise ships and the Harrah’s Casinos’ circuit that included gigs in Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City.
Page, who also worked as a studio musician, has shared the stage with Anne Murray and Gordon Lightfoot and opened for the likes of Neil Diamond and Dionne Warwick.
Page has no plans to hit the casino circuit, but looks forward to doing a bit more performing in his retirement years.
“You know what’s really funny, we have been performing off and on lately, just in bits and pieces,” he said. “Now that I am retired, first I am going to take a bit of time to do a bit of traveling, and then I am going to join a barbershop quartet so I can keep singing. It’s in the blood.”
Page’s partner recently rented The Columbia theatre for his 60th birthday, an event that included an unexpected performance.
“We had a rock and roll band there which backed us up so we did a show that night, by surprise,” he said. “That kind of thing now and then is really fun. I don’t think I could do it again as a career. I lived the dream, both places – both musically and municipally. I came from a receptionist position and worked myself up to city manager status. That’s a good thing.”
