Keep Calm, Carry On

To avoid being slipperslapped, I’ll say “God Save the King”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the Monarchy and I’m not a big “G” god believer. Having put that out there, I believe King Charles the Third has a long, tough road ahead of him. His “Dear MawMaw” had the chops, a lot of dignity, a sense of humour and a whole pile of panache. I’d be surprised if Charles will ever be able to muster any of those qualities at a publicly consistent level. Like a lot of you, I’ll be watching to see which direction he takes during his reign of entitlement. Oh, stop! He’s entitled and titled. Heck, in the good old days, he probably wouldn’t have been allowed to take the throne, what with being a divorced Royal, marrying a divorced non-Royal, and all. But, in some twisted way, I am a Royal watcher. What intrigues me is as many steps forward as the Windsors manage to take (from the dark ages to the present) there’s always a hint of entitlement, pomposity, backsliding and snivelling to remind a subject, “They aren’t like us”. So, here’s to the new King and his Consort. Here’s to the heir apparent and the lineup of “spares apparent”. It’s probably a good thing being a Monarch isn’t an elected position else we’d end up with the likes of Boris, or worse.

On a more local note, September brings us to the threshold of Municipal and School Board elections around the province. Personally, I kinda/sorta like Municipal elections. They aren’t really about a political party, and in this community we aren’t inundated with scuzzy attack ads in the media, social or otherwise. At least I hope that never happens. Sadly, the truth about citizen turnout for municipal elections is usually under 50 per cent of those eligible to cast a vote. This number is lower than the turnout for provincial and federal elections. It’s seems as if we don’t really put much stock into what happens in our own communities. A municipal or school board election is about our community. It’s about this community, right here! Think community engagement, education, the local environment, housing, a healthy population, leisure, public transportation and culture. I’m not sure how our community measures up against other municipalities as regards turnout of citizen voters, but I’m sure we can do better than we have in the past. We should be very concerned about the forward planning of this community. Ours is a community in flux. We’ve whined about tourists, roads, downtown revitalization, property taxes, access to health care, use of public spaces, public spaces, parking places, employment opportunities, unemployment, social services—you know the list. The time has come to pay attention to the people who have thrown their hats into the ring. It’s probably a good time to hear what they have to say with regard to the issues you hold near and dear.

As of September 1st the “voters list” should be available at the office of the County Clerk. If you’re not on the list, you’re in the right spot to get your name added. You must present proper identification such as an Ontario Driver’s Licence, a tax bill, an Ontario Health Card (photo card), financial statements, etc. If you want to run for office, you’re too late, even if you’re the best thing since the resurfacing of Main Street—that Drum Compactor has sailed. If you want to know where to vote, when to vote or how to vote, all of that information will be on your Voter Card (once you’re registered and legitimate and such) which you should bring with you to the place listed on the card, along with a piece of identification. If you’re cool with using a computer, you can check online to see if you’re really and truly there. The County’s municipal webpage has a lot of easy-to-access information about your eligibility to vote, which Ward you’re in and who’s running in your Ward. Now, do yourself a great big favour and pick up one of the local newspapers to read all about the candidates who have thrown their toques into the ring. Don’t be afraid to attend a debate or all candidates meeting. Finally, celebrate the election! Pour yourself a Kool-Aid and fill a bowl with salty snacks, plop yourself in front of the goggle box and watch the fun, the tears and the jeers.