by Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — A former Whitewater Region Township public works manager will lead council in the next term.
It was a lengthy wait for the results. Voting closed at 8 p.m., and the unofficial results weren’t released until around 1 a.m.
Hal Johnson was elected mayor with a vote of 964. Councillor Joey Trimm was next in the mayoral poll with 927 followed by incumbent Jim Labow with 785 and rookie candidate Doug Shields with 510.
Terry Millar is the next reeve, defeating incumbent Don Rathwell 2,355 to 791.
Three newcomers to municipal politics led the councillor polls followed by two incumbents. Charlene Jackson topped the polls with 1,864 votes followed by Chris Olmstead with 1,713 votes, Dave Mackay with 1,446 votes, and incumbents Daryl McLaughlin with 1,358 votes and Cathy Regier with 1,355 votes. The councillor candidates who didn’t make the cut were incumbent Allen Dick with 1,277 votes, Donna Burns with 1,173 votes; Joe Kowalski with 1,098 votes; John Felix Cull with 1,017; Donald E. Broome with 678 votes and Howard Winters with 444 votes.
“It was a good campaign,” said Mayor-elect Hal Johnson after several minutes of handshakes, congratulations and hugs. “Everybody tried hard, everybody, I think, was satisfied that we were going to get change.
“And I represent change,” he added. “We’re going to work hard, really hard, to bring people what they want.”
Mr. Johnson is hoping to encourage people to become involved in what council is doing by having them sit on various committees.
Mr. Johnson figures it will be a starting over project, because while the township was created from four municipalities in 2001, the people were never made to feel they were one township.based“My plan is to start off at amalgamation in 2001 and make it like it should have been in 2003, 4 and 5,” he said. “We have to bring all of our bylaws into one, all the things that should have been done, we’re going to try hard to do.”
As an example, Mr. Johnson said the bylaws should have been made incorporated into one set of books as soon as amalgamation occurred. It’s not a reflection on the people before, because they were working with four different municipalities, he said.
“This election proves there is now one municipality,” he said. “We’ll work hard to make it better. We’ll do our best.
“This township is going to be on the face of the map,” he said. “We’re going to sell ourselves.”
In the 1980s, Mr. Johnson was a councillor and a deputy-reeve in the former municipality of Beachburg. He decided to run in this election, after close to 30 years of sitting on the sidelines, because he wasn’t satisfied with what he was seeing happen. He wants to help the munici pality become one.
Mr. Johnson is looking forward to working with the people who were elected as well as municipal staff.
Reeve-elect Terry Millar said, “I feel great.”
He believes he was part of the wave of change that not only occurred in Whitewater Region Township, but various municipalities throughout the county.
“I don’t think it’s so much Terry Millar as it is a wave of change has come across everybody,” he said shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday.
“One important thing for everybody to remember right now is the fact that Don Rathwell has my total respect,” he said. “This is no reflection on him. I mean who does 30 years of service. Donnie should be commended for his history in Whitewater and former Ross. I can’t emphasize that enough. He just got caught up in a wave of change. It’s not like we’re getting paid a fortune to do this.”
Councillor-elect Charlene Jackson believes she led the councillor polls because of her municipal finance experience and her municipal knowledge.
“People are looking for somebody on council who understands municipal works and hopefully lead the way as well,” she said.
Ms. Jackson is surprised at the numbers, but is aware people said she would lead the polls.
“I didn’t believe that,” she said.
She is now excited to get started and make some positive changes. What will change will have to be determined, she said.
“We want to make sure that everything’s looked at, some policies and procedures, to ensure people are following them, council and staff,” she said.
Councillor-elect Chris Olmstead said, “I think people really wanted change, but they were apprehensive with a total change.”
The new council is strong, he said.
“The five councillors will make a solid group,” he said. “I think we’ll work together, better than the old regime.”
Mr. Olmstead believes Mr. Millar will provide good leadership as reeve. Recalling the two all candidates meeting, he said Mr. Millar stood up and addressed the people without paper in hand.
“He will lead the group in an honest and forthright way,” he said.
As for the new mayor, he said, “I don’t know Hal. He seems like a stand up guy.
“Leadership was lacking before,” Mr. Olmstead said. “I think we have a much more forceful group than what was there previously.”
He believes the people spoke loud and clear if you look at the numbers. There are two people remaining from the current council and they earned the final two seats, he noted.
“Mr. (Howard) Winters had the lowest number of votes and Terry got in with a landslide,” Mr. Olmstead said.
With just over a month before the new council takes office, which happens Dec. 1, he’s not going to be sitting on his haunches. Just following what the current council is doing is not the way to go, Mr. Olmstead said.
“I’m going to start getting my feet wet now,” he said. “There’s no reason why I can’t talk with staff, because I’m sure they’ll know some of the issues.”
He does admit he has a concern of having to live up to the high expectations people placed on himself and Ms. Jackson as they led at the polls.
“With having Charlene and I getting so many votes, I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, I just hope we’re able to effect the change people want.
“I know my work ethic and I’ll work hard and I just hope I can live up to the expectations the people have,” Mr. Olmstead said.
Councillor-elect Dave Mackay said he has never run for a council position before and it was a good experience. While out and about, he said many people said they were going to vote for him, but until the votes were counted, you just never know, he added.
As a new councillor, he comes with no baggage, so he thinks that might have been in his favour.
“I’m well known, I’m in the National Farmers Union and on the Beachburg Fair Board and I know a lot of people in Whitewater,” Mr. Mackay said.
Looking at the new council, he believes it will be a good strong council. He never met Mr. McLaughlin before, but added with a laugh, “I like the idea of Daryl on council because he’s shorter than me.” However, on a serious note, he said, Mr. McLaughlin is the experienced councillor at the table as is Ms. Regier, who is also sincere and works hard.
At the two all candidates meetings, he met Ms. Jackson, who has a lot of municipal knowledge and Mr. Olmstead, “who is a smart young man with new ideas.
“I know and like Hal.”
And with another laugh, he said, “I like Terry and owe him money for grain,” but then added in a more serious note, “Terry’s a good guy for the job.”
Mr. Mackay admits he jokes around a lot, but knows when it’s time to be serious too.
“I know there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve,” he said. “The first couple of meetings, I’m going to be like a deer in the headlights.”
He’s looking forward to working with the new council and is sure the experienced councillors and staff will help him along with the way.
Incumbent Councillor-elect Daryl McLaughlin said he was fortunate to lead the incumbents at the polls, although he was fourth in line.
“The people obviously wanted change,” he said. “Look at the incumbents, they were toppled at the polls. The councillors came in fourth, fifth and sixth. The reeve and mayor were changed.
“It’s going to be a real learning curve,” Mr. McLaughlin added. “We don’t have the council members with 25 and 30 years of experience. When I started on council (11 years ago) there were people with 20 to 30 years of experience and I was green. Now, it’s me with the experience.”
Mr. McLaughlin also noted there is no office staff who has been there longer than he as well.
“After this election, there is no one in the office or on council that I started with,” he said.
Incumbent Councillor-elect Cathy Regier earned the final spot at the council table. She said it’s a bittersweet victory for her, because her father, Mr. Rathwell, won’t be sitting across from her at the council table any longer.
“It is what it is,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the next four years. We started a lot of work and there’s a lot to finish.”
Ms. Regier said she will have to review the numbers before commenting on how they stacked up.
The new council takes office on Dec. 1, and will be sworn in at the 1 p.m. council meeting on Dec. 3.
