Election Coming up, and I, once again, realize I am not a political journalist.
When I was 18, and could finally vote, part of me must have realized the situation, because i couldn’t bring myself to be excited. The most important function a regular citizen gets to exercise in democratic practice, and I find myself reacting to it with the same lethargy and having to put on pants.
I do not like pants, but that is not relevant to Whitewater Region politics, or at least it isn’t when the prospect of -40C weather is fast approaching.
Ten Councillor candidates vying for five spots, and two mayoral candidates. Large candidate bodies make me nervous: I lived in Toronto when Rob Ford was elected, and the list was exceptionally long then, too. I get highly nervous when there are so many people running.
Elections, sadly, tend to bring out the most emotional responses. The Westmeath all-candidates meeting
Bob did a better job of summarizing the candidates without naming them, but I might as well give my opinions on the area. I can’t actually vote in Whitewater, since I live in Pembroke for financial reasons, but I can at least assess the situation despite my bias.
Joe Kowalski’s my boss. Pure and simple, he pays me, so anything I say about him should be read in that context. I think when you say something is simple and needs to be made simple, you ignore why that thing was made complex in the first place. Nuance is the enemy of law and trying to simplify something that has decades of incumbents building and engineering it is about as slow of a process, like trying to break down a concrete wall with a sledgehammer.
That said, regional autonomy is a pretty enticing sell, and having an Official Plan would deal with the major issue with Whitewater – that it’s essentially four municipalities in a trench coat. Westmeath, Beachburg, Cobden, Ross all had their own bylaws and precedents and it’s been a huge issue even from the beginning. Having a singular basis might help that.
Neil Nicholson always has three questions about everything in Council ,and always takes every issue seriously. That he feels there’s more that he can give as Mayor than Councillor might be the case, but it’s worth noting that Mayor Mike Moore is running for Councillor this time because he felt there was less he could do as Mayor. He might find himself limited by his position and that he is not able to take the greater strides he wants.
Donna Burns is the other end of the Mayoral coin; her platform is to ‘remind the Council of the Municipal Act’. Her goal appears to be enforcing the clauses of the Act in the Council – something I’m unsure will
One issue I recall coming up with frequency was the friction with Planners; Dell O’Brien spoke at Westmeath’s meeting about “don’t give control to the planners”, and several candidates express
Connie Tabbert, a former reporter of this publication (the first, in fact), seems focused on the other big issue – the rinks, and sports in general. She wants to focus on other things but hockey, and the other sports, like pickleball. Given the Beachburg Rink’s current state
Councillor Chris Olmstead, who is running again, said that he would ‘lose the rinks over his dead body’ – but whether he actually does or not with the Beachburg rink without ice and Westmeath’s repeated maintenance is something to be seen.
Ron Laronde of Cobden running is a bit of a surprise, but given the sentiment I’ve heard while talking to him, it makes sense. There is a concern about the Councillors not representing the residents – Ron’s stance from the meeting is to rely on the locals rather than planners in order to determine policy. If people don’t feel heard, running oneself seems like the only way to get heard. That Ron is running is an indication to me that the current Councillors – including Olmstead, the no-filter farmer Dave Mackay, and the venerable Daryl McLaughlin – are indicative of the region.
Joey Trimm is running, with years of experience, and Jim Butterworth who’s run previously; a lot of different candidates seem to have stepped up in order to get their say. Some like Ron Laronde and Mark Bell, seem to be just regular residents throwing in, rather than having a history of municipal politics.
Honestly, I can barely follow it. Politics have never been something I understood, and I feel that most of us don’t. The idea of a ‘regular’ person rather than a politician running is highly appealing as a way of cutting out the ‘game’ portion of politics. Not to mention the idea of simplicity and action is highly intriging.
But that game is there for a reason and doesn’t like to be ignored. Rob Ford talked big about stopping gravy trains and cutting waste from the budget of Toronto, only to find absolutely none to cut. Municipal budgets, even for big cities, always seem bereft of funds, and ever-increasing taxes seem to make no dent in it. Even with a strong plan and drive, a Councillor or mayor is fighting a tough battle to wring blood from a stone.
As it stands, I don’t envy Whitewater. But what I do have hope for is that the issues raised can lead to some real action from the residents, pushing for issues they may want, whether it be autonomy, river access, or just the rinks to open.
