WHITEWATER REGION — An action plan needs to be devised by a leader for the Whitewater Region municipal float.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin noted that Santa Claus parades will soon be happening and it’s time to discuss what is going on with the float.
“We need some thought and discussion of different ideas over the float,” he said at last night’s council meeting. “I think it needs to be revamped. It needs to be looked at. We need to get some input on what people want.”
He also questioned, since not many council, staff or family members, go on the float when it is in parades, it it’s needed.
“It’s better now to discuss it then mid-November,” he said. “Let’s decide what we’re going to do and put a plan in action.”
Councillor Cathy Regier agreed.
She believes it’s very important the township enter a float in all the municipal parades.
“It’s a very important part of our township,” she stated.
There are four parades and the township should be represented in them, she said.
However, Coun. Regier doesn’t want a regular truck pulling the township float, as that happened last year when her husband Greg pulled the float with his own truck and there were only two people on the float.
“If you are on the float, and you hear the comments, it’s not, to me, it’s just not acceptable,” she stated. “We need to have the township truck pulling that float. Our mayor has driven the truck before, or even if it’s one of our own public work’s guys. We have to make it look presentable.
“It just was not very well put together last year.”
Mayor Hal Johnson agreed.
“Last year was a tremendous embarrassment throughout the whole issue,” he said. “In Cobden there were two people on the float and I pulled it with my half-ton.
“There were a few more in Beachburg and less in Westmeath,” the Mayor said, adding, “We looked ridiculous for sure.”
Staff will now have to be directed to become part of the municipal float.
“It’s the only way it will work,” he said.
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Tremblay said he will direct staff to prepare the float for the upcoming parades and that the float be towed by a township vehicle.
He will also invite staff and their families to participate on the township float.
“We want to make sure the float is a good representation of the township, not just council, this is a township float, not just a council float,” CAO Tremblay stated.
He said the float needs some tender, loving care and new signs to be erected.
Coun. Regier agreed, noting that the signs on last year’s float were small and ineffective.
Coun. McLaughlin said the signs were made at the last minute, as the banner that had been used previously was a “tripping hazard.”
He also believes someone needs to lead this project.
“We need to put somebody in charge of this thing and it might go somewhere,” Coun. McLauglin said.
He said more participation needs to be done on that float, such as staff and family riding along.
“It looks really terrible when you only have two people on the float and one pulling it,” he said. “If we’re not going to get enough participation, then…we either do it well or we don’t bother. One or the other.”
Coun. McLauglin had chaired the float committee for four years, so has no interest in taking on the task again.
It was agreed that CAO Tremblay would look after the float for this year.
