The former mayor of Bluewater was guest of honour at a tribute at the Varna Complex Wednesday.
Bill Dowson was defeated in the last election, after more than 30 years of service to the combined municipalities of Bluewater and Stanley Township.
Dowson says he considers himself lucky for the opportunity he had to serve his community for so long, and says he'll continue to serve on a smaller scale.
He will continue to volunteer and spend more time at home with his wife.
"I've been asked to sit on a couple of committees and I'm going to join them," he says. "I did dabble in them a bit when I was in my job, I didn't get anything for it, but I would go to a few of the meetings like Heritage and Fair board, so I'm going to take an increased role in that now."
