This is the first anniversary of Whitewater News. Connie has done a fabulous job and we are nearing 1,500 subscribers. She asked me to write about my thoughts on the paper. Here they are.
Last Fall I ran for council knowing my chances of winning were slim because I did not have time to campaign. But I ran anyway to get my message out that there is a war between Urban and Rural Ontario. Most people don�Ã�¢�â��¬�â��¢t see it but if you want to start a micro-brewery, sever a lot, change zoning, develop waterfront property on Muskrat Lake or try to challenge the status quo, then you know all too well what I am talking about.
It is a war and our rural way of life is at stake. We can win but only with a courageous municipal government backed by intelligent and informed ratepayers. Without a collective voice there is no hope of winning this war. Hence, a big reason for starting Whitewater News.
This is the first anniversary of our newspaper and it presents an opportunity for a call to action. Our new council has been in office about 6 months, enough time to learn the ropes and hopefully establish a plan for our municipality. The purpose of this article is to provide some suggestions for the future.
We are blessed in our Region, obviously, with Canada’s best whitewater but also with abundant waterfront, so much so that we could be the Muskoka of eastern Ontario with over 400,000 linear feet of shoreline. We are unique in the Ottawa Valley and we are special.
To achieve our potential, Whitewater Region needs its own Official Plan and it needs a Development Committee of 3-4 pro-growth council members and not be a committee of the whole. That is the first step. If you agree, please let council know. Thank you.
Joe
