Oct 15, 2014


cf fox heatherCouncillor

Heather Fox – experience from both sides.

Heather Fox has now seen the municipal world from the point of view of a clerk-administrator and a member of Council. After spending her career in the municipal work force, eventually working as clerk-administrator for the first nine years of Central Frontenac's history, she retired for four years and then ran successfully for council in 2010.

“I enjoy being on council,” she said when asked why she was seeking a second term on council, “it's a little different from life on the other side of the table, however. I would like to see some of the things we have started carried through. Those include the fire hall, the Piccadilly hall issue, and the school in Parham.

While there was a report calling for the closing of the hall, it was never acted upon and Fox said, “I believe the Pic hall can be saved, but it is true that it needs to be used more."

She said that a new fire hall should be built and location will be an issue.

“I would like to be part of the decision-making process when looking not only at the location but the size of the hall as well,” she said.

As far as Hinchinbrooke school is concerned, "The jury is out on that,” she said.

She said that if the school was no longer viable for students and has extensive accessibility issues, “buying it for the gym in order for kids to play volleyball might not be wise.” she said.

She added that there are three other buildings in Parham that might become less viable if a new facility is opened.

“We have the United Church hall, the Methodist Church hall and the IOOF Hall; we have to be concerned about them as well,” she said.

She has a sceptical view of the resurgent Frontenac County, having been involved when the decision to downgrade the county was taken in 1997

“I'm not sure that we need all those layers that the county is bringing. I'm not sure that the county has a real role except to run the Fairmount Home and the ambulance service. The feedback from the county is not always great either,” she said.

She also thinks it might be time to do away with the vestiges of the original townships, which can be divisive.

“We are not Hinchinbrooke, Olden, Oso, and Kennebec any more. The sooner we realise that, the sooner we will be able to move on,” she said.

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.