WHITEWATER REGION — There have been many accomplishments in the 14 years Daryl McLaughlin has been a councillor for Whitewater Region.
However, there are still many more he would like to be a part of. And, for that reason, he has decided to run for another term of council.
A councillor since 2004, he noted in the past 14 years, he is the only council member from that year. And, he added, the office staff has also changed.
“As a matter of fact, I’m on the second round of staff changes,” he added.
One thing he would like to see accomplished in the next term of office is active transportation lanes along the whole of Grants Settlement Road.
“It is one of the most actively-travelled roads in the whole of Renfrew County, in my mind,” he said.
And, because of its high traffic use in the summer with various sized vehicles, from cars to trucks to busses, along with the cyclists, it’s one of the most dangerous roads, Coun. McLaughlin said.
“I think it’s in the best interests of the County to help us – because it needs to happen,” he stated.
This council must also continue to support the Muskrat Watershed Council, Coun. McLaughlin said.
“We have to keep pushing, to keep telling people, and we need to get the provincial and federal governments on board,” he said, adding, “because we can’t do it on our own.”
While its great what the MWC has been accomplishing with council’s support, he believes much more can be accomplished with help from the two highest governments.
Development around Muskrat Lake and along the Ottawa River must also happen, he said, adding, there is lots of vacant land to be developed.
“Whitewater Region has the largest amount of shoreline on the Ottawa River in all of Renfrew County,” Coun. McLaughlin said.
He noted council and the land owners need to be pro-active in getting around the obstacles placed before them in regards to development. As an example, he questioned the need for archeological studies. These studies cost a lot of money and don’t really do anything except hold up development, he noted.
There needs to be the development of more small businesses in the township, Coun. McLaughlin said. To have that, there needs to be good infrastructure and good, high-speed internet.
“If we don’t have that, the people won’t come, they won’t develop,” he said. “I see the potential for small business not large corporations.”
Coun. McLaughlin said the current council has been “very pro-active in development.” He noted all the lots at the Industrial Park have been sold, which means more business for the township, which means more tax dollars.
He’s also interested in ensuring that council continues to spend money wisely.
“I worry a lot about the people,” he said.
Explaining, Coun. McLaughlin said there were recent upgrades to the water plant in Cobden and now the wastewater plant, both costing millions of dollars. These plants are only paid for by those who use them.
“Where are the rates going to stop,” he questioned.
This is where one of the biggest challenges of the next council is going to come from – and that’s getting Wren subdivision going, which means there will be more hook-ups and the cost of the plants will be spread between more people.
It’s also important that development of what is commonly known as the Bennett Farm (beside the Astrolabe Arena) gets underway, Coun. McLaughlin added.
In discussing some of the decisions made by the current council that have caused grumblings among some residents in the township, he said the hiring of a fire chief was necessary. The fire halls need to be brought into compliance and the firefighters need to be fully trained and have the proper equipment, he said. There is also a good amount of paperwork that has to be done.
“It’s a lot of work for a volunteer to do, it’s a lot of work for someone to do who has a full-time job,” he said.
As for taking over recreation, Coun. McLaughlin said when major changes occurred with Cobden Recreation Association, that provided the perfect opportunity for council to step in and make it one recreation association for the township.
While volunteers are still necessary, there needed to be one person in charge so council could be kept apprised of what is happening in recreation, and it can be grown where it needs to be, he said.
“We have incredible volunteers,” he said.
Coun. McLaughlin has common sense and knows when he makes a decision, it’s only after he’s thought it through and knows it’s for all the people, not just a few of the people.
“I credit myself with being a good thinker and when I make a decision it’s in the best interests of everyone,” he said.
While he admits not just one person makes a final decision on council, he said there have been a few accomplishments he can take credit for. One of them is having a much safer intersection at Marjorie and Kohlsmith roads.
When questioned why he decided to continue as a councillor, Coun. McLaughlin said there were already two people running for the reeve’s position and he’s not ready for the time commitment of the mayor’s position.
He agreed that if he were reeve it would be more challenging for him, but he doesn’t want to be the cause of a split vote.
Well-known in some areas of the municipality, Coun. McLaughlin said he wants to go door-to-door in areas he doesn’t believe people know him.
Coun. McLaughlin is hopeful there will be two all-candidates meeting prior to the Oct. 22 vote.
He’s hopeful that when the next council is sworn in, he will be one of the five councillors.
