He鈥檚 known as the unofficial mayor of downtown Chilliwack, and on Friday Harold Zinke was recognized by the real mayor, and others, on his milestone employment anniversary.
May 10 marked 25 years for Zinke who cleans up trash on the streets of the city鈥檚 downtown area.
鈥淵ou truly are an ambassador to our downtown,鈥� said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove.
He started working for the Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement Association on May 10, 1999.
鈥淭he day I got hired in 1999, I fell in love with this job because I like to keep our streets nice and clean so that people, when they go for their walk, they see that everything looks so nice,鈥� Zinke said back in 2019 on his 20th anniversary.
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It鈥檚 been calculated that he walks 25,000 steps a day. And, yes, he got the day off on Friday.
That morning he got to sit in the mayor鈥檚 chair in council chambers at City Hall and bang the gavel, as people gathered to celebrate him, and his hard work and warm personality.
鈥淚t鈥檚 your smile and your wave,鈥� said Cpl. Brad Rendall.
He鈥檚 worked alongside Zinke for many years.
鈥淥ur jobs are actually similar. We鈥檙e both out there cleaning up the streets of Chilliwack, and at times I think Harold gets it done better than what we do.鈥�
Plus, he鈥檚 like a ninja with his garbage grabber.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure he can pick up a dime with it,鈥� Rendall said.
He presented Zinke with an RCMP challenge coin to 鈥渟ignify the recipient is part of the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP team, which you are.鈥�
Zinke was also given a T-shirt with the words 鈥楾he unofficial mayor of downtown Chilliwack - 25 years鈥� on it, plus a Chilliwackopoly board game, and an 鈥楬. Zinke Way鈥� street sign.
Since they cannot name a street after him, they gave him 鈥渢he next best thing鈥� which was a street sign to hang in his apartment, Popove said.
鈥淗arold, you can hold that sign up again because everything should be done the Harold Zinke way,鈥� said Trevor McDonald, executive director with the BIA.
He added that Zinke comes to work every day with a smile on his face and has never had a bad thing to say about anybody.
鈥淗is grace and his class and his dignity are an example for everybody here and our whole community,鈥� McDonald said.
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