November 23, 2011
Candidates square off
by Vance Gutzman
Democracy is alive and well in Deep River, if the number of people who
turned out for last week's all-candidates meeting is any indication.
A full house gathered in the Deep River Library's program room on
Thursday evening to hear what the five candidates vying for two council
seats had to say.
The all-candidates meeting, sponsored by the Deep River Community
Association, was held for the municipal by-election on November 28.
First up to podium was Ian Ingram, who said his experience in the oil
patch out west would stand him in good stead in terms of meeting the
challenges of being on council.
"It was quite a challenge," Ingram said of his supervisory role on the
rigs.
"We got our production up, and we exceeded what we were supposed to do."
There are a number of issues Ingram would like to address, should he be
elected, including the state of the town's fire service and doing
something to improve winter road conditions on Highway 17.
The community must also, according to Ingram, diversify its economic
base in light of the uncertain future of AECL.
"We have to plan ahead and start attracting businesses to prepare for
the worst-case scenario," Ingram said, adding that the municipality
must also figure out a way to attract more soldiers from an expanding
CFB Petawawa to the community.
Next up was Ed Cochrane, who has served on town council in the past and
is seeking a fourth term in office.
Cochrane said it is that past experience that would serve him well
should he be elected again.
"I believe this council has accomplished some good things," he said,
adding that their inexperience, coupled with new staff at town hall, is
preventing them from accomplishing more.
"New people on both sides happens very rarely," Cochrane said.
"That's what has motivated me to see a fourth term."
Also in his opening remarks, Cochrane said he would like to create a
"friendly environment" to attract both new business and new housing
developments.
He would not, however, be in any rush to mandate the use of water
meters in town, believing that the provincial government will
eventually force municipalities to install them anyway, at which time
there will likely be grants available to do so.
"We'd be better served by waiting for the province to make them
mandatory," Cochrane said.
Bob McLaren was the next candidate to address the voters and he too
cited his experience with the town, albeit in a different capacity than
Cochrane.
"With my knowledge and experience, I will be a strong voice on
council," said McLaren, the long-serving public works manager.
Budgetary items would be one of McLaren's priorities, should he be
elected.
"There are many areas that should be addressed," he said, noting that
the town's budget has accounts that are budgeted for and never spent,
and others that are the other way around.
Housing for seniors is also at the top of his list, though McLaren said
the municipality needs to send out a questionnaire to residents to
determine the specific nature of what sort of housing that would entail.
"That's some of the information we need to have in order to present it
to developers," he said.
Major investments are also needed in some key pieces of the town's
infrastructure, said McLaren, citing the pool and arena as two examples.
The proposed revamp at the marina, meanwhile, would not be at the top
of his list.
McLaren said he supports some re-development at the marina, "but not
necessarily the drawings in the NRT."
"Those would be an on-going cost."
Katie Robertson spoke to the voters next, and said she would base her
decisions on council, should she be elected, on her core values and
sense of integrity, while focusing on issues like fiduciary
responsibility.
"I pledge to ensure your money is spent in a responsible manner," she
said.
Affordable housing and improved access to municipal programs ranks high
on Robertson's list, as does a focus on the environment.
"It's everyone's responsibility, but it starts with your government,"
she said of the latter, while also promising in her opening remarks to
provide solid leadership.
"I'll be your voice, all you have to do is vote," she told those in
attendance.
Paul Jones, next up to the podium for his opening remarks, ran
unsuccessfully for council last year.
"I didn't think I'd be doing this again so soon," he remarked.
Unlike the other four candidates, Jones didn't focus as much on what
he'd like to accomplish on council, should he be elected, as he did on
criticizing things the current council has done.
"Sometimes the decisions they're making make me wonder what's going on
in their heads," Jones said of the incumbents, citing the downtown chip
truck.
"There's no reason to discourage a chip truck from our downtown," he
said.
"While we live in a park-like setting, we don't actually live in a
park."
Jones also lashed out at council for the way they handled the
resignation of former deputy mayor Mary MacCafferty, in appointing
Councillor Daniel Banks as her replacement.
"I really scratch my head on this one," he said.
"Why not hold an election?"
Jones didn't have many kind words for the marina re-development
proposal either, saying he wouldn't be spending thousands of dollars on
an area that's covered in water in the spring.
"Beautification does not always come first," he said.
- For complete coverage of last
week's meeting, see this week's print issue of the North Renfrew Times.
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