by Connie Tabbert
Editor
WESTMEATH — Seventeen candidates for municipal council sat in front of about 300 Whitewater Region Township residents and said why they should be elected to represent them on Oct. 27.
This was the first of two Whitewater Region Township all-candidates meetings. It was hosted by the Riverview Seniors Club at the Westmeath Community Hall last Thursday evening. It was standing room only for the event. The next all candidates meeting is at the Cobden Ag Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20.
Cathy Williamson was moderator and noted that the four mayoral candidates would each get three minutes to introduce themselves while all other candidates had two minutes.
“Thank you to each one of you for choosing to come forward to serve,” she said. “It can be a thankless job, without a huge pay cheque, so we thank you, each of you, for putting yourself in this position and for the hard campaign work you’ve already done.”
Ms. Williamson also recognized Whitewater Region Township Deputy-Mayor Izett McBride, who opted not to run in this election after two terms of office. However, he did serve in the previous township of Westmeath.
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of all of us when I say, thank you to Izett McBride for his many years of tireless service,” she said. “We’re so happy to have him with us on that side of the table. He said he likes it on that side of the table. We wish you well in your retirement from politics.”
Mayoral Candidates
Incumbent Mayor Jim Labow and candidates Hal Johnson, Doug Shields and Joey Trimm each spoke about who they are and why they are running to be the mayor of Whitewater Region Township.
Following their three minute speeches they were asked two questions.
The first question for the mayoral candidates was, give us evidence of what you have accomplished in office or within the community that would make you an effective mayor.
Mayor Labow said he helped push forward the official plan and the abolishment of the ward system, which allows everyone to vote for all of council. He is also very active in the community with church and the Lions Club and other organizations.
Coun. Trimm said prior to council he spent 18 years on the school board, five as chair, so he has experience as the head of a team. As a municipal councillor, he has chaired several committees, with the finance being the one he is most interested in. His experience as a roads superintendent helped him when he was roads chair. He has taken an active interest in the workings of the community and council.
Mr. Shields said 14 years ago, he was president of the Cobden Recreation Association and was instrumental in bringing in gas to heat the arena as well as installing heaters in the stands to make it comfortable for the spectators. Since taking ownership of the Chip Pit in Cobden nine years ago, he has donated food and time to churches and community groups for various events.
Mr. Johnson said, “The most important thing that I have achieved within the community is a reputation for honesty and openness and I’m extremely proud of that.”
He has donated time to the snowmobile clubs in the winter to maintain trails and working with charitable organizations, but behind the scenes, where he prefers to be. His entire career has been organizing crews and staying within budget, something he is proud of. In 10 years, he only missed one day of work, which shows a strong work ethic, he stated.
The second question was, please outline your vision for the future of Whitewater Township as a truly, amalgamated community.
Mayor Labow said having no ward system will help because it will get people involved in the entire community. It would be great if people attended functions in different parts of the community so they would get to know more people within the township, he said. He is also hopeful that more development will bring in new people who will not have a sense of community other than the wider Whitewater community, which will help bring everybody else around.
Coun. Trimm said four years from now, if a report card was done, people would see the deficit in the roads system has been reduced. His goal is to provide better services for the municipality. Three priorities are roads, roads and roads.
“We need to do something about that,” he said. “We need to have a good transportation system here if we’re going to do the things that Mayor Jim Labow just mentioned, all of which is important.”
The municipality is $2 million behind in the roads system, he said. If elected mayor, and if that number isn’t reduced in four years, that means he failed at his job.
Mr. Shields said there needs to be more openness. The residents must be involved in decisions, he said. The regulations are unacceptable and need to change in order for this community to grow and bring it together.
People should attend meetings because council cannot do it alone. Council will listen and act, he said.
“If we’re going to be one in Whitewater Region, we have to say I’m from Whitewater Region with pride,” Mr. Johnson said. “When we go out we have to make ourselves known, and make people know that we are proud to live in probably the nicest area in Canada.”
Mr. Johnson added, “We need to involve everyone in the politics of Whitewater Region. We need to do that to promote it, so we need to let the people talk to the council when they want to talk to the council. That’s where we need to get our ideas.”
Reeve Candidates
Incumbent Reeve don Rathwell and businessman Terry Millar each gave reasons for why they are running to be reeve, and a little of their history.
They were each asked: What priorities will you bring to the Renfrew County Official Plan to strengthen the participation of Whitewater?
Mr. Millar admitted he knows nothing about the plan, so deferred to Reeve Rathwell. When the time is appropriate, he will study up on it, he said.
“I’m about business, and that’s what I can contribute to Whitewater,” Mr. Millar said.
Reeve Rathwell said the official plan is now sitting at the minister’s office waiting for final approval. Once approved, the plan will promote development in Whitewater Region.
“I hope we can take the minister on if he starts to rebuke it,” Reeve Rathwell stated.
ence
The 11 candidates vying for the five council positions are: (in alphabetical order): Donald E. Broome, Donna Burns, John Felix Cull, Allen Dick, Charlene Jackson, Joe Kowalski, Dave Mackay, Daryl McLaughlin, Chris Olmstead, Cathy Regier and Howard Winters.
They each spoke for two minutes.
Then, it was time for questions from the audience for any of the candidates.
A new resident to Whitewater Region Township said he has lived in various areas of the province, including the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. He said Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion “is a hell of a mayor” and gets the attention of the provincial premier every time she speaks. He noted she knows how to fight the province and insists “they stay out of her sandbox.”
“My question to you is what are you going to do to keep the provincial government out of our sandbox?”
The next question was also to the mayoral candidates. How do they feel that by abolishing the ward system it will benefit the individual communities?
A Cobden resident said he understands that soon there won’t be any drinking water in Cobden. “What are you going to do when we have no use of Cobden water? Where are we going to go then?”
The next question was do you think the township should go to a central firehall rather than regional ones and if we did go central, where would we put it?
Another resident questioned the necessity of having to write a letter to get the bylaw officer to do his job.
A new resident to the area asked why there is no green bin system in the township.
Julie Hennessy, who has been involved with the Cobden Recreation Assocoation for 15 years, said Whitewater Region is fortunate to have three arenas. In the last five years, there has been much controvery over the repairs that need to be done to aging buildings with high upkeep and belong to the township. Will that be something the new council might want to look at?
“We are all very attached to our arenas,” she said. “It’ll be interesting to hear their answers.”
Ms. Williamson questioned if the money in the Ottawa River Power Corporation fund is available only to people in Beachburg or to the whole municipality.
Ms. Williamson thanked everyone for attending the all candidates meeting.
The candidates for the Renfrew County District Public School Board, incumbent Dave Shields and James Dobson were also at the meeting and gave a two minute talk about why they should be elected as the trustee.
Dr. Andre Yonkeu is hopeful of being the trustee for the French Public School Board of Eastern Ontario. He was also at the meeting and gave a two minute talk, mostly in French.
