Athol and South Marysburgh

Joint candidate meetings highlight environmental issues

Milford is a different place. Or so it would seem from the 100 or so folks who filled the hall for Thursday night’s candidate meeting for Athol and South Marysburgh residents. Similar inasmuch to other such meetings, the audience was mostly grey-haired and pale. That’s where the similarity ends. Nearly all attendees—candidates and residents— wore masks. None asked about roads. There was, however, a keen interest in what local government was going to do to protect the environment in general and the industrialization and degradation of the south shore specifically. This might not have been a surprise. The South Shore Joint Initiative hosted the candidate meeting and the first series of questions were prepared by the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists (PECFN).

But it was noteworthy that when opened to the floor for questions, the natural environment continued to dominate the interest and curiosity of the folks in Milford.

ATHOL CANDIDATES
Sam Branderhorst is an impressive and confident young woman. She’s a dairy farmer and winery employee. She is the youngest of nine children, and is now raising her own children. Branderhorst volunteers when she can—the County Marathon, County Theatre Group, Helping Hands and such.

She gives back, she says, because this community has been so giving to her and her family.

Branderhorst believes the job of council member is to listen and to bring residents’ issues to Shire Hall.

“I want to be your voice,” said Branderhorst.

Tom Harrison says he has received a warm welcome in the community as he has campaigned door to door. He has encountered a lot of goodwill and good faith in his discussions with Athol residents. He volunteers for the youth centre serving as its chair and vice-chair. Part of his motivation for a council seat is to ensure this organization gets stable funding.

“I want to see youth made a strategic priority,” Harrison said. “Perhaps a few youth hostel beds.”

Heritage is another priority. Harrison currently sits on the Prince Edward Heritage Advisory Committee.

“We also need to get a better handle on the environmental emergency,” said Harrison.

Bob Rogers is a semi-retired farmer. He had planned to use the extra time to travel, but Covid got in the way of those plans. Rogers noted that the County had endured significant change in recent years, and he worries that the current track is financially unsustainable. He noted, too, labour shortages and the lack of long-term rental housing as issues that need to move up the priority list at Shire Hall.

He suggests Council ought to work with developers to refine their business models to ensure they are incentivized to build homes that are more affordable. Specifically, he wants much greater density—up, not out.

“I want more homes without taking more land,” said Rogers. “I want to be part of the conversation.”

This is Elis Ziegler’s second run at council. They came second behind John Hirsch in South Marysburgh in 2018. This cycle they are running in Athol. Ziegler is a beekeeper and lives off the grid. After a career working with social agencies, Ziegler became disillusioned that they were making lives better.

“I found government policies weren’t fixing the problems,” said Ziegler. “I want to help make decisions that make the community better.”

Ziegler has remained active in public life, sitting on the Affordable Housing Corporation board and the Picton Town Hall Board of Management.

They want more energy put into preserving the County’s fragile environment and ecosystems.

“I want to be John Hirsch’s partner in protecting the south shore,” said Ziegler.

Gerry Jenkison, representing PECFN, asked the candidates how they viewed the County’s new Official Plan (OP) and specifically the 11 natural core areas designated for preservation.

Elis Zeigler said it was Council’s duty to uphold the OP, noting, too, that there would be challenges in balancing development pressures with the necessity to preserve the environment.

Bob Rogers said the OP is a good document and must guide development, but went further, suggesting all development must be viewed through the lens of “does it enhance Prince Edward County.”

He believes the designated natural core areas are vital linkages, but noted that birds and animals don’t follow maps.

“All rural Prince Edward County is a connecting link for vulnerable species,” said Rogers.

Sam Branderhorst loves the focus of the new OP. She says we must remind ourselves from time to time what a beautiful and important place in which we live. As a farmer, it is vital to her that the land is protected— especially some of the “hidden gems.” But balance can be found, said Branderhorst.

On the issue of development on prime ag, all the Athol candidates believe it should be prohibited. Branderhorst said as a dairy farmer and employee of a winery, she appreciates the land can be used in different ways, but that Council has significant power to manage the impact on the land.

“There are places in the County where you can’t grow anything,” said Branderhorst. “Perhaps we could look at building and developing there rather than good arable land. I’m interested in playing the long game,” said the youngest person in the room.

One Royal Road resident wanted to know which candidates would reverse the County position on opposing wind turbines. It was a hard no from Zeigler, Branderhorst and Rogers. Branderhorst explained that wind energy isn’t all that green and that most of the money generated leaves the community hosting the turbines. Zeigler lives off grid and supports solar energy development. Branderhorst pointed to developments in farm biodigesters converting waste to energy. Tom Harrison said he was openminded on the topic.

On the issue of council size, Bob Rogers is in favour of a smaller group. He was disappointed previous councils had ignored the results of the 2010 ballot question that supported a smaller council and later a Citizens’ Assembly’s recommendations to do the same.

Sam Branderhorst isn’t sure, but is openminded on the issue. She would like the job of council member to remain part-time. She says people from the community must sit around the council table rather than professional politicians.

Tom Harrison is in favour of a smaller council, but said regions must continue to be represented.

“It isn’t reasonable for County-wide council members,” said Harrison.

Zeigler didn’t feel they had enough information to make a judgement yet.

SOUTH MARYSBURGH CANDIDATES
John Hirsch moved to the County after a career in logistics and border trade management. He is running for a second term as representative for South Marysburgh. Hirsch is proud that he has replied to every email in the first term and produced a daily email message during Covid. He was Council’s representative on the committee that created the Destination Marketing Organization.

“We haven’t finished,” said Hirsch, pointing to a term dominated by flooding and two years of Covid.

His priorities include promoting affordable housing, monitoring and regulating short-term accommodation and continuing to refine tourism management.

“I will ensure government is fair and efficient,” said Hirsch.

Ryan Kreutzwiser, along with his wife, manages Lake on the Mountain Resort, including the brewery and Miller House. They also acquired the Black River Cheese factory property and have attracted Pyramid Ferments to establish its processing and distribution operation at this facility.

Kreutzwiser has a Bachelor of Science from UGuelph and a post-grad degree in geographical information systems.

He is running because he believes residents and businesses in the County are not well-represented currently.

“County makes too many biased and reactionary decisions,” said Kreutzwiser. “More important decisions are coming. This place is special. I want to ensure it stays special.”

His priorities include, first and foremost, fiscal responsibility. He says tax rates are unsustainable and that Shire Hall must find efficiencies. He wants to see more transparency and accountability in Council decision-making. Specifically, he wants recorded votes on the big issues and an online registry enabling residents to easily find how their representative has voted.

Kreutzwiser says the County needs to come up with a long-term plan to recruit physicians and healthcare workers rather than throwing money at the problem once in a while.

Kreutzwiser wants to see much more mixeddensity development—apartments, single homes and townhomes all in the same neighbourhood. He suggests such formats have the added advantage of improving social cohesion.

On the importance of the County’s new Official Plan, John Hirsch noted that nearly a third of the County is covered by the 11 designated natural core areas identified in the plan. He said the new protections mean that large development plans that had once been floated for parts of South Marysburgh, including Half Moon Point, would no longer be considered on this land.

“No major development can happen there now,” said Hirsch. “The OP must and will be respected.”

Ryan Kreutzwiser said he supports the new County OP “wholeheartedly.”

In terms of efforts to further protect Ostrander Point and Point Petre, Kreutzwiser is in favour as long as such initiatives protect traditional uses of this land, including hunting, fishing and responsible ATV and snowmobile riding.

Hirsch says these projects are at an early stage, but he fully supports the goal of ensuring no industrialization of the south shore. He hinted that a federal designation might bring some funding from Ottawa.

Hirsch remains a hard no on wind turbines—having whet his political teeth fighting industrial wind turbines in South Marysburgh and the sensitive ecosystem at risk from such development.

On land use, Kreutzwiser said he would be an advocate for young farmers and those pursuing opportunities in value-added agriculture and ag tourism. He cited his arrangement with Pyramid Ferments, a young value-added food company that produces kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha sold across the province.

“We need to find innovative ways to get young farmers started,” said Kreutzwiser.

On the issue of council size, Hirsch said he was in favour of the Citizens’ Assembly’s recommendation of 10 councillors plus the mayor. But he says he would insist upon a representation from every existing ward.

Kreutzwiser noted that the majority of rural singletier municipalities are governed by seven or fewer members. He is less convinced that another prolonged debate, however, would be productive.

“I would like the next Council to focus on efficiency,” said Kreutzwiser. “I’d also like to see a return to standing committees with dedicated responsibility for different aspects of the County’s business.”
A couple of folks asked Hirsch to square his advocacy for shoreland protection with his vote to approve an expansion of a summer resort community in Athol. Hirsch noted that the matter was subject to ongoing litigation and that all he could say was that he supported Council’s decision.

He added, however, that the matter was likely headed to a legal or land use review in any event and that Council opted for the decision that was most likely to succeed in a challenge.

Both candidates thanked residents for showing interest in municipal politics.