With a heavy heart, Wally Andersen takes over as mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay
While the elected mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay lies in an induced coma, Deputy Mayor Wally Andersen will sit in his place.
"It's difficult to take over under these circumstances, but the job has to be done," said Andersen, now the town's acting mayor.
"That's what Mayor Hickey would want."
The injury
John Hickey sustained a gunshot wound to the face Saturday in a hunting accident.
Hickey's gun somehow went off while he was in the woods alone, checking rabbit snares.
He snowmobiled to the road, flagged down help and has been in critical condition since.
Moving forward
The town council plans to carry Hickey's vision forward in his absence.
It hopes to release the 2018 budget on time, host Hickey's planned healthcare forum, secure Spring Gulch water and continue applying for infrastructure funding.
Andersen took Hickey's place for the first time Thursday night, as he led council's monthly public meeting.
He said his switch to mayor is temporary and hopes Hickey will be back in the seat soon.
"We're going to keep it good and warm because we're going to keep on working… And there's no doubt that we look forward to seeing John Hickey – Mayor Hickey – back in our midst and sitting in [his] chair, as mayor."
Their relationship
Andersen and Hickey first sat on council together in the 1990s.
They both went on to run for provincial politics, serving multiple terms each — Hickey as the Progressive Conservative MHA for the Upper Lake Melville district, Andersen as the Liberal MHA for Torngat Mountains.
"Our relationship goes back a long, long ways," Andersen said.
"There are times when we argued, there are times when we fought, and someone said to me the other day 'you guys did all that' and I said 'yes, I hope to god that someday we'll be given the opportunity to do that again.'"
Hickey underwent surgery Sunday and his condition hasn't changed since then, according to Andersen.
