Columnists
“A Place to Stand, a Place to Grow”
As summer winds down a whole lot of County people will start to breathe a little sigh of relief. In the next few days things will calm down a bit as regards traffic, crowded beaches, line-ups for restaurants and jammed parking lots. I’d be lying if I said tourism was a bad thing for the County. It’s a very good thing for the County’s economy. It’s what’s needed to get many retailers, restauranteurs and accommodation providers through the long winter. But it isn’t at all like the media images online or in newspapers and magazines, it gets crowded and cranky and that’s a hard sell. Of course, once the “high” season dies down so does everything else. The September long weekend marks the beginning- of-the-end of the warm weather, the patio drinks, the BBQs, the late afternoon dips and the “Bounty of The County”. As always, I wonder how the season has managed to pass by so quickly. It really does seem like yesterday I was putting the snow shovels and sidewalk “salt” away then hauling the lawn furniture out of storage, hosing it down and looking forward to lots of time enjoying the sun and the warm breezes. I know we have lots of time until the weather changes really dramatically, but sheesh.
As the signs of summer slowly start to disappear, the signs of an upcoming by-election are popping up all over. If you’re old enough to vote you’re probably old enough to read the literature that is available with regard to party platforms, promises and track records. This column isn’t about me telling you how to vote. This is me telling you to listen to what’s being said and try not to confuse Municipal and Federal politics with Provincial politics. There will be lots of crossovers in the delivery of promises made on platforms, but in the end we all have to take a good, long look at the current provincial political atmosphere and decide if we like what’s happening or if there’s room for a change. Of course, it’s not going to be an easy choice. All of the people who are currently running in this by-election are relative newcomers to the field of “what’s good for our riding” and, ultimately, what’s good for the Province of Ontari-ari-ario.
When I was a much younger person, not paying taxes and living “at home”, I never grasped the concept of voting for a person who would best represent the community at the Legislative Assembly. I had no idea (in spite of all of those Civics classes) that casting a ballot was essentially the voters’ participation in the democratic process. Huh and DOH! Regardless of what you think, voting does impact our everyday lives and your vote is counted and it counts. If you’ve got questions, ask the candidates and/or the representatives who show up at your door. If you missed speaking with a door-knocker, or don’t like speaking to people at the door (or on the phone), the brochures they leave always have contact information on them. You can send “snail mail”, telephone the office, send a text or DM or email. Don’t be afraid to ask your question(s). There really aren’t any stupid questions. Most of the voting public are not well-versed in “politics”. We aren’t. I know I get a bit mumbly when it comes to a lot of Provincial concerns, and if I have to speak to someone I get doubly-mumbly. But you and I have lots of things on our minds with regard to the Province of Ontario, these days. Maybe one of those things is about the condition of the Provincial roads or access to quality healthcare or crime prevention. Maybe it’s about wages and working conditions. It could be a question about education or transportation. It is your right to ask and your right to vote. Every election, municipal, provincial or federal, has consequences about your life.
Your vote is your power to have a say in how your tax dollars are being spent. Ask the questions. Make sure you’re on the voters’ list. Show up on the 19th of September (don’t forget your ID) and let the Riding, and the Province, know you really do care.
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