STEPHEN RICCIO
BRISTOL Nov. 11, 2020
Phillip Holmes has been a busy man, having spent the last seven years balancing teaching high school theatre and working on his family farm, Netherleigh Farm, all the while serving on Bristol council.
Having just sat in on his final council meeting on Nov. 2, he won’t forget the impact being a councillor has had on his life anytime soon.
“It was an honour to be able to do it,” Holmes said. “I find [municipal politics is] the form of politics where you make a real difference to the everyday lives of people. It’s their everyday stuff: it’s their garbage, it’s their roads, it’s the community events that are right next to home.”
Growing up on Netherleigh Farm in Clarendon, Holmes often told people . . .
he was from Norway Bay, as it is the closest village. Now after having lived in Norway Bay for the last seven years, he and his wife have decided it is time to get back to his roots and raise their three children on the farm.
“I always knew I’d end up moving back to the family farm, which is literally about half a kilometre from Clarendon’s side of the Bristol-Clarendon border,” he explained, adding that they would have moved much sooner were it not for his role as councillor.
“It’s just going to be nice to be able to wake up [on the farm] in the morning and walk outside and do the chores and bring the kids with me.”
Holmes departure from the council will be felt by the local community, showcased in part by a Nov. 2 Facebook post that featured over 20 residents thanking him for all his help.
Several of those residents specifically praised his assistance during the 2019 spring flooding. Memories from that time resonate strongly with Holmes.
“The floods were huge,” he said. “It really showed how amazing the people were, the volunteers in the area. We had no choice but to work together. I’ll never forget the morning where I drove down to River Road and realized just how bad it was.”
Many others have reached out to him personally, which he said makes him as sad to go as people are sad to see him leave.
“It seems like according to some people, I did an alright job,” Holmes said modestly.
He also said he wants to stay active in the Bristol community, as he hopes to keep helping with ongoing beach overhaul that he started two years ago.
On top of that, he plans on running for Clarendon council soon. While his exit from Bristol council takes one job out of the picture, Holmes is sure to stay busy.
