Councillor

Bill Robinson – a man of the people

Bill Robinson moved to Harrowsmith when he left the armed forces in 1969. He purchased the Supertest Service Centre at that time and ran it for five years while working in the penitentiary service. He retired from Collins Bay Pen in 1988. He also worked for many years at the Verona waste disposal site.

In the year 2000 he sought a seat on council in Portland District and was successful. He has been a member of council ever since, making him the longest-serving member of Council in the post-amalgamation era. He is seeking his fifth mandate in this election.

“My main focus as a councilor for the future is my district of Portland. First and foremost is my duty to look after the district of Portland,” he said. “I always listen to what people have to say and I always call everything the way I see it,” he said, “that makes me something of a man of the people. I represent the people to the Council.”

To that end he said he sometimes has to cut through some of the bureaucratic language at the Council table to make his points.

“I don't think they all like my point blank answers, and at times it makes some enemies at council or even among staff, but that's the way it is.”

In terms of issues coming forward, he said he is looking very carefully at a proposed subdivision on Petworth Road near Hartington, because of water issues.

“They seem to have cut that one down a little bit, maybe backed off a little bit, but someone has to keep watch all the time,” he said.

He says another thing that concerns him is that he sees staff sometimes move on projects before council has had its say.

As an example, he cited a proposal for a roundabout at Stars Corners (Wilton and Yarker Roads) which he said was about to be implemented before he heard about it and argued against it at council.

“It was something that wasn't needed,” he said. “You have to keep your eye open for these things. I have in the past and I plan to keep doing so in the future,” he said.

Councillor

John McDougall – Putting experience into practice

After four years on council, John McDougall says that he is barely getting going.

“It took a time to get used to how everything works,” he said.

That being said, looking back at the issues he identified last time around, when he was running for his first term, a number of things have been accomplished, including keeping an ambulance base in Parham, and securing the future of the Verona Medical Centre.

Becoming a member of Council was a continuation of a long history of community involvement for John McDougall since he arrived in the Verona area in 1976 and became the music teacher in what is now Central and North Frontenac. He eventually became a school principal and worked at schools in Frontenac County and Kingston until his retirement in 1995.

He has taken leadership roles with the Verona Lions Club, and with his wife Ann has been involved with the Verona Festival, North Frontenac Little Theatre and Trinity United Church in Verona.

“One of my frustrations on Council has been our inability to get any new seniors’ housing in Portland or anywhere else in the township,” he said.

He is currently the council representative for South Frontenac on Frontenac County Council, and he is ready to sit at the county again if re-elected, along with the new mayor, provided that is the will of the new Council.

“There has been a completely different feel in the room at county council over the past few months and I find it refreshing. I'm not sure all the councils are in tune with this new atmosphere just yet, and I look forward to playing a role over the next term.”

As part of his county role, seniors’ housing has been an item he has been working on, and if elected and returned to the county he would continue those efforts.

Another issue that he thinks will be important for the new Council will be septic re-inspections on waterfront properties, which he supports.

Councillor

Brad Barbeau - musician turned politician

Brad Barbeau works as an associate director of technology at the Queen's School of Business, but he is better known in South Frontenac and Kingston for his musicianship. He is the organist and musical director at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sydenham, and at one time he was the acting musical director at St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Kingston.

With the birth of his son, he pulled back from St. George’s, but continues in Sydenham.

His interest in municipal politics comes from observing council over the years, and from his father-in-law, who is the reeve of Madoc Township and is always talking about municipal politics.

One of the motivating factors for him comes from living very close to Road 38 in Harrowsmith. He notes that vehicles roar through the village each day, which brings two things to mind for him.

“There is a question of safety with all that traffic, and there is also an issue about the lack of business on that stretch of road,” he said. “It is very encouraging that we now have Gilmour's at the north end of Harrowsmith, but we need to find a way to support the businesses we have in the centre of the village and bring more in. I'm not sure what council can do, but we need to look at it.”

He is also interested in what he calls “affordable rural living” which includes considering property taxes, and other factors that make it expensive to live in South Frontenac.

“I know people in Kingston who would like to move to the country, and everything the township does to make it easy to move here, to build here, and to live here, will make a difference.”

He said that some costs are higher, but that keeping a tax advantage as compared to Kingston is something that can counteract that somewhat.

One of the things that interests him is affordable energy.

He sees himself as a new generation of South Frontenac resident because he was raised north of Sydenham, went off to Kingston, and has now came back and is raising a family in South Frontenac. He is now looking to bring that perspective to council.

Councillor

Fran Willes – Experience can be an asset

Among the candidates for the two vacant Loughborough District council positions, Fran Willes is the only one with a history on Council. She spent two terms on Loughborough Township Council before amalgamation in 1998, and sat on South Frontenac Township Council between 2001 and 2003. She also ran for mayor in the fall of 2003, losing out to Bill Lake, and ran for Council in 2010.

She has lived at the corner of Sydenham and Rutledge roads for 35 years. She has worked in law offices for many years. She has studied municipal planning and will obtain her Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning from Queen's University next spring.

One of the issues that concerns her this time around is the recent increase in the Development Charges Bylaw that council has instituted.

“This could affect further development in South Frontenac. If we have unfair development charges builders will simply go elsewhere,” she said.

The Sydenham water system is another concern of hers.

“We need to hold a public meeting where all of the villagers’ concerns can be discussed.” she said.

The township’s decision to charge user fees for township halls, she thinks lacks memory, and this is where her experience comes in.

For example, “The Harris Park Hall (in Perth Road Village) was donated to Loughborough Township prior to the 1998 amalgamation. It was conveyed by the Harris family for the use of local residents without fees in perpetuity. Council intends to apply user fees for this hall. This is not appropriate in this instance,” she said.

The concerns of property owners who live on private lanes with regard to emergency services is another issue she thinks council should address.

Councillor

Terry Thake – Council should listen more

Terry Thake is continuing a long-standing family tradition by running for Council in Loughborough District.

His uncle, Bill Thake, was the longest-serving head of Council in Ontario. He died suddenly last year while he was still the mayor of Westport.

Terry has lived for 43 years on Eel Bay of Sydeham Lake, in Loughborough District, South Frontenac. He is from Westport, which is some kilometres up the road. He said, “I moved here because I married a girl from Perth Road.”

The Thakes have certainly settled in over the years. Terry is involved in the monument business, selling for a company out of Belleville, but most of his work centers around the homestead. He runs a cattle operation, rents cottages, sells firewood, and sometimes drives school bus for his wife. The Thakes’ son, daughter and grandchildren live nearby with their families as well.

He says that he is running for Council because it is something he has always wanted to do and this was a good time to put his name forward.

“There are a lot of people out there who are against Council,” he said. “There is a big hubbub over hall rentals. I think people should get back something for the taxes they pay and free use of the halls would at least be something. Most of the people who use the halls are older and they get to use the halls to have a bit of fun, and we shouldn't take that away.”

He also said that he thinks keeping taxes from rising too much can be accomplished by reining in some of the equipment purchases made by the fire and public works departments.

“I've talked to the guys on the roads and fire departments, the guys who do the work, and they don't think we need some of this new equipment,” he said

Beyond any specific issue, Thake believes it is important for councilors to be honest and respectful of each other, and the public.

“When someone comes before Council, they deserve to be listened to by Council. I say you should listen to people, take them seriously and then decide what to do. It may not be the decision they want, but at least they get a real hearing.”

Councillor

Ross Sutherland – the guy on the bike

Residents of Loughborough District who haven't paid much attention to health care reform in the region or provincial elections in Frontenac County may not have known Ross Sutherland before this summer.

That changed after he put his name in as a candidate for Council. Throughout the summer and early fall, Sutherland has been parking his car at the end of some of the long country roads in the district, pulling his bike off the roof racks and cycling down the roads, stopping at each house to talk municipal politics.

Aside from outlining his own goals, he says he has learned a lot about his neighbours.

“There are a lot of people doing interesting things, people with stories to tell,” he said.

One of the things that he has noticed in his travels is the number of solar panel installations dotting the local landscape.

“I am amazed by the numbers and it makes me think that South Frontenac could even set out, as a goal, the idea of being self-sufficient in terms of energy. I realize it is a stretch but it could be a focus for township policies regarding renewable energy, which would be good for everyone,” he said.

Ross Sutherland works as a nurse in Kingston. He worked for years at Hotel Dieu Hospital and has worked for the Kingston Health Centre for 6 years. He is the long time chair, now co-chair, of the Kingston and Area Health Coalition, and has been active with the local NDP riding association, serving as president and as the party candidate several times.

“I am nearing retirement and I now have more time to become involved in politics directly. I also find local government to be the most direct, and the most immediate,” he said.

Throughout the campaign he has heard about issues and solutions from all corners of the district, and this has made him even more enthusiastic about the township.

“The heart of our political process is to understand all of these issues and work together on solutions. I look forward to these discussions and challenges. This process is made a lot easier and more effective by the many community-involved people we have in our township,” he said.

Councillor

Mark Schjerning – Paramedic chief and Beaver leader

Mark Schjerning has lived on Sydenham Lake for over 18 years with his wife Kim Deline. They have two school-aged children, a boy and a girl, and the whole family is involved in Scouts and Girl Guides with Beavers and Brownies.

Schjerning is also a hockey volunteer and is the president of the Sydenham Lake Association.

His day job is as the Chief of Emergency Services for Lennox and Addington County, a job he has held since 2010. Before that he worked as an operations manager for the Hastings County Paramedic services, and before that he was a paramedic based at Hotel Dieu hospital in Kingston.

In addition to his experience as a manager in a municipal context, he has also served on the Police Services Board in South Frontenac for four years, and like some of the other candidates in Loughborough District, part of his motivation for running this time around is the fact there are two vacancies on council.

He has identified three issues as a focus for his campaign. They are: policing costs, transportation (roads and bridges) and asset management.

As far as roads are concerned he feels the level of service is good within the township, but there is an issue of communications and there are gaps.

“Every resident is entitled to know the standards for the road they live on, and these standards should be regularly updated,” he said.

He has also looked at the Long Lake Road situation, which has been raised during the campaign. Noting that the road is township property, and those who live on the eastern portion of the road receive what the township calls “minimal maintenance”, meaning they have to plow themselves out in winter and do not have the benefit of home garbage pickup, he said, “As far as I can tell, they are entitled to a certain level of maintenance based on provincial regulation since it is a township road,” he said, “I think a bit of organization and formalization would help everyone.”

He said that if elected he will use his understanding of the way municipalities should work to take on the responsibility of council.

Councillor

Dave Plumpton – applying management skills

Dave Plumpton is a recent resident to South Frontenac, although he has life-long connections to the region. He is currently the President of the Sydenham & District Lions Club, is a member of the Legion, is on the baord of the Sydenham Lake Assocaition and helps out with the Canada Day committee.

He is originally from Gananoque, where his parents still live, and went to schools in Kingston, Gananoque and at McMaster in Hamilton. He works for Province of Ontario, where he is an Account Manager for Treasury Board Secretariat in the IT division.

“We bought a house and property on Little Long Lake Road, moved in three years ago, and my wife and I plan to retire here in the next couple of years,” he said.

His first involvement with the township came last February when he appeared before Council with neighbours to talk about the absence of road maintenance for the Eastern section of Little Long Lake Road, which is classed as an un-maintained township road.

“Council passed a motion in June and a plan is being worked on to look at these kinds of roads. This has not been looked at since 2002,” he said.

Plumpton said that he became interested in running for Council when he found out that his two area incumbents were both running for mayor.

“When I saw there was a void I became interested in the job and I believe I have something to offer the township because of my business and government experience. What I do every day is work through problems and projects for Ministries.” he said. “It's really quite simple when you follow some key steps. There are skills that I have developed over 40 years in both the private and public sector that can help us work through and resolve issues.”

He identified a number of those issues, such as asset management, a plan for future garbage disposal, and a long-term plan for road maintenance. His main concern is holding property tax increases to as low as possible.

He is interested in participating in a number of committees, including the Central Recreation Committee, and is also interested in representing the township at the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.

Councillor

Stephen Bach – People love living here

Stephen Bach purchased his property near Perth Road in 1990. In 2007 he built his home after having used the property seasonally. He works as a realtor with the Sutton Group and his wife is a retired minister.

Stephen Bach has over 35 years experience of owning and operating businesses to bring to council.

“I have always been interested in politics,” he said. When I became aware that both of the Loughborough councilors were running for mayor, I began thinking about running. After much consideration I decided to enter my name in March. Since then I have been attending council meetings to see how council operates, and I have been canvassing as well,” he said.

He said that one big thing he has found in talking to people is that they wouldn’t live anywhere else.

“They love it here - and why not? We have the lakes, the landscape, the people, everything,” he said.

He has heard some contradictory things from constituents: “Nobody wants their taxes to go up. However, some people want salt and sand supplied for their lanes. There are 440 kilometres of private lanes in South Frontenac. I live on a private lane and understand the problem; I think that it might be possible for the township to consider having sand and salt available for free pick-up,” he said.

He said that from what he's observed, the township seems to be fairly well managed, but he is concerned that policing costs are going to be a major issue for the new council as a result of changes coming from the province.

He also said he has not looked closely at relations between South Frontenac and Frontenac County. “I think it would be more usual for a second-term councillor to sit on county council, but we are in an unusual position this time around. We will have three returning council members this time around, at most.” If he is elected and the necessity arises for him to step into a role at the County he would be prepared to do so.

Mayor

Ron Vandewal – a family tradition

Ron Vandewal is open with his opinions. You might say he wears them on his sleeves. He has been a member of Council in South Frontenac for 11 years, and he has a family history on Loughborough Council as well.

He lives with his wife Nancy on a farm property that has been in his family since 1950. He continues to run the farm and drive a school bus. The rest of his time is devoted to family, and the township.

As a senior member of council he has taken an active role on committees, including the Committee of Adjustment and the Corporate Services committee, and he is a long-standing member of the Frontenac Arena board.

He said that he thought about running for mayor in 2010, but when Gary Davison told him he was running again, and that it would be the last time, “I figured I would be better off to stay on as a councilor. This time, I knew from early on that I was going to run for mayor.”

He realises that if elected as mayor, he would not be able to speak to issues as he does now, but would have to listen to what is said by others “and be more of a voice of reason”, but he feels that he has enough knowledge about the township to take on the leadership role.

He has been a persistent critic of some of the trends at Frontenac County over the years, and said, “Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder what the purpose of the county is, but the county is there and you have to make it work. My attitude is to go in to it politically and I will not be a negative force, not at all. I will say that we have to be conscious that we do not need to grow the county just for sake of growing the county.”

Among the issues facing the township in the coming years there is the question of development.

“There is no question that we are going to grow. There are subdivisions in stream now and more coming. What we have going for us is that we have a very good staff. I don't care what anyone says, I stand behind them. I think they make really good recommendations to us, and we make the final decisions, but we can handle growth because we have the planning, building, and public works staff to handle growth, and to keep taxes from going up that way,” he said.

He is committed to working towards maintaining tax increases 2% each year going forward, 1% for operations and 1% to go towards replacing fixed assets over time (roads, bridges, halls, equipment, offices and yards, etc.).

“One thing that I have always said, and I have sometimes been alone in this, is that when we have cost over-runs in a department they should be taken off the next year’s budget at the start, not just funded from reserve funds and forgotten about. I am the only mayoral candidate who voted against larger tax increases that were there because of how we fund cost over-runs,” he said.

One thing that Ron Vandewal will expect from Council if he is elected mayor is something he says he has always done himself - act in the interest of the entire township.

“In my 11 years on council, I have helped many residents from Storrington, Portland, Bedford, and Loughborough districts and these people know who they are. I have worked as hard for all South Frontenac as I have for my own district’s concerns and that is what I expect from everyone on council.”