Charlie Clark using grandfather’s inspiration in run for second term

Charlie Clark has his late grandfather Fred Ritchie to thank for his run in politics.

Ritchie was a farmer in the Okanagan Valley prior to his death in 2017.

Clark didn’t just appreciate being a kid during the long days picking fruit in Naramata, B.C. to get some dirt under his fingernails.

As a captain in the Kings Own Calgary Regiment, better known as the Calgary Tanks, Ritchie was part of the first tank regiment of the Canadian Army to go into battle with the enemy in the Second World War.

“He saw some of his closest friends killed right beside him, and (he) came out of that experience with the sense of being very grateful and being very focused on how he can take his time — the fact that he survived when many of his friends didn’t — to try and make the world a better place,” Clark said.

Although he was nudged in politics by many people along the way, Clark draws much of his inspiration to try and lead Saskatoon through difficult times from his grandfather’s unwavering endeavours to try and change the world during battles in Italy.

When Clark was growing up, Ritchie was a popular person in Naramata. Whether it be through community meetings, building salmon spawning grounds or reusing lands in the area, Ritchie forged ahead and wanted to do better.

Clark is hoping to carry on that family tradition when the polls close on Nov. 9 as he runs for a second term as mayor.

“He was alive when I got elected as mayor,” Clark said. “He sent me this incredible card that just said: ‘You’ve worked very hard and you deserve this.'”

“That fact and that attitude in life where you look for the best in people, you realize the graces that you have… why wouldn’t I utilize the opportunity I have to try and make our community a better place for people? That all started with the impacts of the people like my grandpa.”

Clark got his start in civic politics back in 2006 when he was elected as Ward 6 councillor. After serving on council for 10 years, Clark made the jump to the mayor’s chair in 2016 — but the prospect of serving another four years as mayor wasn’t exactly the plan from the beginning.

With bachelor’s degrees in both environmental studies and conflict resolution, Clark followed law professor Sarah Buhler back to her hometown after meeting each other during their respective studies in Winnipeg.

Jobs with Saskatoon Community Mediation Services and Quint Development in Saskatoon prepared him for his now wife’s large family gatherings around dining room tables that made him fall in love with the city.

Clark says divisive issues in the community are what first lured him to run as a Ward 6 councillor.

“When we fall into us versus them thinking we actually miss out on coming up with the best solutions,” Clark said, leaning on his previous jobs.

There was another constant he was determined to change as droves of people were moving to Alberta to further their careers.

“To move the city forward in a away that creates a stronger sense of hope for young people because they can see a strong future here,” he said.

No matter what debates were had, or what decisions were voted on, Clark and the people close to him weren’t convinced the job was done, so a second go as mayor was the only option. However, balancing a life in politics with a growing family is easier said than done.

“It’s been challenging at times to be both a good dad and also an engaged mayor because so much of the work in that political work is evening work and weekend work,” Clark said of missing some of his children’s activities.

Clark and Buhler have taken three children — Simon, Ben and Rachel — along with him for the journey in civic politics.

The trio of children spent long hours lobbying their father to grow the family with a little help from Saskatoon Dog Rescue and a visit from a rambunctious dog named Cocoa.

“I can tell you Cocoa has been a very wonderful addition to the family,” Clark said after getting the dog in the middle of a kitchen renovation last year.

“We thought she was more of a lap dog when we got her, but it turns out she’s a much more active dog.”

Between all his children’s activities, the family dog and the potential of another four years as Saskatoon’s mayor, Clark uses his time with family to keep him grounded and on task.

Whether it’s plans to create more jobs, modernize the city, or decrease crime, Clark is using inspiration from family to keep him motivated.

Even if the crops on the Prairies aren’t as fruitful as the crops in B.C., Clark is hoping lessons from Ritchie and others will propel him back to the mayor’s chair for a second term.