The mystery of Mayor Huskilson

Yet everyone who knows him also knows he has a strong passion for his town of Lockeport and cares about everyone in it.

Mayor Huskilson seems to be breaking the mold on how a mayor should look and act.

He was only 27 when he first became mayor in a win against Mayor Sarah Huskilson, his Aunt.

“I recognized at the time people were upset about the way things were going,� Mayor Huskilson explains, “that I would have to work 10 times harder to gain respect and change that attitude.�

Now in his second term as mayor, going into his seventh year, it is obvious he has achieved this respect and admiration from the citizens of Lockeport.

His Grandfather, Lewis Huskilson, was Lockeport’s mayor for 27 years.

Sadly, the much-loved mayor passed away in Aug. 2000.

“Before my grandfather passed away I promised him I would make things right,� Mayor Huskilson says.

“My Grandfather loved a good fight but it was never personal.�

Mayor Huskilson also ran as a Liberal candidate in the 2006 federal elections, losing to MP Gerald Keddy of the Conservative Party, by a mere 8.5 per cent of votes.

When asked whether he would run in the federal election again, Mayor Huskilson responds, “I never say never, but at least I won’t wake up 50 years later and say I should have.�

Mayor Huskilson inherited not only his grandfather’s passion for politics but also his love of cars, specifically antique Fords.

His grandfather started his collection with a 1907 Model T.

Both son and grandson continued their passion for antique Fords and have bought and refinished an impressive collection.

Mayor Huskilson has taken the hobby one step further and most people who have driven through Lockeport must have seen the Spidey Jeep and the replica of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine.

“It helps take my mind off of things,� admits Mayor Huskilson.

Whereas the antique Fords demand a fine attention to detail and hard work, the Mayors other cars are just for fun, he explains.

“I get a little silly sometimes,� he adds with a laugh.

Why Spiderman? Mayor Huskilson feels a parallel in his own life to the story of Peter Parker/Spiderman and the conflicts that come from being two people at once.

“Not like I’m saying I’m a superhero or anything,� clarifies Mayor Huskilson. “Although being mayor is the most rewarding thing in my life, sometimes it’s hard distinguishing me, Darian from the Mayor.�

He goes on to explain that if he were to ever get a speeding ticket, it would become the next day’s headlines on how the mayor got a speeding ticket.

He can understand Parker’s dilemma of being just a regular guy and then being a public figure where people expect you to be a certain way. There is not one without the other.

The mayor plans on remaking a 1976 Volkswagen into either Herbie the Love Bug or a Town of Lockeport Sheriff’s car.