Candidates for the five councillor positions on Minto council made their case for election at a candidates meeting attended by about 100 people here on Sept. 22.
Jean Anderson noted that although she is not as well known politically as her husband, David, a former mayor currently running for a seat on county council, she’s been “very busy in the hospitals in the local area through her nursing career.”
Anderson noted she has been politically active in a nursing committee “trying to get provincial government to pay attention to the looming nursing shortage.”
“The communities here are selfless in supporting our local hospitals … we need local council to be as supportive as they are,” she stated.
Incumbent councillor Dave Turton is a project manager and chief engineer at Rothsay, where he “deal(s) with budgets, contract management and people,” as a part of his job.
Turton has served 11 years over three terms on Minto council.
“Even after 11 years I still have a passion for the daily activities of council,” he stated.
In terms of economic development, Turton said, “we must support revitalization of our downtowns.
“We have some large vacant buildings on our main streets that we need to do something about,” he said, adding local industrial parks must be kept “shovel ready at all times.”
Nicola McEwan moved to Minto 12 years ago and has volunteered with organizations such as the Minto Arts Council, cultural roundtable and Launchit Minto.
“I have volunteered a great deal of my time to the community, I have a good idea of what’s happening in town,” McEwan said
She added she wants to see Minto have a strong infrastructure base, “but it is no longer feasible for agricultural communities to rely on agriculture and manufacturing for economic growth.
“We not only need creative industries we need amenities to achieve growth,” she said, adding those amenities don’t necessarily have to be provided through tax dollars, but by encouraging entrepreneurs.
Former deputy mayor Judy Dirksen said she offers Minto voters experience and someone they can trust.
“I know Minto and I know Minto’s people well,” said Dirksen, who along with her husband has been a full-time farmer for over 35 years.
“Although I’ve been away from council for the past four years I bring an abundance of experience to this role,” said Dirksen, who has served a total of 13 years on Minto council.
Dirksen enjoys “working with others to make something wonderful for our community,” and would also like “to find savings through efficiencies in every department.”
Any tax increases, she said, should be “responsible, low and reasonable increases, with plans in place for capital improvements spread out over several years.”
Dirksen noted she is an advocate of shopping at home. She pointed out if every family in Minto spent $100 in Minto that they currently spend elsewhere, it would mean $1 million in local economic activity.
“That is significant,” she stated.
Geoff Gunson, a sales consultant at Eric Cox Wholesale, has lived in Harriston for the past seven years.
A local volunteer firefighter and coach of the Palmerston 81’s Senior AA hockey team, Gunson said he would be “excited to be part of council if elected.”
Gunson said he looks forward to the “challenge and opportunity of learning to make Minto a better place,” adding that he hopes to bring a younger perspective to council.
“I feel I can relate to a demographic that will be the future of the Town of Minto.”
Incumbent councilor Mary Lou Colwell moved to Minto in 1992 to work as a controller with Wightman Telecom and has 40 years of accounting experience. She is chair of Minto’s finance committee and also sits on the economic development committee.
Colwell noted that in her 2010 election bid, “I talked about honesty, integrity and accountability. I have tried very hard over the last four years to live up to those words.”
Fiscally, she said, Minto is in good shape.
“Reserves are higher than they were in 2010 and our debt is lower – this has not been an easy feat and will not be easy to maintain,” she noted.
Colwell said Minto is the envy of many municipalities throughout the province.
“We are known as pioneers of several projects,” she said citing business expansion and retention, Pitch-It Minto, the community garden, cultural mapping and the LaunchIt Minto creative business incubator.
Still, she pointed out, “the number one issue in our current BR and E was the difficulty of finding a workforce in our community. We have an enviable unemployment rate of four per cent, but that can be a problem for our employers. They need economic development.”
Incumbent councillor Ron Elliott has lived in Palmerston since 1968 and is a past mayor of both Palmerston and Minto.
Elliott stated that economic development “touches on everything we would ever do as the Town of Minto.
“We must continue to look to the future so Town of Minto can continue to grow.”
Elliot said his goals include refurbishing Minto’s town cores, maintaining and upgrading roads and bridges, retention and growth of business and fiscal responsibility.
“I will not take these responsibilities as a councillor lightly. I will give 110%,” said Elliott noting he has had 100% attendance at council meetings over the past four years.
“I truly love serving our community not only as a councillor, but as a volunteer,” said Elliott, a member of the Palmerston Lions Club and a Norgan Theatre volunteer.
Two councillor candidates did not attend the meeting, Ed Bodnar and Don Senek.
Senek, who was on a trip to New York planned well before the meeting was scheduled, sent a prepared statement with his stepson Todd Pridham.
Pridham said Senek has plenty of experience living in an amalgamated municipality, living in Galt which later became part of Cambridge and Bramalea when it became part of Brampton. He learned, “Fair is not always equal – there have always been trials and tribulations in the amalgamation process,” said Pridham.
Senek is a founding member and past president of the Minto Safe Communities Committee which brought the Road Watch and Vial of Life programs to the town and operates a series of youth dances at the Harriston Legion.
Senek stated he feels Minto could benefit from following the example of Kirkland Lake, a community of 9,000 which has been attracting development by promoting itself as a “modern, attractive, family-oriented community.
“They promoted Kirkland Lake and they promoted themselves. They didn’t just come up with a fancy website and hope that someone would come across it – they took to the road and went to trade shows.”
Current Minto councillor Ron Faulkner has been acclaimed as deputy mayor.
He pointed out, “There is still much to do. Every municipality in Canada is competing for the same industry and commercial enterprises as we are.”
Faulkner said the municipality must “research an agricultural and industrial strategy to address climate change.”
Faulkner is the chair of the 2016 IPM committee.
“I want our committee to be working with the chamber to assimilate the town with the idea and the event.”
The meeting did not include a public question period, but candidates fielded questions on an individual basis afterward.
