John McEwen

Sep 12, 2014

Mayor

John McEwen – Building a better township

John McEwen was born in Weston, Ontario, in the long shadow of the City of Toronto, and although his family moved to Kingston Mills when he was in high school, his South Frontenac roots go back to the beginning of the settlement period of the 1830s.

“Old Tom McEwen settled in Bradshaw, township of Bedford, in 1830, and the family farm is still there, just east of the tracks on Bradshaw Road,” he said, “but we all moved away generations ago.”

In 1991, John McEwen moved to Bellrock and started the business he still runs, John McEwen Waterproofing.

If elected mayor he will be closing down the business, for fear of any appearance of a conflict. One of his key reasons for running is also to put people like himself out of work.

“My business is entirely founded on the mistakes made by existing building departments. If elected, I will urge council to pass a bylaw enforcing an existing statute requiring waterproofing for all new construction. Municipalities are entirely responsible for enforcement of the statute, and although I brought this information to the township last year, nothing was done about it,” he said.

McEwen said that the township has been listening to the building department and some builders who say that enforcing the bylaw would hinder development in the township.

“When the lawsuits come to the township from homeowners with flooded basements and huge costs to fix them, the township will be liable because of this,” he said.

Among the other issues that he intends to address if elected is the ongoing Sydenham water situation

“Water rates will be up to about $1,200 over 4 year period, up from $600, and those who don't use the water pay a penalty on top of that. What I would do is eliminate the penalty and split the increase in half, so Sydenham residents would pay $900 per year. The rest of the township could take up the loss, in exchange for a public water tap, somewhere in Sydenham,” he said.

In order to make better use of the water system, he said he would like to see development encouraged on Stage Coach road in the vicinity of the water tower.

While he has never sat on a municipal council, McEwen said that in the 20 years he has been working on changing provincial legislation regarding waterproofing and drainage in new home construction, and as a member and Treasurer of the local Liberal Party Riding Association, he has had plenty of contact with provincial officials, including those at the deputy minister and minister level, and it has given him much insight into how provincial politics works.

“I would have no hesitation whatsoever in calling a cabinet minister on township matters. I know how to navigate that system,” he said.

Other township matters that interest him include the future of waste management in South Frontenac, encouraging programs aimed at helping seniors remain at home in the community, making the county work, and keeping taxes in check.

“I am not tied to one issue,” he said, “but my experience in the construction industry is an asset. The township is essentially a construction maintenance corporation. We are 90% roads, ditches, grass, bridges and buildings, I own a corporation that is involved in construction maintenance; that's what I am, a construction maintenance guy.”