Over 150 people attended the Guelph-Eramosa all-candidates debates at the Marden and Rockmosa community centres on Oct. 1 and 2.
The meetings, hosted by the Guelph Township Horticultural Society and the Rockwood Lions Club respectively, were tightly timed, with each candidate allowed a brief introduction followed by a question and answer period with the public.
All eight candidates vying for seats on township or county council were present, with the exception of township Ward 4 candidate Doug Tripp, who was out of the country.
They were joined by three acclaimed members (two township, one county) along with four contenders for trustee on the Upper Grand and Wellington Catholic school boards.
MAYOR
John Scott
Scott has served as the township councillor in Ward 4 for eight years and said he has been involved in many community programs, which gives him a solid understanding of the township’s concerns. His mandate is “CLEAR: communication, leadership, experience, approachability and reliability,” he says.
If elected he wants to focus on building bridges of communication with the public by writing biweekly columns and making himself available at set times in Marden and Brucedale to speak with residents.
“I’m a solution-focused individual, if you have a concern it will be voiced and discussed,” he said.
Chris White
White is completing his second term as mayor of Guelph-Eramosa and warden of Wellington County. He emphasized the stability local government has seen under his leadership and the many relationships he has forged.
“If you look at this council for the last four years, we’re not in the papers. If you look at our resolutions and our motions, they’re virtually unanimous … if you don’t have good respect for each other and good governance things don’t happen,” he said.
White highlighted the 23km of roads in the township that have been converted from gravel to hardtop, $2.3 million saved in policing costs, tree planting across the township and maintaining taxes at or near inflation as some of the last term’s achievements. Going forward he wants to address commercial development in Rockwood, build on current partnerships with the City of Guelph and Halton Hills, reduce gridlock on the 124 corridor and expand seniors’ programs.
WARD 1 COUNCILLOR
David Wolk
Wolk has been acclaimed in Ward 1 and says that because the municipality is facing a “revenue challenge” he wants to maximize the value of every tax dollar and look at ways to promote development.
“We have areas of township that are designated and zoned for industrial development. We need to do a more aggressive job of attracting industries,” he said. “That will be the way we no longer have to go back to each and every resident with an increased tax bill.”
WARD 2 COUNCILLOR
Corey Woods
Woods, also acclaimed, said during his second term he wants to “keep up with the maintenance of roads and bridges, maintain taxes, preserve farmland, maintain open communication and continue long-term planning.”
WARD 3 COUNCILLOR
Louise Marshall
Marshall has lived in Eden Mills for over 20 years and operates a small business there. She said she was inspired to run for council 25 years ago after she brought an issue to the municipality and saw the possibility for change.
“I learned that the informed person can make a world of difference,” she said. “I want to be the councillor that does the homework, reads the letters and listens.”
Robbin Wood
Wood is a retired mechanical engineer and believes his experience both in the community as a founder of programs like Safe Communities and as a professional will make him a valuable asset to the municipality – particularly in terms of industrial and recreational growth.
“I’m an engineer, not a politician. I’d like to see swimming pools and skate parks for the kids – we used to have dances to go to, to keep out of trouble so we need more stuff like that. I’m here to make decisions and I’m asking you to hire me for this job,” he said.
WARD 4 COUNCILLOR
Mark Bouwmeester
Bouwmeester says a positive long-term vision is needed to address the issue of slow economic development in Rockwood.
If elected, he hopes to help establish a citizen’s committee to brainstorm ways they can make Guelph-Eramosa a better place to live.
“Commercial growth has not kept pace. Rockwood accommodates you to move here, but not to live here,” he says. Bouwmeester envisions full development of Rockmosa park and increased amenities.
“If you can provide the space, the possibilities are endless for clubs and events,” he says.
Doug Tripp
Tripp was unable to attend the meetings, but had a statement read by Dan Kennaley on his behalf. Tripp is a member of the Concerned Residents Coalition which prompted him to run for council.
He intends to work to ensure all quarry and pit applications are thoroughly evaluated and collaborate with Halton Hills and Milton to assess negative impacts. He also hopes to support the agricultural community and address farm and agri-businesses by developing a sustainability plan to preserve the environment and its resources.
WARD 7
COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Kevin Johnson
Johnson says his priority is core services. He believes the government should do very few things but do them well in order to keep taxes reasonable. He says Wellington County needs a council that is “accountable, responsible, transparent and isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions.” If elected he pledges to be accessible and provide a voice for Guelph-Eramosa Ward 1, which he says often feels ignored.
Don McKay
McKay is running for another term as Ward 7’s representative and says although the position is not a full-time job, he has made it one by sitting on committees and attending others for information.
“I wanted to get more informed as a county councillor so I attended every other committee meeting that I did not sit on. I was there representing this ward because by attending those meetings I get more nuances of what’s going on and get a better feel for what happens.”
He wants to promote sustainable development while also preserving rural roots.
WARD 8
COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Doug Breen
An acclaimed candidate, this is Breen’s first term on county council. He has served on Guelph-Eramosa council several times since 1997 and says moving to the county is like high school graduation.
“Council is where the rubber meets the road, where the things that matter to people actually happen – county just has more tires on the ground,” he says. “I’m leaving something that was very important to me, but this is moving to the next level.”
UGDSB TRUSTEE
Kathryn Cooper
During her time as trustee for East Garafraxa, Erin and Guelph-Eramosa, Cooper has focused on student leadership, environmental and social responsibility. She supported the new JK-6 school in Rockwood, new French immersion programs in east Wellington, and renovations to every school in the district. Cooper says some areas of focus moving forward are the low EQAO scores in grades 3 and 6 and getting as many projects in place before the forecasted budget cuts.
Brandon Moyer
Moyer believes the difficulty younger generations are facing in today’s economic climate needs to be remedied by modifying the education to include a real-world curriculum. He says students entering the work force are unprepared and unqualified to do the jobs waiting for them.
“We need to teach them the fundamentals and get them back to how they should have been educated in the first place,” he says. “We need to figure out ways to make the system work for us, and how we can add on to it and get away from spending millions of dollars that aren’t helping our students.”
WCDSB TRUSTEE
Cassandra Chornoboy
Chornoboy touted her family ties to Guelph-Eramosa as a key factor in her qualifications for trustee. She says she is also the only candidate to live in the riding and have previously sat on the school board as a student trustee. Chornoboy is on her church operations and finance committee at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Oustic.
“You need to be a practicing Catholic – you must know what you’re talking about if you’re on the board representing the religion,” she said.
Shaun Redmond
Redmond has worked for the WCDSB for 13 years in the areas of technology, business and finance, which he says gives him a unique understanding of the budget cycle.
He says his business experience at a software company will make him a valuable asset along with already having worked with “parents throughout the community and understanding what their needs are.”
