Some of you may have noticed that I no longer publish a council meeting preview or post meeting report. This is due to a number of personal circumstances but it basically recognizes that the information I summarize is readily available to residents of Parry Sound. When I started covering meetings of council the only way to see the agenda was to go to the Town Office and read it, making notes on what was of some significance. That then evolved about 10 years ago into a copy of the agenda and the minutes being placed at the library. Since then the town has made the agenda and minutes available online and through email. The meetings are also broadcast live on YouTube. For those unable to watch the meeting live the meetings are also inventoried on YouTube. It’s no longer necessary to offer a preview of the meeting or to follow up the decisions made at the meeting. Nonetheless, I expect that I will from time to time offer an opinion piece on subjects that involve the town. This is an example of one of times.
Election 2022
This is one of the more important elections that we’ve had in the last 20 years. With considerable development on the horizon, issues with Sequin and the construction of the pool, Council will be quite involved in civic matters. I am pleased to see that we have a core of mayor and council running again this year. Their experience will be important as we negotiate the details of the various projects.
The challenges facing Parry sound in the next four years that are of some concern to me, in no particular order are:
- Development of the waterfront at Champaign Avenue.
- The waterfront development proposed along Great North Road.
- The development proposed on Waubeek Street.
- The recreation and culture centre (Da pool)
- Ongoing negotiations with Seguin concerning services.
That is in addition to the proposed development on Louisa Street, Acorn Ridge, which is no longer on the front burner. And the development that has started on George Street just off Forest Street.
That’s quite a list of challenges for both council and staff.
With all of that in mind here is how I’m going to be casting my vote for mayor and council. My key concern is that we have people with experience working with developers, working with the province and working with public.
Mayor
I think that Jamie McGarvey’s experience and provincial contacts are critical as we wrangle with development, our neighbours regarding the Da Pool, and development discussions with Seguin. This less a time for leadership than for management and experience. Our near-term future will be defined by the developments being proposed, less by a vision for the future. Vision matters but right now there are opportunities that need to be dealt with.
Council
I am pleased that Bonnie, Paul and Doug have decided to seek reelection. Their experience will be invaluable in dealing with all the development proposed for Parry Sound. There’s also room for three new council members to learn the job under perhaps a little bit more stress than they would’ve expected. This is works nicely for the next election if some of the veterans choose.
The three existing counselors have shown a great deal of diligence and expertise in their job. So I will probably fill out my ballot as follows:
Mayor
Jamie McGarvey
Council
Bonnie Keith
Paul Borneman
Doug McCann
George Ashford
Chris McDonald
George Ashford ran last election and seems engaged in the future of the Town. He is the kind of person we need to develop, young and involved. At the same time I think Chris McDonald is a good candidate based on his considerable involvement with the Splash Pad initiative. It takes guts to make things happen.
That leaves one vote open. I’ll do a little bit of thinking and perhaps select one more name.