Arthur Lions host candidates meeting

ARTHUR – The Arthur Lions Club hosted a candidates meeting on Oct. 1 at the Arthur Community Centre, with 17 of 23 area candidates and about 200 residents in attendance.

Mayoral candidates 

Candidates for mayor were asked what they consider the most significant issue and how council should address it. 

Kelly Dimick said the biggest issue is new growth, because infrastructure, including water, wastewater, roads and schools, are not keeping up. 

She fears Wellington North will become a bedroom community, and wants council to “pump the breaks a bit” on growth while it brings “everything else up to speed.”

Steven McCabe listed maintaining infrastructure, a new fire hall in Mount Forest and the need for new water towers in Arthur and Mount Forest.

“This is key to managing sustainable growth,” said McCabe, “and there will be more growth: the province demands it ... We need managed and sustainable growth [to] build dedicated housing for first time home buyers, our seniors that are downsizing and affordable rental units.” 

The mayoral candidates were also asked how they’d improve communication with residents. 

McCabe cited public open houses, streaming meetings online, social media and radio as ways council already communicates with residents, but said he sees “a need for improvement.” 

If elected, he said he’d speak with residents and business owners to identify gaps in communication and work to fill those gaps.

Dimick said “there are several areas where the communication could be improved,” citing “actual big topics that are being discussed” by council, such as the “dreaded pool topic.”

She suggested surveys on big topics and that council “simplify” its documents to allow residents to better understand the material. 

They were then asked about how they would make tough council decisions. 

Dimick cited her time volunteering with the Lions Club:  “we come across difficult decisions on a regular basis.”

“You need to just be responsible, and at the end of the day it is about the taxpayers and listening to [their] voices,” she said. 

“In my mind the mayor’s job is to foster collaboration not division,” said McCabe. “With residents, council [and] township staff, I will ask the right questions to make the most informed decisions.” 

Candidates were asked about the proposed new pool in Mount Forest, and both voiced support but raised concerns about funding.

Councillor candidates

Of the 12 councillor candidates, 10 were in attendance. 

They were asked how they’d handle a development proposal that was not appropriate for Wellington North.

“We just need to slow down for a minute and take a look,” said Ward 1 candidate Michelle McInnis. “We can’t replace land – once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Ward 1 candidate Penny Renken said developers should “abide by the ... many bylaws” and she is “not in favour of those that come in and want a large – they call it a small – but a large variance.”

Ward 2 councillor candidate Laura Aston emphasized the importance of “reviewing documents” and ensuring developments are “appropriate for the community” and that the township has adequate infrastructure.

Ward 2 candidate Sherry Burke discussed trees and tree removal, stating, “I support green spaces, and I support looking at safely removing some trees but never all of the trees.”

Ward 2 candidate Adriana Cea also mentioned trees: “I think it’s more important to have forests and breathing air than to have huge high-density, low-income housing.”

Ward 3 candidate James Craig said previous councils missed out on an opportunity to “look at what green assets we have in our community ... Certainly, a property with a large forest would have been a great opportunity for previous councils to purchase and then [choose] to reinvest that as a … recreation place.”

Ward 3 candidate Lisa Hern mentioned wanting to implement an online portal outlining all ongoing and proposed developments, similar to what Waterloo Region is doing.

“I would just vote no,” said Ward 3 candidate Erin Kiers, citing the importance of trees and appropriate developments. 

Ward 4 candidate Troy Lawlor said he would “approach the developer in this case and ask them if this is a good use of the land.” 

Ward 4 candidate Alex Zantout agreed, saying, “We need to work with the developers to understand the needs of the community.”

Question two asked how candidates would address brown tap water in Arthur.

“The water is affecting farms, houses and businesses so we need to invest in that,” said Zantout.

 Kiers and McInnis called the situation “unacceptable.” 

“You cannot have a healthy, happy community when you have brown water,” said Kiers. 

Hern assured residents that despite its colour, the water is safe to drink and attributed the colour to minerals.

Burke said she “would support everything to address the water concerns,” suggesting regular flushing of pipes to remove iron deposits.

“Public water and wastewater is my primary platform for running for council,” said Aston. She said metered water would allow residents to “better understand their own usage, be able to conserve water and [to be] able to identify internal leaks.”

Candidates were asked how to strengthen the downtown and commercial areas of Arthur and Mount Forest, including attracting and retaining businesses and addressing vacant store fronts. 

McInnis suggested offering more “robust” grants to local businesses and improving communication between businesses and council.

“We do need extra businesses in our towns and one of our main problems ... is that we have empty storefronts – we have landlords that have increased rents to the point where businesses can no longer survive,” said Renken. 

Renken and Cea spoke of advocating to the province for a rental cap on businesses.

“We need to work with the landlord to get control of the rent,” said Aston. “Raising the rents and having them empty does not make sense.”

Burke echoed this, adding “council does work with the BIA and the chamber on their initiatives to try and fill store fronts.”

“We need to listen to the needs and the wants of the community,” said Craig, and council should be learning from local businesses to find out what is working, what is not working and what can be done to fill in gaps. 

Hern said while there is much they can’t control, “what we can do is create an environment where businesses want to invest and stay.”

“We need to do more to control who buys the property and what they intend to use it for to prevent our local towns from turning into ghost towns,” said Kiers, while discussing inflated rent.

Lawlor suggested leveraging growth and new residents as a means of enticing businesses to invest and stay.

Zantout said he would work with organizations including the BIA and the Chamber of Commerce to find solutions for struggling local businesses. 

Candidates were asked about housing affordability and the townships’ role.

“We need housing options,” said Zantout. “We don’t need high rises or skyscrapers.”

“We need to continue to work with our developers and look at increasing the density of our units, we need to look at all the options that are available for funding for developers,” said Lawlor. 

Kiers said council needs to find out why landlords are sitting on empty properties.

“We need to continue to work on density and trying to get the lot sizes down and work on some more types of diversity in housing,” said Hern, and those living next door to low-income housing should try to embrace it and recognize that some of them are young people trying to start their working life.

Cea emphasized the importance of communicating with developers and advocating for more green space.

Aston, Burke and Renken expressed need for diversity in housing options.

Renken also mentioned “keeping developers to the bylaws” and having them build smaller homes at cheaper costs.

McInnis spoke of tiny homes and working with the county and the province to implement some kind of tiny home initiative for single people or seniors looking to downsize. 

County councillors 

All four county candidates were present, and were asked what they see as the most important county-level issue affecting Wellington North.

“Wellington North is the most distant location in Wellington from major city services,” said Ward 3 candidate Campbell Cork, citing public transportation as the most important issue.

“We need public transportation that is both affordable and useful,” he said, to allow for one-car or no-car families. 

“There’s so many issues that we can’t cover them all here tonight,” said Ward 3 candidate Dan Yake, but the most important thing is ensuring that Wellington North has a “strong municipal voice at the table.”

Ward 4 candidate Allan Tota echoed this.

Ward 4 candidate Stephen O’Neil said new ambulance stations are needed throughout the county. “They’re not gonna be cheap,” he said, and are in partnership with the city of Guelph, emphasizing the importance of collaborating with the city.

They were then asked about health care supports.

“It is provincially funded and regulated so more advocacy work needs to be done at the county level [towards] the provincial and federal governments,” said Yake, and county councillors need to be more forceful at the county table. 

O’Neill mentioned Aboyne Rural Hospice, which will be built on county land. “The other thing the county does for healthcare is we do support the doctor recruitment drive every year,” said O’Neil. “The hospital foundation comes to us looking for money, we support it and your own townships do as well.”

“You can call it passing the buck to say that healthcare is a provincial issue and not a [municipal] issue but the fact of the matter is that is exactly what it is,” said Cork. “It’s a provincial mandate and that’s where it should stay to ensure equal and high-quality health care across the province.” 

“Health care access is a very serious concern for many people and families across the county and I don’t think that the county can sit back,” said Tota, who noted doctor recruitment and retention is the biggest challenge. 

“We can’t support hundreds of homes being built in our communities and not add any doctors or nurses – the numbers just don’t work.”

Candidates were asked how they will ensure local concerns are heard at the county.

“It starts with listening, and hearing the people I represent and understanding what’s important to them. I want residents to feel comfortable approaching me or contacting me sharing their concerns and asking questions,” said Yake. “Being a county councillor is not just about attending meetings, it’s about being visible, available and engaged in the community.”  

“Elect someone who is not afraid to have their voice heard, elect someone who listens to your concerns,” said Cork. The goal of county council is to better the county as a whole and not just one area, he noted, and he emphasized the need for fairness across all municipalities. 

O’Neill said “we have to do it [make decisions] equally and fairly, and where the services [are] needed.” 

Tota said having a “unified voice” on county council” will have a greater impact and he emphasized the need for someone willing to fight for residents.

School board trustees 

One of the two Upper Grand District School Board trustee candidates attended, and was asked how he’d bring forward concerns regarding secondary school bridge programming.

“If there’s current programs not available at Wellington Heights, I would bring this concern to the school and the board and advocate for a practical solution,” said Curtis Cox, candidate for Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North. 

He was also asked about balancing student needs with difficult budget choices.

“I believe the board needs to look carefully at every dollar spent to make sure that our resources are being directed where they have the greatest impact on our students,” said Cox. “That means looking for efficiencies and practical solutions before making cuts that directly affect students, teachers and support staff.”