It began as a good job. It became a rewarding and gratifying career.
For over the past 20 years, Gail Dakue has been CAO for the Town of Kipling. Now, as she prepares to retire this week, Dakue finds herself looking back over those years with satisfaction.
Dakue says that although she assumed that she would move into an administrative position in a rural municipality after completing her training, opportunity instead led her to the Town of Kipling.
“I was married and living on the farm here, and I’d taken the Administration Course when the kids were young. Back in the 80’s farming was challenging, and the idea was that I’d at some point be able to get into an administrative position close to home.
“Originally, I thought I’d like to go into Rural Administration, and I had filled in at the RM of Kingsley previously. But there were Administrators in both the RM of Kingsley and Hazelwood that were very much long-term. So, that wasn’t an option.
“It happened that the Town of Kipling Administrator went on leave. The woman working at the Front Desk became Acting Administrator. I was asked to come in and I started at the Front Desk. But then, that person went on Maternity Leave and decided not to return after her leave was done. So, I applied for the Administrator position – and been in that position since.”
In the years since then, Dakue says that she has seen the position become something much larger than the job she originally took on.
“The job has really changed in so many ways over the years. There’s been an expansion of the role, that includes more provincial reporting, resident concerns, project management, so it is busier than it used to be.
“The Administrator’s role is to work with Council and implement their decisions.
If Council sets a policy or wants a project done, it’s the CAO’s job to implement that. An administrator also manages the day-to-day operations of the Town. That means we make sure things are getting done – the grass is getting mowed – the pool is being opened – that kind of thing. We also manage the staff and the facilities.
“That means you’re managing very interesting but complex ‘organization’. That’s especially true since we took over primary management of recreation. That meant that the Town now looks after the Pool, Arena, Ball Diamonds & Parks and Community Centre as well as the airport, Professional Building, library and the Town itself. All of these are important, and to the people who use a particular facility, that one is very important.
“A CAO also has a responsibility to the residents of the community. And as well, we have a responsibility to upper levels of government and legislation. So, there are really three areas that a CAO is responsible to.”
Fulfilling that role has often meant that Dakue has had to watch her well-planned daily schedule fly apart in the face of circumstance. But she notes that this has also been one aspect of the position which made it interesting.
“I like the fact that things are always changing, every day. When you come in the morning, you might have your day planned. But you never really know what that day is going to end up looking like. That’s what I like the best. This job is never mundane.
When she is no longer walking through those familiar doors to start her day, Dakue says that it will be the people who greeted her every day that she will miss the most.
“I will miss my staff most of all. Kelly (Kish) and Christina (Weeding) have been with me since the beginning. I will really miss working with them and the rest of the staff. I’ve had the chance to work with excellent Councils and Mayors over the years, and I will miss that too. I’ve had the chance to work with so many really good people.”
Dakue says that she has also derived great satisfaction from being able to work on projects that have helped the community grow.
“Kipling has changed a lot in the past 20 years. The projects that I’ve worked on with Council – there were a lot of them, and some of them were big ones – really helped the town to grow.
“My favorite project was likely the upgrade to the Water Treatment Plant. The project resulted in better tasting water and more importantly we’ve met Saskatchewan Drinking Water guidelines for safe drinking water.
As she moves into retirement, Dakue says that she looks forward to seeing Kipling continue to grow, adding that she would like to see two new projects take shape in the future.
“I’d like to see the town continue to move forward and see more economic development happening here. As far as new facilities I’d like to see here, it would be nice to have a Splash Park in Kipling. I think that would be a real benefit to the community. Council has been recently discussing a park again, so perhaps we will see this happen in the near future. My grandkids are now too old for a Splash Park, but other people have kids and grandkids who aren’t!
“I’d also like to see a proper Municipal Office built in Kipling, so that all of our staff could be housed in one spot. I think that would translate into an efficiency of services for the public. If you want something to run efficiently, you have to be ready to invest in it, and there is funding available for something like a Municipal Building. I think Kipling is at the point now where we’ve improved our water, expanded our lagoon, we have our new hospital and fire station built. So, I think a new Municipal Office would be a natural next step, and I think it would build community spirit to have that.”
Although she looks forward to spending more time traveling, volunteering and being involved with family ‘projects’, Dakue says that she is grateful to have been involved with so much of the work that has helped Kipling to become the strong and prosperous community that it is.
“I’ve really enjoyed this job. It’s been a great career. But it’s time to go and do something different. It is hard to step away from something that’s been such a big part of my life. It will be a shock to slow down and not be so busy. But it will be a good shock.”
“It has been a profound privilege to work with supportive Councils and an amazing staff over the last 20 years, on projects that have really enriched our community. And I want to thank all of them along with all of the residents in this community for their trust, support, and for allowing me to have that chance to contribute towards making Kipling a great community.”
