Feature Article - September 21, 2006

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Feature Article - September 21, 2006

Election heats upHunter to contest Clayton for NFMayor; Bearance candidacy makes CFa three-way race; Davison to give Lakea run in South Frontenac; Henry Hogg trying to reclaim Reeve position in Addington Highlands

by Jeff Green

North Frontenac Councillor Betty Hunter has decided to run for mayor this time around, pitting her against Bud Clayton, a councillor from the same Clarendon and Miller district that she represents.

Hunter has taken on various roles as a councillor, and in her role as the Chair of the township’s Economic Development Committee, she has worked on marketing the wilderness campsites that the township runs on Crown land within the township.

This issue is one of the points where she differs from Bud Clayton, who has voiced opposition to the program on several occasions, saying that it costs North Frontenac ratepayers money each year even though it was intended to be revenue neutral.

Hunter has come into the race in the wake of a surprise decision by current Mayor Ron Maguire not to seek re-election.

Central Frontenac race gains another voice of experience What was already shaping up to be a interesting mayoralty race between incumbent Bill MacDonald and one-term councillor Janet Gutowski, has an added dimension now that current Stone Mills Reeve and Lennox & Addington Warden Doug Bearance has decided to run for Mayor of Central Frontenac. Although Bearance has served on Stone Mills Council for the past two terms (he was Deputy Reeve from 2002-2004), Bearance served under Bill MacDonald as Hinchinbrooke Councillor in the first term of Central Frontenac Council (1998-2001). He has a long history in municipal politics, having served as Deputy Reeve on the old Hinchinbrooke Council, and as a councillor in both Portland and Sheffield townships.

Bearance has lived all along on Wagarville Road in Central Frontenac, and recently sold the IGA store he owned in Tamworth , and had been planning to retire from municipal politics.

“But,” he told the News early this week, “people from around Central Frontenac have been phoning me and asking me to run. They thought that after nine years, they would like to see a change.”

Bearance said that he has always tried to work with people in his years in municipal governance.

“I know Bill’s a good guy, and he does a good job,” he said of incumbent candidate Bill MacDonald, and he said he is unfamiliar with Janet Gutowski. He considers himself an underdog candidate, and he said he won’t be saying anything against the other candidates.

“But I guess I’d say I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I’d do a better job,” he offered.

Davison throws his hat in as well Loughborough District Councillor Gary Davison, who had indicated earlier this summer that he was not intending to run for re-election, has decided to contest incumbent Mayor Bill Lake , who is seeking a second term.

When contacted on Tuesday afternoon, Davison said he has been thinking of running for Mayor for some time. “I said I was not planning to run for Council,” Davison said when contacted on Tuesday of this week. On a more serious note, he said, “There are a few things up in the air that need a lot of attention in South Frontenac. Amalgamation is foremost in my mind. I think the whole township would benefit from a streamlined administration; there doesn’t seem to be much interest in pursuing that right now. Recycling, which has been such a boondoggle in Portland and Loughborough, must be addressed if we don’t want to be shipping our garbage out to the Richmond landfill.”

Gary spent 40 years as a volunteer firefighter. He resigned as Loughborough Fire Chief just in time to run for Council in 2003, and has served one term on Council.

Addington Highlands: Finally, just the News was about to go to press, we learned that Henry Hogg, the former Reeve of Addington Highlands, has decided to run for Reeve this year. Bill Cox, currently a councillor in Ward 2, had been the only declared candidate for Reeve in Addington Highlands.

Candidates filling out Council elections

With ten days to go before the close of nominations for this fall’s municipal election, some voters can expect to be faced with an array of names on their ballots, while some districts are still facing the prospect of acclamations.

It all depends where they live.

In Addington Highlands, Councillor Louise Scott is running for re-election in Ward 2, and Larry Pealow and Charles Snider are running as well. In Ward 1 (Denbigh) Eythel Grant is seeking re-election, and he will be running against Janice Kerr and Faye Mieske.

In North Frontenac, Councillors Fred Perry and Wayne Good, who were both appointed in Barrie Ward during the current term of council, are both running for election. In Clarendon and Miller Ward, Ken Cox is the only candidate registered thus far, and in Palmerston Canonto it looks like there will be a race as Jim Beam and Bob Olmstead have been joined this week by incumbent David Smith.

In Central Frontenac, Councillor Logan Murray is running for re-election in Kennebec , and Tom Dewey is also running.

In Olden, the field is more crowded. Councillor Bill Guigue is seeking re-election, and Justin Gray, Norman Guntensperger, and John Purdon are also running.

Oso has the two long-serving incumbents, Francis Smith and Bob Harvey, running again, as well as Ed Beattie.

Finally, Hinchinbrooke has no less than six candidates registered, including incumbent Bill Snyder, and Boyce Peters, Wayne Bush, Philip Smith, Dave Hoover, and Danka Brewer.

In South Frontenac, there are three candidates for the two Bedford positions: incumbents David Hahn and Del Stowe, along with Randy McConnell.

Portland district should be interesting, with incumbent Bill Robinson running, as well as Mike Cope, Tom Addison, Doug Lovegrove, Jim Hicks, and Ron Tapscott.

In Loughborough, Ron Vandewal is running for re-election, and Fran Willes, Tedd Hosler and Alan McPhail are running as well.

Finally, in Storrington, incumbent Peter Roos is running again, as are Larry York, John Fillion and Norm Roberts.

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Feature Article - October 19, 2006

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Feature Article - October 19, 2006

South FrontenacCouncil

by WilmaKenny

South Frontenac Council’s penultimate meeting before the election was brief and uneventful. A few people attended a public meeting concerning the closure and sale of a township road allowance with steep access to Loughborough Lake . Two residents expressed concerns that the homes without shoreline would lose viewing access to the water. None disputed the extreme steepness of the drop to the lake, and several councillors pointed out that although it was not usual to close public access to water, in this case they were concerned about liability issues. The road closure was passed.

Council approved purchase of a 4X4 Roads Department pick-up truck (orange) for $25,197, lowered the speed limit on the southern edge of Inverary, approved a drainage loan application, and tidied up a few land use details.

Of note in the information items was a quarterly payment of $10,484. from Stewardship Ontario and Waste Diversion Ontario . This payment is provided under the auspices of the Blue Box Program Plan which provides funding directly from the companies who do business in Ontario and produce packaging and printed materials that are managed through municipal waste management systems. Under the Waste Diversion Act, 2002, these companies report the amount of packaging and printed paper they put into the Ontario residential marketplace and pay fees to Stewardship Ontario, which in turn distributes these funds to municipalities with recycling programs. Peter Roos, chair of the Sustainability Committee, pointed out after the meeting that there are additional grants under this same program, aimed at increasing effectiveness and lowering costs of municipal recycling programs, for which the Township may be eligible now it has gone to weekly pick-up in three districts.

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Feature Article - November 16, 2006

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Feature Article - November 16, 2006

$5 1/2 million later, MacDonald shown the door

by Jeff Green

Bill MacDonald was at ease when reached on the phone the day after losing an election for the first time in his 18-year political career in Central Frontenac.

“It seems to me there was a movement across the province,” he said, “The lower tier is suffering from the fallout from provincial impacts, and unless you have the popularity of someone like Hazel McCallion in Mississauga, you were vulnerable.”

Paradoxically, the election defeat came to MacDonald at the end of a year in which Central Frontenac has obtained two large grants: a $4 million road construction grant that MacDonald had been working on for at least six years, and a $1.6 million grant to build a new home for the medical centre in Sharbot Lake.

“When you get defeated after everything that we’ve accomplished, it does leave a bitter taste in your mouth, and I felt that last night,” Bill MacDonald admitted, “but today is another day.”

He said he is apprehensive about what is coming at Central Frontenac, naming the responsibilities that will come with the new municipal act, the groundwater protection act, and provincial riding redistribution as possible threats to the township, but said he thinks the councils he has led have “built a very strong foundation. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in the past nine years.”

Bill MacDonald said he hopes that the new council will maintain a vision of the whole township and will avoid pitting one district against the others.

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Feature Article - November 30, 2006

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Feature Article - November 30, 2006

Addington Highlands honours special individuals

by Ken Hook

On November 26, four individuals were honoured at the annual Addington Highlands Township Christmas Party.The small Denbigh Municipal Hall was packed with over 100 township employees, volunteers and councilors.

A recognition of bravery was awarded to Pete Tryon of Kaladar by Fire Chief Casey Cuddy.In December 2005,Pete Tryon helped a transport driver escape from his burning truck when it collided into Bence Motors on Highway #7. Pete received a standing ovation for his outstanding efforts in this life-threatening traffic accident.

For the first time, a "Key to the Township" was awarded to Bill Brown for his community involvement on the Economic Development Committee. Bill started the committee over six years ago under the direction of Reeve Henry Hogg. The committee has worked on several projects including resort development, cell phone expansion, development of a township web site and the business breakfast series. The Key was awarded to Bill Brown by Past Reeve Henry Hogg and current Chair of the AHEAD committee, Larry Pealow.

Catherine Thompson was recognized for her excellent work as caretaker of the Flinton Hall for the last six years. Catherine will be retiring from the position and will be sadly missed by the Township. She was presented with a gift of appreciation from the Township by Councillor Bill Cox, Chair of the Recreational Facilities Committee.

Lastly, Deputy Reeve Lorraine Berger was presented with a special award for 24 years of municipal service to her community. Lorraine served as Warden of Lennox & Addington County in 1993 and hasserved oncountless committees. Hergreatest passion has always been libraries. Lorraine and her husband Ford have given many years of dedicated efforts to improve theDenbigh and Flinton libraries.Councillor Eythel Grant received an original painting by Mr. Harold Kaufmann of Denbigh, on behalf of Lorraine Berger, who was unable to attend the ceremony. Reeve Ken Hook presented the award on behalf of Township Council.

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Feature Article - November 30, 2006

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December 21st 2006

Project End Zone

by Jeff Green and Wilma Kenny----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the newly minted Central Frontenac Council settled into their seats to start handling the township’s affairs, they were greeted by the smiling face of a rather svelte Phil Leonard, long-time mayor of South Frontenac and warden of FrontenacCounty.

Leonard, who retired from municipal politics three years ago, was accompanied by Jack Fox and Jim Stinson, the General Manager of the North Frontenac Arena.

The three men came, cap in hand, asking for financial support for Project End Zone, a plan to renovate the arena, adding a 40 foot extension to the west end to house four new dressing rooms, an officials’ room, a skate sharpening room and storage.

“The arena is now 31 years old and it needs to be improved. With the number of young children, particularly girls, playing hockey being on the rise, the new dressing rooms are very necessary,” Leonard said.

Operation End Zone was initiated a couple of years ago, but the fundraising campaign sputtered. This new version is smaller because a planned recreation centre is not included,- and the goal is to raise $490,000. Of that, $200,000 (spread over as much as 5 years) is being sought from municipal sources. The arena is located at the boundary between Central and South Frontenac and the traditional funding breakdown has been 59% from South Frontenac and 41% from Central.

“So, you are looking for about $80,000 over five years’,” said Councilor Frances Smith.

“Actually, it’s 41%, so it’s $82,000” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger.

“Ever since you came to council, what was it, 3 years ago, to talk about this, I’ve been wondering when you’d be back looking for money,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Phil Leonard said that the project has received a $50,000 commitment from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) which is contingent on municipal funding. The CFDC funds must be spent by the end of February, and Jim Stinson said they could be used to fund the blueprints for the project”

All of council was supportive of the request, even deciding that 5 years was too great a time frame. They passed a motion to spend $82,000 over four years, pending information from the township treasurer as to where in the township budget the money will come from.

“Can I get a copy of that motion tomorrow morning?” Leonard asked. “We’re going to South Frontenac Council tomorrow night. Oh, and Merry Christmas.”

South Frontenac does not disappoint

On Tuesday night, a request was made for 59% of $200,000 for the project, and the only debate at the council table had to do with how the funding would be divvied up.

The new South Frontenac Council took its first step toward amalgamation by agreeing to contribute as a township to the North Frontenac Community Arena renovation project. Until now, only Bedford and Portland districts have supported the arena. Deputy Mayor Stowe opened the discussion by suggesting the township contribute as a unit, and elect two representatives to sit on the arena board. Councillor Ron Vandewal agreed, saying that many children and adults of Loughborough district used the arena. Storrington District Councillor Larry York commented that he felt it would be appropriate to support a facility that provided a recreational facility for all ages.

South Frontenac will provide 59% of $200,000 over the next four years.

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Feature Article - February 1, 2007

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February 1,, 2007

Open Letter to Frontenac County Mayors (editorial)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It is time for the four of you to do something very simple and direct, and in doing so release millions of dollars to its intended use. Since there are only four members of the Council of Frontenac County, it will only take a vote from thre of you to release the money that FrontenacCounty is holding from a federal gas tax rebate - money that is intended for the use of municipalities to help with infrastructure costs.

As you all know, in FrontenacCounty half of this money has been allocated directly to the four municipalities, but the other half has been allocated to the county. You also know that, unlike many other counties in Ontario, FrontenacCounty does not have its own infrastructure. All of the roads, bridges, waste sites, and the only water treatment plant, are owned and maintained by the lower tier municipalities. One of you simply has to make a motion at the next county meeting that the money be transferred to the townships; two others have to vote yes, and it will be a done deal.

HastingsCounty, which is similar to FrontenacCounty in that it also has no county roads system, did just that, passing all the gas tax money from the county to the lower tier townships.

A year ago, just such a motion was on the point of being proposed when county staff asked that it be deferred until such time as staff could look at the complicated set of requirements that make up the federal gas tax agreement.

A year has gone by, and the money still rests with the county.

It is true that gas tax money cannot simply be applied to any road and bridge construction project that a municipality decides to undertake, because it is earmarked for so-called “sustainable infrastructure”, but according to an official at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, who are administering the program, there is considerable flexibility in the definition of “sustainability”, and a wide variety of projects can be funded with this money.

The money can also be used for so-called “capacity building”. It is to this use that the county portion of the money will most certainly be put if the money is not transferred to the townships.

For example, the county staff has proposed a $50,000 Business Continuity Project under their Emergency Management budget. If approved, it will lead to the hiring of a consultant to help the county plan for certain eventualities. It is hoped that this will be used by the townships as well. As Mayor Vanden Hoek himself pointed out, the project seems “pretty grey”.

I am sure there is no end to the amount of capacity building projects that can be developed. FrontenacCounty will have received $475,000 in gas tax money by the end of this year. In 2008, $317,000 is coming; in 2009, $396,000; and in 2010, $793,989.

County staff has proposed that a decision over allocation of this money be deferred until after the 2007 budget is completed.

Why? It has been a year since the decision was deferred, and $80,000 from the county portion of the gas tax has been expended thus far. Thirty thousand dollars have been spent on a GIS project, and $50,000 for county-wide inventory assessment. (To be fair, the inventory assessment is something that is being mandated by the province, so it must be completed one way or another)

If the townships can get their hands on the money from the county it would increase their ability to do something meaningful with the gas tax money they have already received.

This is a significant amount of money, especially in the case of South Frontenac, where between the county portion and the township portion, about a million dollars will accumulate by the end of next year.

According to South Frontenac Clerk-Administrator Gord Burns, township staff is looking at using gas tax money this year to replace aging in-ground fuel tanks at township work sites with above-ground tanks, improve salt storage facilities, and improve township landfill sites. While Burns said he sees merit in spending money on long term planning at the county level, he also offered that South Frontenac would not have any difficulty finding applicable projects if the county money were passed their way.

Should FrontenacCounty’s money be spent on the physical infrastructural needs of the townships or on long term planning at the county? It’s up to you Mayors to decide, and you should do so immediately.

Remember, the federal gas tax money is a rebate of taxpayers’ money. It was designed to address an infrastructure deficit that has been identified very clearly by the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus and others. Much political work was done by the Eastern Ontario Wardens and other rural politicians to make rural roads and bridges eligible for this money, with the argument being made that city bus or light rail service are not viable in rural Ontario, but roads and bridges are crumbling.

After all of that effort, it would be a mistake not to spend that money on tangible municipal assets, assets that otherwise will have to be replaced through increases in municipal taxes down the line.

-Jeff Green

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - November 30, 2006

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Januay 11, 2007 Could the line fences logjam be breakingby Jeff Green -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advocates for “Rails to Trails”, long stymied by Section 20 of the Provincial Line Fences Act, may have something to cheer about.

Section 20 of the Act requires any municipality that purchases an abandoned railroad right of way to pay all the costs of fencing along the right of way if an adjacent landowner makes such a request.

This regulation has been tested in court in recent years, and when the courts sided with landowners against municipalities, it put a sudden halt to the burgeoning movement towards turning abandoned railroads into multi-purpose nature trails.

CentralFrontenacTownship backed out of the purchase of lands from CP Rail for fear of being saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fencing costs, and both South and Central Frontenac have been leery of any involvement with the proposed North-South K&P trail.

This all might change.

Amongst the information from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing that accompanied the new Municipal Act, which came into effect on January 1st, the following statement was included:

“Changes to Other Legislation Includes:

- Line Fences Act When a railway company sells an abandoned railway line, the new owner is not responsible for the entire costs of a line fence unless an abutting farming business has made a written request. The usual fence viewing arbitration process continues to apply to all other lands abutting an abandoned railway line.”

This change could cut the fencing costs for municipalities considerably, especially where railway lines do not abut arable land.

Ralph Walton of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing told the News that this change was made in the spirit of a report on the Line Fences Act that was commissioned last year. The intention is to give more leeway to municipalities while continuing to protect the interest of farmers.

Articles from December '06

Habitat for humanity

Crow Lake School house receives Council support

Project End Zone nets $200,000 from South, Central Frontenac

Ompah Helipad

Pine Lake tops busy North Frontenac Agenda

Oops: repairs damage library, cause temporary closing

Slow Food advocates bring their message from Truin to Sydenham

Direct Democracy: Editorial

A new look for South Frontenac Council

CD release for Fank Morrison

Ron Maguire assumes Frontenac County Warden's role

Letters

Feature Article - February 15, 2007

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Feature Article - February 15, 2007

Pine Lake Politicsby Jeff Green

Last July, AAFNA removed trees and brush at the Pine Lake boat launch, which is located mostly on Crown land and partially on municipal land.

All lands within the Mississippi Valley watershed, which encompasses Pine Lake , are considered by AAFNA as un-ceded Algonquin territory. This position has been accepted in principle by both the federal and provincial governments, who are now negotiating a land claim with Algonquin communities.

For a variety of reasons, AAFNA has rejected the current land claims process. They have decided to take matters into their own hands and are asserting their aboriginal claim at Pine Lake .

Over the summer and fall, AAFNA has continued to develop the grounds at the boat launch, and are planning to build a band office at the site across from the Pow Wow grounds. Later in the fall, land was cleared across the road for a proposed parking lot, with a community centre being envisioned for the future.

Three-way negotiations have been ongoing for months between AAFNA, staff officials from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and North Frontenac Township (as represented by Mayor Maguire).

According to Ron Maguire, a memorandum of understanding between the three had been in the works in December, before the township’s chief building officer issued a cease work order to the Ministry of Natural Resources, (who are the registered owners of the land) because building permits have not been taken out.

As Maguire pointed out to the Frontenac News, he has no authority over the building officer’s decision, because the building officer works under the authority of the building code and not the township on these matters.

Subsequently, the MNR has informed the township that they (the MNR) are not subject to municipal regulation, and Maguire is again optimistic that a memorandum of understanding can be reached.

The details and language of the memorandum are being worked out, but it would entail that the MNR and the township agree not to interfere with AAFNA’s plans on either side of the Ardoch Road . AAFNA would agree to comply with environmental and building code standards of the province and the township, which they will enforce upon themselves.

In the heat of the council debate last week, Maguire said Councillor Cole’s motion would put an end to these negotiations. He later told the News that this is not the case. Council made him the contact person on this matter in July and set out a four point plan which he is following. The new council confirmed him in that role in December, so he says he will carry on in trying to bring a memorandum of understanding forward for council’s consideration.

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Feature Article - March 29, 2007

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Feature Article - March 29, 2007

Rural Routes receives county funding, but future is still uncertainby Jeff Green

Frontenac County council spent more time discussing a $46,500 expenditure directed towards the Rural Routes transportation program – an expenditure that represents fractions of a percentage point of the more than $14 million county budget - than they did on any other item during this year’s budget process.

The issue was so divisive, with councillors split evenly on north-south lines, that the issue was put aside until the meeting following the passage of the budget itself.

The issue seemed simple enough at the start.

Rural Routes is a transportation program that was set up over the past couple of years to consolidate transportation services offered by various agencies serving North and Central Frontenac and parts of South Frontenac. It was a response to a needs study that was initiated by Northern Frontenac Community Services, which serves that particular region. Rural Routes’ main objective is to provide rides to medical and social services. The rides are funded by the social agencies, or by the riders themselves.

It received a series of start up grants from the Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, but as those grants ran out, Rural Routes followed the lead of other similar programs in rural Eastern Ontario by seeking funding at the municipal level. The County of Lanark and the County of Hastings both fund rural transportation services that operate on a similar model, so Rural Routes approached Frontenac County, seeking $46,500 in 2007, and as well hopefully making themselves eligible for provincial gas tax funding totalling up to $35,000, which requires that they be considered a municipal service.

The complication for Frontenac County councillors lies in the fact that Rural Routes does not serve most of South Frontenac Township and is unheard of in the Frontenac Islands.

When the budget was being discussed, Mayor Gary Davison of South Frontenac and Mayor Jim Vanden-Hoek of the Frontenac Islands made it clear they would only consider approving the $46,500 allocation if it were explicitly called a one-time grant to help the project get off the ground. They wanted to close the door on any possibility that Rural Routes would be back knocking at the county’s door in 2008.

Mayors Janet Gutowski from Central Frontenac and Ron Maguire from North Frontenac both resisted this pressure from their counterparts from the south, saying that the money should be given on a pilot basis, with the possibility of future funding as the program perhaps expands to include more of South Frontenac.

To bridge this impasse, the matter was deferred. County staff prepared a report, which was presented to County Council last week, on March 21st.

The report, prepared by Deputy County Clerk Susan Beckel, outlined three options. The first would see the county take Rural Routes on as a county program, and allocate the $46,500. This option was never even discussed at last week’s council meeting.

The second option, which was initially favoured by Mayor’s Davison and Vanden-Hoek, would see a “one-time grant of $46,500 with no further county involvement.”

The third option, which was recommended by staff and was well received by the northern mayors, would see an allocation of $36,500, “reserving $10,000 for the county to undertake the development of a business plan” for the service.

This plan, County CAO explained, would look at the viability of the service, taking the transportation needs of the county as a whole into account.

Although the staff recommendation included the statement that this funding would carry no commitment on county’s part beyond 2007 unless council makes that decision, Mayor Vanden-Hoek sought further assurances.

First, he said that if indeed transportation was the number one issue for North and Central Frontenac they should consider looking into their own budgets in the future. He then added a proviso that county staff be given the task of seeking outside funding for the service, and he insisted on an amendment, which stated that any future county funding for Rural Routes be raised only from those regions that make use of the service.

At this point, everyone was happy. Rural Routes receives $36,500, subject to certain conditions, the northern mayors don’t have to worry about it when they work on their own 2007 budgets, county staff have a business plan to prepare, and the southern mayors have the assurance that their own taxpayers will not be on the hook for the service in future years.

As to what will happen to Rural Routes in 2008, the phrase “yet to be determined” springs to mind.

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

Bill MacDonald to seek provincial Liberal nominationby Jeff Green

Former Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald is attempting a political comeback four months after being defeated in a municipal election. MacDonald served 18 years on municipal council, the last nine as mayor, and has served as Warden of Frontenac County on two occasions, the most recent being 2005.

Throughout his municipal career, Bill MacDonald avoided any over-affiliation with provincial or federal political parties. “As a municipal politician, I had to deal with whichever party was in power, so I stayed away from party politics, but I have always been a Liberal supporter,” he said in an interview earlier this week.

“I have met people from throughout the riding over the years, and I feel I have an understanding of the issues that matter to people in the rural areas. I’d like to bring that perspective to Toronto.”

MacDonald also said that Central Frontenac has done well under the provincial Liberals.

Bill MacDonald owns his own logging and educational sales businesses.

Ian Wilson, of Amherstview, who announced his intention to seek the party nomination in February, has also served on municipal council, in Ernestown. A career educator at St. Lawrence College, where he rose to the position of Dean of the School of Business, Wilson has been active in various Kingston-based volunteer bodies over the years, including the Chamber of Commerce, Kingston Area Recycles (KARC), and others. Most recently, he has served as the inaugural chair of the Southeast Ontario Local Health Integration Network.

A date has not yet been set for a nomination meeting, although one is expected by mid-May

The date of the next provincial election is known, however. In a break with tradition, the election date has been set in advance. It will be held on October 10th.

The date of the next federal election, on the other hand is extremely uncertain.

In order to be prepared, the federal Liberals will be naming their candidate this Saturday at the Piccadilly Hall. With the nomination deadline approaching, only one candidate has come forward so far, former parliamentary assistant and one-time Mayor of Napanee, Dave Remington.

The Conservative and Green Parties have already named their federal candidates for Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington. They are three-time incumbent MP Scott Reid, and newcomer Chris Walker, respectively.

A date for a federal NDP candidate selection meeting is expected shortly.

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