Away game

Athol candidate meeting

Perhaps the oddest bit of the Athol candidates meeting last week was that it wasn’t in Athol. The event sponsor, the South Shore Joint Initiative, was robbed of the chance to scrutinize those seeking to represent South Marysburgh when the current councillor, John Hirsch, was acclaimed in August. No one will run against him in the October 25 municipal election.

The SSJI is an active advocate for the region— for environmental and shoreland protection. They were unwilling to forgo the once-every-four-year platform. So residents gathered in Milford last Wednesday to meet the four Athol candidates, three mayoral candidates, and two candidates running for public school board trustee for the southeast half of the County.

It was another well-attended candidate event, with about 60 curious residents out on Wednesday evening.

The session rolled out in three parts—an introduction, three set questions and questions from the audience. After the first section, much of the energy drained from the room. By act 3, only the diehards remained. They had some issues they wanted to get off their chest.

SAYING HELLO
Tyler Langmuir is looking to represent Athol to put “the County on the right track”.

“People have lost their voice,” said Langmuir.

Anna Zak lives in Cherry Valley, where she and her husband are raising two boys. She built and operates Lakecroft, a lakeside wedding venue in the hamlet. Her professional career includes 15 years in telecommunications.

Zak is asking a fundamental question: Where are we heading in Athol?

“My experience has taught me how to solve problems and to dig deeper to find solutions,” said Zak. “There is a lot of pressure on our community coming from tourism and development.”

Haley Woods wants to see more ‘natural’ growth occur in Prince Edward County.

“The County is my home; it’s not a business opportunity,” said Woods. She is seeking a seat on council to push for attainable housing and jobs for youth.”

Emily Pickstock is an education assistant working with the local school board.

She too laments the lack of local jobs in the County.

“We can be the change we want to see,” said Pickstock.

TRUSTEE CANDIDATES
The contrast between school board trustee candidates is distinct: Codie Goodman is not-so-manyyears- removed from the classroom as a student. The other candidate, Peter Wheeler, is a grizzled veteran of college administration. Both bring distinct qualities to the role.

Goodman works with students and educators at the Picton high school. Wheeler has broad views on how the school board can shape the curriculum to meet the needs of students in this community.

Wheeler says trustees must be more vocal in asserting the community’s interests. Goodman warns school boards are under threat from provincial takeover, citing threats to disband or amalgamate school boards, or eliminate trustees altogether. She fears losing local control entirely.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES
All candidates were presented with three prepared questions from the SSJI. They were asked to answer all three in one. The first two, on land use planning process and environmental protections, required a detailed explanation. The format favoured the first speaker, Ernie Margetson.

The former councillor and consulting engineer delivered a masterclass summary of land-planning processes in Prince Edward County, including the province’s overarching role and the latitude municipalities have in local land-use decisions.

After covering the landscape from the Planning Act and the Provincial Planning Statement to the County’s Official Plan, there wasn’t much for the other candidates to add. So most simply acknowledged as much and moved on.

Brad Nieman added that he isn’t a planning expert, “but I don’t need to be.”

I need to know where to get information and how to use it,” explained Nieman. He said it is up to professional staff to be the experts. His comment would come back to nick him a bit later in the meeting.

On the question of environmental protection, Margetson again offered a clear and thorough explanation of the patchwork of protections and safeguards in place in the County. He again highlighted the interplay of responsibility between the province, Quinte Conservation and Shire Hall.

The third question, on the size of council, enabled the other candidates to stake out distinct positions.

Both Brad Nieman and Terry Shortt are wary of the impact of reducing the size of council, but both said they would respect residents’ democratic expression. The issue is the subject of a ballot question on October 26.

Nieman, though, repeated a provision he has made previously: if fewer than half the eligible voters don’t cast a vote, the outcome of the question would not be binding upon the next council. Sadly, no election has achieved this level of voter participation. The County came very close in 2010, coincidentally the last time the question of council size was on the ballot.

Opponents of change made a similar argument that year, after 81 per cent of respondents signalled they wanted a review of council size. The subsequent term of council dragged its feet for several years before acceding to a modest alteration—dropping two council members.

AFTER THE BREAK
The meeting convened with fewer than half the audience after a short break to stretch their legs. Many residents had heard enough. Those that remained had some things they wanted to get off their chest.

The first submitted question asked the mayoral candidates if they agreed that the outgoing term of council had been “extremely fractious”, “with some councillors often shooting from the hip. Do you agree with this characterization, and how would you fix this?” The question seemed to have come from inside the council chamber.

Terry Shortt explained that the way to fix the problem is through mediation.

“I have those skills,” said Shortt.

Brad Nieman agreed that there were times that council looked like a “dog and pony show”.

“If you have good leaders you can avoid much of this,” said Nieman. “Everybody must get heard.”

Ernie Margetson said he has listened to most meetings of the past term. He didn’t qualify the characterization contained in the question, observing only that “sometimes we mesh, sometimes we don’t.”

He was quite clear, however that the head of council must set the tone for council debate and discussion.

“No matter what, when we disagree, we can do so respectfully,” said Margetson.

FIZZLER
From there, the meeting dwindled into grievances from the audience. Would the candidates declare the County as a willing host for industrial wind turbines? It wasn’t actually a question—more a demand. Unsatisfied with the responses, the questions became declarations and statements. The moderator struggled to maintain meeting discipline.

Then came a question directed at Brad Nieman about his actions and decisions on permitting large-scale housing development around Waring’s Creek. It wasn’t a question, but rather a thinly veiled attack on his voting record on the file.

Nieman attempted to explain that he had done what he believed to be the right thing, but that he wasn’t a lawyer.

The questioner wasn’t satisfied and continued to hurl criticisms at him—thus prompting sharp comments from Nieman supporters.

Eventually the moderator stepped in to thank the candidates and participants. And with that, the meeting lurched to a stop.