Callander Mayor Hec Lavigne passed away in a Sudbury hospital this morning at the age of 62.
Lavigne was highly respected for the way he performed the duties of mayor.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald called Lavigne a "caring" person who was a joy to work with.
"He was very kind, very diplomatic and someone you wanted to work with. He worked with a spirit of co-operation. always trying to find ways you could work together. He was a joy to work with and he was very knowledgeable. He understood the political implications, how it would be received, what would work and what wouldn't work.
"He understood we all needed to work together to be successful in the north and at the end of the day, very kind.
"I really enjoyed working with him and I found that all the meetings I had with him he was the kind of individual with whom you enjoyed the conversation and learned from him."
McDonald says regionally the two worked closely on projects like the agreement between North Bay and Callander on police services and different services that the two communities could co-operate on. The latest were efforts to get better broadband access for the area.
Lavigne was a valued employee of Rivet Insurance of North Bay.
Vice-President Frank Rivet told BayToday, "Hector was a valuable member of the Rivet Insurance family for over 15 years. With more than 40 years of experience in the insurance field, he was a teacher and mentor to his co-workers and a trusted broker to many clients. His knowledge and expertise, positive attitude, and unique sense of humour will be greatly missed by all of those who had the pleasure of working with him. He has left a great void not only in this office, but in the insurance network, the community, and the hearts of all who knew him."
The popular politician had a history of heart problems, and in September 2018 suffered what he called a "heart event" but there is no indication it was the cause of death.
