Former city councillor Florence Roberts is being remembered as a tireless champion of Whitehorse whose contributions to the community extended far beyond her work over two council terms.

Roberts died early Tuesday morning following a short battle with cancer. She was 73.

The city lowered its flags to half-mast in Roberts’ honour.

“She had a huge heart,” Mayor Dan Curtis said Tuesday afternoon, describing Roberts’ death as a major loss for the entire city.

Curtis never served on the same council as Roberts (he was elected to his first term in 2012, after Roberts wrapped up her time as councillor from 2006 to 2012).

However, the mayor knew Roberts well, beginning with his years growing up in Porter Creek, where she also lived.

Over the years, he came to know Roberts as someone with a kind heart who volunteered her time to numerous committees and organizations and never shied away from sharing her opinions.

“She called it like she saw it,” Curtis told the Star.

Even after she had ended her municipal career, Roberts kept up to date on city issues. She would let Curtis know exactly what she thought of the decisions made in chambers.

“She never changed,” he said. “She was timeless.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by those with whom she served on council.

“She was a great individual,” former long-time councillor Dave Stockdale said Tuesday.

While Roberts was always ready and willing to share her opinions, he said, those views came from a place of logic and thoughtfulness.

Stockdale first met Roberts many years ago when they were both part of a utilities board.

It was clear then that Roberts was very knowledgeable in the issues she was involved with. That did not change over the years as Roberts took her seat in council chambers.

While she worked hard as a councillor for the entire community, Stockdale also remembers Roberts spending much of her time helping the many individuals she knew around the city.

“She was always so caring,” said Stockdale, who was first elected as a councillor in 1983.

Roberts always had other people’s situations in mind. There were countless times Stockdale heard her say she planned to drive a friend or neighbour somewhere or head out to visit someone who wasn’t able to get out.

Like Stockdale, former mayor Bev Buckway said Tuesday it’s clear Roberts had a huge impact on the overall community. That influence came through her roles on council and with various organizations, as well as individuals who she made time for and helped out.

“Her door was always open,” Buckway told the Star, echoing something she said she’s heard from many around town speaking of Roberts.

As a councillor, Roberts put her all into the role. She made sure to be at just about every meeting, whether it was council’s weekly session Monday nights or the more informal meetings council and staff have through the week when more time is needed to explore individual issues.

“She was always there,” Buckway said, recalling the many projects and events council worked on over those two terms.

Roberts’ voice on council was often the one pushing to have a better working relationship with the Yukon government, always ensuring the city and territory were talking when it came to shared issues, Buckway said.

Transit was also a matter that was near and dear to Roberts, who had attended council meetings prior to being elected to call for improved bus service.

While Roberts didn’t back down from her stance for improved service, she acknowledged she hadn’t realized the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes for transit.

“It was something she didn’t expect,” Buckway said.

During Roberts’ tenure, council dealt with its share of contentious issues, such as the planning of what is now the Whistle Bend neighbourhood.

Buckway, however, was also quick to recall the good times that were shared. An example is the annual meetings they attended for the Association of Yukon Communities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

There were also such major happenings as the 2007 Canada Winter Games and 2012 Arctic Winter Games.

Buckway recalled Roberts volunteering at the biathlon competitions, happy to help out in the cold regardless of how far the mercury had dropped that day.

Even after her time on council, Roberts continued to serve as a city representative on a number of committees, Buckway noted.

She was also on-hand as a volunteer over the years for special events at the Canada Games Centre. She would greet families with her friendly smile and hand out goodies at the annual Halloween and New Year’s Eve celebrations there.

Curtis, Stockdale and Buckway all noted their condolences to Roberts’ family and her large network of friends.