Oct 15, 2014


ah grant ethelCouncillor

Eythel Grant – long serving councilor seeking a return

Before losing out in the 2010 election Eythel Grant had been on Council for 27 years, going back well into pre-amalgamation days in Denbigh township.

He said that he enjoys serving on Council and this summer when he saw that no one seemed to be coming forward he decided to run once again.

“I think when I put my name in, Alice Madigan was the only who had come forward, and then two others came in so we now have an election race,” he said.

He is a lifelong resident of Denbigh ward and spent his working career with the Ministry of Natural Resources, and apart from stints in places like Dryden and other far-flung locations he worked at Bon Echo Park as a fire officer for 25 years until his retirement.

Even though he did not sit on Council for the last four years, he said that he thinks “Council has done a good job; all in all a pretty good job, although of course there are a few issues where I didn't 100% agree with their decision.”

One decision he did not agree was the acceptance of a 12-hour ambulance in place of a 24-hour ambulance service in Denbigh.

“I'm not sure they shouldn't have stuck to their guns instead of accepting a lesser service,” he said.

Another issue he would like to see resolved as soon as possible is the Denbigh waste site.

“My understanding is that it is ready to be opened but the final decision has been slow. There must be a way to get that open soon. My concern is that it won't get opened before the Vennachar site is full and we will end up having to pay closure costs, which are higher than operating costs,” he said.

The other item he mentioned was Bridge Street In Denbigh, which he said is in terrible shape.

“It's getting so rough there that it needs to be improved. I don't think they'll go for it right away but maybe during this term of Council we can get it done,” he said.

One project that was in the works while he was on council has come to fruition, the re-purposing of the former Denbigh school.

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