Mayor to the end: cancer claims Sault Ste. Marie's John Rowswell.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: NEWS - John Rowswell - In memoriam

John Rowswell is being remembered in Sault Ste. Marie as a visionary who always had his community's best interests at heart.

The three-term mayor died Aug. 31 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 55.

He died one day short of a planned Sept. 1 celebratory dinner honouring his achievements during his 10 years as mayor. Rowswell announced earlier this year he did not plan for run for a fourth term in the upcoming fall municipal elections.

He is survived by his wife Donna, four children and eight grandchildren.

Tributes poured in from Northern Ontario mayors, Premier Dalton McGuinty and even Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Rowswell was a political newcomer when first elected as mayor in 2000, defeating incumbent Steve Butland. As a consulting engineer who ran his own firm, Rowswell & Associates, he brought a decidedly business-type approach to the mayor's chair.

With unemployment in the Sault near 20 per cent, Rowswell believed economic diversification in a mainly one-industry steel town was necessary to address social and cultural issues.

Sault businessman and friend Don Mitchell, who co-chaired city committees with Rowswell and accompanied him on international trade missions and conferences, summed up the mayor's legacy in one word: "vision."

It was part of his vision to upgrade the city's infrastructure in transportation, health care, education or retail, then let business take over.

Part of his big-picture thinking was the idea to transform the Sault into an international multi-modal transportation hub, and he helped spur the city's growth in cultivating a green tech industry

"He's built a foundation that he can be proud of," said Mitchell.

Rowswell was also a frequent traveller on the city's behalf, determined to put the Sault on a global stage.

Randy Tallon, director of international relations and global logistics at Development Sault Ste. Marie, said Rowswell always represented citizens "with great pride" when meeting government ministers, ambassadors or senior diplomats.

Tallon said he had the "compassion to listen to the needs of others and the courage to make tough decisions" which will leave a "legacy of success" in the city

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Mitchell marvelled at Rowswell's ability to use his mayor's pulpit and connections to get things done. He was able to secure project funding for Algoma University and Sault College when their applications for new buildings had been turned...