Yesterday afternoon, I was saddened to learn that Dave Hall passed away. Dave was battling cancer for some time; in November, he resigned from council. Dave served on Langley City Council for the past seven years, and prior to that served as a school board trustee between 1997 and 2006.
I met Dave when he became chair of the Parks, Environment, Recreation, and Culture Advisory Committee back in 2009. Serving on the committee with Dave, I really saw how he cared about this community and its people.
Dave regularly researched and presented information for us to discuss beyond what was required for a committee chair. He also encouraged us to research and present our own information to be discuss at committee meetings. Many of these discussions turned into resolutions which Council chose to adopt. Under Dave's leadership, we were the most active City of Langley Committee.
Dave was never one to shy away from controversial topics, and routinely brought forward items at council that he felt weren’t getting due attention.
Dave was also very active online. Dave frequently commented on the post that I wrote on this blog, usually countering points I made. We didn’t always agree on things, but I knew that Dave wanted the best for the people of Langley.
Dave was a strong voice publicly, and he was a mentor. On the Parks Committee, Dave gave other members the opportunity to chair meetings as a way to help them learn more about how the political process. He wanted people to be more engaged in civic life.
Dave was actually one of the people who strongly encouraged me to run for City Council back in 2014. Before and during the campaign, he provided words of advice and encouragement.
I will miss seeing Dave around City Hall and the community.
The City of Langley has posted about Dave’s passing, and will provide information about his Celebration of Life service when available. The City of Langley flag at City Hall will fly at half-mast in honour of Dave’s service to the community.
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