Long Time Brentwood Politician Retires
by Lee Hunt
“After 21 years of public service and 60 years of calling Brentwood home, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Serving this community has been one of the greatest honours of my life”.
These are words spoken by Len Webber, who has recently retired from political office after 11 years as MLA for Calgary Foothills followed by ten years as MP for Calgary Confederation.
Len grew up in Brentwood and with his wife, Heather, raised their family here. In fact, they did so in the very same home where Len had been raised. Len attended Brebeuf School in Brentwood for grades one through nine, then Bishop Carroll for high school. “When not in school, I literally spent all of my waking hours at the Brentwood outdoor rink playing hockey in the winter months and baseball on the diamonds of Captain John Palliser in the summer.”
Together, Len and Heather “enjoyed the simple beauty of day-to-day life – walking the dog up on Nose Hill Park, attending our daughters’ dance recitals.” Heather also taught aqua-fitness classes at SWC Rec Centre, plus coached and helped out at community fundraising events. Sadly, Heather succumbed to breast cancer in 2010 at age 47 – certainly a “devastating punch to my young daughters and to me.”
But Len persevered. Through his 21 years in public office, Len enjoyed “the opportunity to serve people directly … representing a community’s hope, concerns, and future”. When I asked Len about what he viewed as one of his greatest accomplishments in public office, he spoke of his “work on organ and tissue donation”. Thanks primarily to Len’s efforts, organ donation registration can now be indicated on a person’s driver’s licence. In addition, in B.C., Ontario, and Nunavut, a person can sign up on their income tax form to be an organ donor. Alberta is set to introduce this option on the 2025 income tax form.
Asked about his decision to retire from political office, Len told me that, “after 21 years… it is time to allow new voices and fresh perspectives to carry the work forward”. But Len is not retiring from work, as he will now be the VP of Business at Webber Academy. Len will also manage the Webber Academy Athletic Park in Springbank. (As an aside, Webber Academy was founded by Len’s father, Neil Webber, who served as Calgary Bow MLA for 15 years.)
As he looks forward to savouring additional time to share with his three daughters, three sons-in-law, and four grandchildren, Len asked me to thank the people of Brentwood, “for your trust, your support, and the privilege of serving you for all these years. Brentwood will always be ‘home’ in my heart – and its people my inspiration”.
We at The Bugle thank you for your 21 years of public service, Len. All the best in the years ahead.
Len and Heather
Len Webber
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