![['Basil Stewart is doing something he hasn’t been able to do for decades — enjoy a mid-afternoon cup of coffee by the fireplace in the living room of his Coronation Avenue home. After 29 years as Summerside’s mayor, the 65-year-old is taking it easy, focusing on family although he didn’t discount a future in politics. ']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/stewart-reflects-on-time-as-mayor-2763780.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=compress%2Cenhance%2Cformat)
Former Summerside mayor Basil Stewart is on the road to recovery after a serious, heart-related, health issue on Nov. 21.
Stewart recently opened a Dixie Lee franchise restaurant in Summerside with his son Major, and he was at the restaurant when the medical emergency happened.
Stewart was flown to the New Brunswick Heart Centre in Saint John and has been recovering there ever since.
In an email to the Journal Pioneer, Stewart said he’s been overwhelmed by the support he and his family have received in this difficult time.
“So appreciated, all of the get-well messages, cards and baskets of healthy fruit,” he wrote.
“They say I should be pretty well back to normal in six weeks or so – but feel great now,” he added.
He also lamented missing Summerside Western Capitals home games, but added he was consoled by being able to watch Summerside native Gerard Gallant and his Las Vegas Golden Knights on TV.
Stewart, a former police officer, was mayor of Summerside from 1985 to 2014 and is a former president of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities. He is also a board member of the National Capital Commission, an organization responsible for managing public land and properties in the Ottawa area.
