South Frontenac Municipal Election Candidates

Jeff Green | Oct 12, 2022

No matter how things play out in the South Frontenac election, there will be more change in the makeup of South Frontenac Council in 2022 than there was in 2018.

There will be at least three new members on the 9-member council this time; two in Bedford and one in Loughborough, even if all of the incumbents who are running across the township get re-elected.

The turnover in 2018 was only two; Doug Morey won John McDougall’s vacated position in Portland, and Randy Ruttan replaced Mark Schjerning in Loughborough when Schjerning ran unsuccessfully for mayor.

With contests in all 4 districts, and for the post of mayor, South Frontenac voters will have an opportunity to elect a very different council this time around if a collective will for change takes hold.

The recent past does not bode well for candidates who are challenging incumbents because the last time an incumbent member of council was defeated in South Frontenac, was 12 years ago in 2010, but there were a number of changes in that election. And in both 2014 and 2018, Storrington and Bedford did not have contested elections.

While there are only two women among the 19 candidates for office in the township, a woeful 10.5%, there is at least one candidate in each ward who is definitely under 60 years old, which is how youth is defined on South Frontenac Council.

Mayor - Alan Revill

Alan Revill has a lot of municipal and a lot of volunteer experience, all of which has led him to be looking at changing his role on South Frontenac from member of council, to mayor of the township.

He has been a member of council since 2014, having been acclaimed twice in Bedford District. He has also served as the second township representative to Frontenac County for the last 4 years. He is a past chair of Cataraqui Conservation and is the current chair of Conservation Ontario. He has also served 10 years on two other councils before relocating to South Frontenac. He was the chief building official in South Frontenac until he retired in 2012, and since then, he has been working off and on for Central and North Frontenac, Frontenac Islands and Stone Mills, always on an contract basis, helping them out as they have faced staffing challenges in their building departments.

“I feel that I have the knowledge about how council works, and how the township conducts its business, to be a successful mayor.

“I have some skills that the current mayor does not have. Councillors need to feel that their views are valued. We miss out if we don’t do that, if we shut them out, or discourage their participation. My style would be to enable different members of council to speak about issues, more so than happens currently,” he said.

Among the initiatives he sees as priorities are climate change and environmental measures.

“I believe this is an area where the township can show leadership, by cutting back on the use of fossil fuels that heat our buildings, and fuel our vehicle fleet. When we need to replace a furnace for one of our buildings, we can do so with a heat pump, which is less costly to operate and avoids the use of oil, diesel or propane. I have personally made the commitment to change my vehicle to a fully electric vehicle as soon as the vehicle is available.

“We passed a motion, two years ago, to develop a climate mitigation policy. Council needs to support staff in this matter. I made a pitch in June to set up an advisory committee to help develop these strategies and I will bring that back right away if I am elected.”

Revill is committed to working on developing a short-term rental bylaw, with a focus on absentee hosts, which is a factor in most of the complaints he has heard.

“Other municipalities have been dealing with this problem and they are more than willing to share their experiences. We do not have to reinvent the wheel on this, so much as look at some sample bylaws from municipalities whose circumstances are similar to ours, and adapt them for our use.”

There are a lot of township issues that he intends to keep pushing forward, including the new official plan, and a five-year road construction plan.

“I think we need to do more work with the public, on our recreation master plan, and we need to get a handle on our office needs. We will be more efficient as an organisation when we have the right office setup, even if it is in two locations.”

He differs from the mayor on the state of readiness of the Verona Seniors’ housing project.

“The current mayor called it an ‘approved in principle’ project but I would not say that, because there are too many things we do not know about the project. What we started out with was 10 -20 units, and now 160 units are being talked about, and we don’t know for sure who would build it, and we don't know who would own it and run it. I’m left with many questions on that development. I would not suggest it is approved, by any means. We own the property, that is about all that is certain. But there is a lot that needs to be done before that project can go ahead.”

He is ready for a complex and difficult budgetary process in 2023 and 2024.

“Not only are costs up but they are also hard to predict, which makes it hard to budget. Between that reality and the need to start working on Road 38 and other large projects, it will be difficult,” he said. “I think it is just wishful thinking to say we can bring the budget in at 2% or 1.25%. We need to see the numbers first.”

Mayor - Mark Schjerning

Mark Schjerning tried to make the transition from council member to mayor in the 2018 election. He finished second in a three-way race for mayor. He received over 32% of the vote, but was just over 1,000 votes shy of the winning total.

Since then, he said that people have continued to encourage him to run again, telling him that the township needs change, progressive change.

“I think we can do better if we are more organised and efficient, and I still have a passion and a commitment for making South Frontenac the best that it can be,” he said.

One of the changes since 2018, in his life, is that he is now retired from his job as chief of emergency services for Lennox and Addington County.

“I took early retirement in February, and I’m no longer involved in Scouting and have stepped down as president of the lake association,” he said, “so that I can devote myself full-time to being the mayor of South Frontenac.”

His history in emergency services, with primary responsibility for paramedic services, is playing into his election campaign, as a policy issue.

Frontenac County Council is responsible for Frontenac Paramedic Services, serving Frontenac County and the City of Kingston. The mayor of South Frontenac sits on Frontenac County Council, and has 2 votes when matters come to a vote.

Throughout the election campaign, Schjerning has been the candidate most closely aligned to an effort, by the Frontenac Paramedic Services union local, to encourage Frontenac County to accelerate a services rollout plan that was approved in 2019.

“Call volumes in the City of Kingston have risen faster than was envisioned in 2019,” Schjerning said, “and because of staffing shortages at the Kingston hospitals, offload delays are contributing to the problem. And when Kingston is down to 1 ambulance that is available to receive calls, the Sydenham ambulance goes on standby to Kingston, and the Parham ambulance is drawn to the South, to cover. The only way to ensure that Frontenac is properly served, is to increase service in Kingston, where the call volumes are,” he said.

He said that he plans to be a stronger voice for South Frontenac interests at Frontenac County Council.

“We pay heavily into Frontenac County operations, and we should assert our interests more effectively,” he said.

Most of his effort as mayor would be devoted to local South Frontenac issues, and he is running on a 3R’s platform: Roads – Recreation – Responsiveness.

“Road maintenance and upgrades need to continue, but it should also be easier for residents to find out when their road is slated for an upgrade. That can, and will be accomplished if I’m elected, an easy to access schedule will be posted on the website.”

In terms of Recreation, he said that “people want to do more locally” and are tired of “having to drive to Kingston for recreation, and want more facilities and activities in South Frontenac.

He thinks that the township does not do a good enough job responding to resident enquiries.

“Phone calls need to be returned, without any long delays,” he said.

He also thinks that both planning and building services need to be streamlined, and timelines for issuing permits need to be shortened, while making sure to continue to conform to a set regulatory framework.

“I don’t think that everybody should be able to do whatever they want, but they need to know quickly what they can do, what they can’t do, what is required of them and how long it will take to get a permit or approval,” he said.

He thinks that the general level of customer service in South Frontenac needs to improve.

“It starts with the mayor. The mayor needs to be available, the mayor needs to return calls, and the mayor also needs to listen, to members of council, to staff, and to residents as well. The mayor needs to have a vision for the future as well.”

Given the financial hardships that people are facing, he is hoping the township can keep tax increases to 1.25% in 2023, 1.5% in 2024, 1.75% in 2025, and back to 2% by 2026.

Schjerning has remained active in Sydenham community organisations, such as the Lakes and Trails Festival and Canada Day.

Mayor - Ron Vandewal

Ron Vandewal is the longest serving member of South Frontenac Council, by over 10 years. He was first elected as councillor for Loughborough in 2003, and was re-elected twice in Loughborough, before running for mayor in 2014.

“It’s too bad we don’t have a pension plan for being on council,” he said.

Of the candidates seeking re-election, in the South Frontenac election, he is the only one who was on a council that was led by anyone other than himself.

“In 2014, when Gary Davison decided not to run again for mayor, I thought I was ready to take on the job. And eight years later, I still feel that I have the energy and the commitment to serve as mayor of South Frontenac. As I said at the all-candidates meetings, I take the job very seriously, I wouldn’t be running again if I didn’t,” he said.

One of the hallmarks of his time as mayor, has been the annual budget target of a 2% increase, plus growth. He continues to think that is a reasonable target that has been well accepted by South Frontenac residents.

That goal may prove challenging to achieve in 2023, because in place of the steady 1-2% annual inflation rate that was maintained until last year, inflation is running at 7% this year.

“We have already seen the impact of inflation on almost every tender this year. It will make it harder in the next budget, but I don’t think high inflation will last, and we should be able to manage,” he said.

Stability among senior management, at the township, has been a challenge over the last couple of years.

“It seems like every time I think we are in a stable situation, something happens,” he said.

Just under a year ago, Chief Administrative Officer Neil Carbone left for a job at the City of Kingston. He was replaced by an internal appointee, Louise Fragnito, but a search for a replacement as director of Corporate Services needed to be undertaken, in addition to a search for a director of Public Works. Both of those positions have been filled. But then, Director of Development Services Claire Dodds left for a job in Huron County.

“It was a blow to lose Claire, just as we were in the middle of the official plan rewrite, but the hiring process is underway for that job as well,” he said.

The new official plan is something that will take up a lot of Council’s attention in 2023.

“We have already seen, through the draft plan that Claire brought to us in May, that there are limits to what we can do, based on provincial directives. We will have to work hard to make sure we can keep up our pattern of steady growth over the next 20 years, without losing the lifestyle that people tell me they like in South Frontenac.”

Among major initiatives that are pending in the next term are the rebuilds of Road 38 and Sunbury Road, as well as a seniors housing project in Verona.

“We have been trying to get grants for Road 38, without success so far, and there may be grants available for housing, but we can’t put these projects on hold, waiting for grants. We are going to have to start getting those projects going, and finance them ourselves if necessary. Maybe grants will come later.”

The housing project is also tied in to a Frontenac County initiative to create a municipal services corporation. This would be to manage a communal water and sewer system, for the senior housing and other projects, and it is unclear whether the Verona housing project can proceed until the municipal services corporation is set up.

“I think we will build the housing in Verona ourselves, instead of looking for a developer to do it,” said Vandewal.

He also said that the township is going to have to look at a climate change adaptation strategy, something that is already part of the design work on roads, and in new building projects as well.

“Can we look at electric vehicles in our fleet? Maybe, but it is unlikely they will be any of our heavy equipment, any time soon, but we definitely have to have regard for climate change,” he said.

“We are also going to have to do something about speeding. I have been going door to door all summer, campaigning, and it is a big issue for a lot of people. Personally, I think only photo radar will be able to make a difference. We can’t afford what it would cost to put in enough policing to effectively enforce speed limits, so we have to look at other options”

Charlene Godfrey

Since moving with parents to the Ompah area when she was a teenager, Charlene Godfrey has lived for a time in every Frontenac township, with the exception of Frontenac Islands. She was hired as the IT Department Head/GIS Technician/911 Coordinator for Central Frontenac in 2008, and has since migrated to a job with Frontenac County as a GIS Specialist in 2015. Since then she worked out of the South Frontenac township office for a time, and is now working out of the Central Frontenac office in Sharbot Lake once again.

It has all given her a unique perspective on the township, and the county.

“As part of my position, I travel up and down the county for 911 civic address verifications, in preparation for Next Generation 911, so I have seen a lot of different places, a lot of geography.”

10 years ago, the opportunity came up to purchase Irwin’s Cabins on Bobs Lake, which was owned by her husband Chris’ uncle at one time, and they moved to Bedford, to live and manage the resort.

Chris has been working full time, as well, and this past June he retired and now manages the day-to-day operations of the cabin rental business, with Charlene helping out when not working at her day job at the County.

“With my husband home full time, and the cabins being a seasonal business, I have the time to devote to council,” she said. “After working around the municipal world all this time, I have a feel for the issues that the township is facing,” she said.

Among other insights she has to offer, she also has an insider perspective on the short-term rental debate that has surfaced during the election campaign.

“A lot of issues with short-term rentals are driven by absent owners, in my opinion, and I think it needs to be addressed. I’m hoping that businesses like ours that have been in operation here since the 1950s will not be too heavily impacted, as we are very respectful of our neighbors, we manage our business onsite, and it is also our home. We have gotten along with our neighbours for all these years.”

She said that it is important for the new council to “try to keep the tax rate low. South Frontenac Township staff are the experts in their respective fields. There will always be issues to deal with, top of mind however; roads; waste management; and improved communications between the township & residents, are themes that have risen from communication with residents of Bedford district.”

Even with familiarity, with the way the township and the county operates, she said that she does not consider that she is bringing her own agenda to council, if she is elected.

“I just want to be involved, and support this amazing place we all call home. I want to help move the township forward, and bring a new perspective to Council,” she said.

Bedford - Nathan Hannah

Nathan Hannah grew up in South Frontenac, in the Fish Creek Road area, where his parents still live. His wife came from the Inverary area. They settled in Napanee, where they ran a dance company for over 10 years.

Two years ago they took possession of a property on Thirteen Island Lake, and Nathan has done a lot of work on their home ever since then, while working as a short run trucker.

He decided to run for council in order to provide a different perspective, since he is decades younger than most of the current council, and would bring the concerns of a young family to the council table, while still recognising the need for services for seniors.

“The plan for seniors’ housing in Verona is a priority for me, and affordable housing in general is in very short supply in South Frontenac, making it very hard for young families to settle here,” he said.

As a property owner, living on a private road that he helps to maintain with his neighbours, he is keenly aware of the potential, and real, impact of short-term rentals on tight knit waterfront communities.

“We all take care of each other on our road in my own community. To have an absentee owner sending new vehicles down a road like ours, day after day, would threaten all of that. I have seen some of the impacts, and while I like to live and let live in most cases, we do need to put rules in place to protect everyone,” he said.

Although it has not been necessary on his road, he supports the private road matching grant program that the township has developed.

He has focussed his campaign on door-to-door canvassing, not being a fan of election signs, and also wanting to get a feel for the issues that people are really concerned about.

“Affordability is a big issue, and people are concerned about what is going to happen when properties are re-assessed next year, and about rising costs, in general. For me, not having been on council before, it will be a challenge to learn the ins and outs of how council makes decisions, but fairness for everyone is the basis for all of my decisions, and it will stay that way,” he said.

He has done research into the Skycroft Campground proposal, which is on a lake at the opposite end of Bedford from his Thirteen Island Lake home, but he understands waterfront issues, that it raises, and the implications for the rest of the township, depending on how it is resolved.

“To me, it is a lot that they are asking for, and if anything is going to be approved, it will need a substantial revision and decrease in scope,” he said.

Bedford - Steve Pegrum

Steve Pegrum is a planner.

He used those skills during his 31 years career in municipal policing in the Peel Region, where he held a number of senior roles, and also with his wife, when they purchased a 200-acre heritage farm property near Burridge in 2008, with a view towards building a retirement home when the time came.

They both came from the Ottawa region originally, and were familiar with the area. He spent a lot of summers in what is now South Frontenac when he was young.

When it came time, they built a new home on the property, over a few years, using ICF building technology, and geothermal heating technology, for long term sustainability.

He took the opportunity to run for council in his new community “as a continuation of my community service, which is how I look at my whole career in policing. I have developed a set of skills, an approach to problem solving and long-term planning, that I can apply to issues at the township, if elected.”

He said that “it is more important that I represent and put forward the concerns and issues that are of concern to Bedford residents. People are tired of politicians making promises and not delivering on them, and that results in voter apathy. That is why I have tried to meet as many people, as I could, over the summer. My efforts will be driven by constituent’s concerns.”

He said that there is a perception among Bedford residents that a lot of money is spent elsewhere in the township.

“While it is important for people to understand that they are part of a large municipality, they also need to feel that they are getting value for their taxes.”

The short term rental issue has been raised a number of times, during the campaign, as he has gone door to door, and it came up during the Bedford all candidates meeting last week, as well.

“It is an issue that will take time to resolve, because of all the factors. Enforcement is essential, and bylaw enforcement is not a 24-hour service, so it often goes to the OPP when there are incidents at night. The OPP does not necessarily see these incidents as a priority, given their other responsibilities,” he said.

But he speculates that if there are 500, or more, short term rental properties that need to be registered under a new bylaw, and the fee is about $1,000, it might create enough revenue to set up a dedicated bylaw officer to manage complaints and bylaw infractions.

Other issues that he has flagged during the campaign are: internet service; a backlog in the building and planning departments; road maintenance/repair; among others.

Bedford - Adam Turcotte

Adam Turcotte is thinking about the future, for his community and for his young family. He decided to seek a council position partly because he wanted to make sure there was some sort of race In Bedford, where there had been no election since 2010, and also because he supports the fiscally responsible way the township operates, and its commitment to pursue climate change related policies.

His ABC election slogan reflects that: Affordable, Beautiful, Clean.

Under the ‘Affordable’ banner, he is an advocate of investments in paving roads in Bedford, as an investment in lower maintenance costs over time. Under the ‘Beautiful’ banner, he wants to make sure that the measures in the new township official plan provide a balance between growth and protections for the wetlands, and rural spaces, in the township.

“Bedford is the most rural district in the township, with no large population centre, and it has a key role in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere as well. The township needs to keep that in mind.”

In terms of “Clean” he thinks that the official plan needs to emphasise clean water; make sure the navigation to a new recycling system works; do what it can to promote local renewable energy initiatives; and make sure that emergency measures are in place to deal with the increasingly likely scenario of extreme weather events.

Turcotte runs a carpentry business, is a father of two young boys, and his wife Louise is currently a nursing student. They run one electric and one gas powered vehicle, and are considering replacing it and going all electric.

“The technology is improving all the time, and I think the township could look at a partial electrification of its fleet over time,” he said, “but the infrastructure needs to be developed in order to do that, in terms of fast charging stations.

He attended the virtual meeting around the Skycroft Campground application, which is located in Bedford, and read the supporting documentation.

“I think it is obvious that the current council can’t make a decision about it at this time, because staff need to come back with a report, but it would set quite a precedent for the rest of the township if Council allows the rules to be stretched too far,” he said. 

When Adam Turcotte moved to his Canoe Lake Road property in 2011, it was in order to live in a clean, rural environment and raise a family. Since then, he has been impressed by the way South Frontenac has been able to provide services to one of the more remote parts of the township, and he is ready to play a new role in maintaining that lifestyle for his family, his neighbours and the community.

Further info – Adamforcouncil.com

Loughborough - Randy Ruttan

Randy Ruttan is a retired secondary school principal who traces his family roots back over four generations to his property on Buck Lake and his personal history back to his days as a High School student and athlete at Sydenham High School. He has been a member of South Frontenac Council since 2018.

He is running for re-election this time, feeling that he had a degree of success with some of the goals that he identified in 2018.

“I did not think the planning process was as specific as it could be, and we have been working on it. We now have a planning process with flow charts that allow applicants to know exactly what steps to follow. Before, people who came to us got one message, one day, and a different message the next day. That is no longer the case,” he said.

Looking forward, he said that he wants to work on environmental and climate change initiatives in the township, making use of the Lake Ecosystem Advisory Committee that he initiated, as well as ensuring that in addition to the seniors’ housing project in Verona, that is on the township agenda, sufficient attention is paid to an aging at home strategy.

“We can never build enough housing, or enough long-term care beds, for seniors in our communities, but we can develop the supports they need to age in place, which is what most of us want,” he said.

He is also committed to seeing the township address short term rentals, not only as a waterfront property owner, but also as the owner of a small property rental business himself.

“I have nothing against short term rentals in general. I operate one myself. But, for people living next to some of these one-or-two night party houses, owned by people who are never here, it is a nightmare.

I was very surprised to hear that our staff are not working on that now, when it was identified as a priority. We need to be gathering information and designing a system that will work, sooner rather than later, even though it needs to be done carefully with input from all stakeholders,” he said.

He would also like to see the township take control of the approval of plans of subdivision and land use condominium, from Frontenac County, citing how the Johnston’s Point subdivision was approved by Frontenac County after being rejected by South Frontenac Council.

And last but certainly not least, Ruttan wants roads to continue to be improved. “During our last council term, we found out gravel roads were not in our asset management plan; that has since changed and we should see improvement”

And with that, Randy Ruttan wants to be “Your Loughborough Councillor”.

Loughborough - Mark Segsworth

Mark Segsworth is no stranger to how South Frontenac Council works, even though he has never run before. For 12 years, he was the Manager of Public Works for the township, and reported to Council at least once, if not 2 or 3 times a month, throughout that time. 

Now, he is looking at being one of the people asking the questions of township staff.

He said he is running for council, “because I love this community and I have always entertained the idea that I would run for council, when I was no longer working for the township. It is another way to contribute, and to maybe help realise some of the vast amount of untapped potential that we have here.”

He was a resident of South Frontenac long before coming to work for the township. He moved to Sydenham, from Toronto, when he was hired by Kingston Township to work in their roads department, and migrated to the City of Kingston Roads department when Kingston Township was folded into the City of Kingston in 1998.

Over his years of work, both in Kingston and in Frontenac County, he came to look at many issues from a regional perspective, and that is the insight he would like to bring to the council table.

“If you look at Road 38, for example, which is kind of the elephant in the room when it comes to discussions about capital projects, in the next term, because it is such a big one. We need to work with our regional neighbours, the City of Kingston, and Central Frontenac, in order to go to the province and speak with one voice about the fact that even though they downloaded 38 to the three of us, it remains a provincially significant link between Highway 401 and Highway 7. The Province has an interest in that roadway, and that needs to be impressed on them in a coordinated way,” he said.

He said that other issues, such as producer responsibility for recycling, which is coming in the next couple of years, and regional transportation, are also issues where talking with South Frontenac neighbours about a joint approach to solutions, is the sensible course of action.

In addition to his role with the township, he is a former board member and current chair of the Grace Centre Addition Fundraising campaign for Southern Frontenac Community Services.

Loughborough - Scott Trueman

A lifelong South Frontenac resident, Scott Trueman, said that his interest in municipal politics has been inspired by his father-in-law, Jack Moreland, a long-time local politician who served as Frontenac County Warden in 1986.

The timing of Scott’s run for Loughborough Councillor was directly influenced by his wife Jill, Jack’s daughter.

“I’ve been waiting to run for council for 15 years,” he said. “Jill asked me to wait until our own children were older before running for council. Now that our youngest is 19, it is a good time.”

Scott, who runs his own electrical company, also spent many years involved with the Church Athletic League, Greater Kingston Girls Hockey and Greater Kingston AAA Hockey in leadership roles, while his kids participated in rep hockey.

He lists seniors’ housing, and controlled community growth through the official plan that is currently under development, as major issues that he would like to work on at the council level.

“Seniors in South Frontenac want to stay in South Frontenac. This is where they live and this is where their families live as well. The apartments in Sydenham have waiting lists that are multiple pages long. But, we should not build something and turn it over to be operated by an agency from the City of Kingston, which would result in us losing control, like what happened already in Verona with McMullen Manor,” he said.

He also has a concern that South Frontenac be more supportive of its own residents, when contracting out work and when deciding how to manage services in the township.

“The township has a vendor list, which is fine, but I believe that when there are local companies that satisfy all the requirements and meet the market price, they should have a chance to get some of the work.”

He thinks that the township is well run, but that “it needs some changes, in order to be prepared and look more to the future.”

Among the issues that he has heard about during the campaign, are the desire for a dog park in Sydenham, concerns over water on Campbell Road, just outside of the Sydenham Water service area, and speeding issues on township roads, along with creating recreation areas in Perth Road.

“People have many issues that concern them, and to represent those concerns is one of the important jobs for a member of council,” he said. “talking to people is the first step.”

He said that he has enjoyed the lifestyle that South Frontenac has to offer and hopes to be able to ensure that, through the official plan, and other township policies, growth will not over-run the township but will be managed.

Portland - Ray Leonard

Ray Leonard worked for Portland and South Frontenac Townships for his entire working career. He worked for 20 years for the Portland Township Public Works department, and another 20 for South Frontenac, before retiring at the beginning of 2018. Over that time he experienced how the township operates, from the inside out. The final three years of his career were spent overseeing maintenance for the entire South Frontenac township.

He was also a long-serving volunteer firefighter, including 15 years as an officer, and took a central role in fundraising for the Hartington Fire Hall.

He followed that up by running, successfully, for council in Portland District, in the 2018 election.

“I love working for people. I want to continue to help, and I feel I can use my council experience now,” he said.

He said that the issue that he sees looming is the necessary rebuild of Road 38, the commuter route that runs through Portland between Central Frontenac and the City of Kingston.

“I have been talking to Troy Dunlop at the township about it, and he said the design work can be done next year, and we can start working on the project the year after that. It is obviously a big project, but I think we need to get going on it. Maybe the grant money will follow, maybe it won’t, but we can’t wait any more,” he said.

He said that the township, along with its partner municipality Central Frontenac, made the commitment to rebuilding the Frontenac Arena, and grant money came later, in that case, to help defray some of the costs.

“We have developed the financial capacity to do these kinds of projects, and we are not about to stop being careful with taxpayers money because it pays off,” he said.

Going forward, he said he would like to see more community involvement in township committees.

“The only committee with public involvement is the Recreation Committee. I think we can take advantage of a lot of expertise, without planning and public works committee’s, by opening them up as well,” he said.

He also is considering seeking the second South Frontenac position on Frontenac County Council, along with the Mayor, if he is re-elected.

“I am interested in that level, and with making sure that if and when we do build a housing project in Verona, that we keep control over how it is managed, because that has not always been the case in other housing projects,” he said.

He said that his priority, as a member of council, is to be available to his constituents and to bring their concerns forward, and with maintaining a professional attitude at all times.

Portland- Gary McColman

Gary McColman has had a 55-year career in radio and television, in front of and behind the microphone, much of it in Kingston.

He was a member of council in Kingston Township at one time, but for the most part he has had to stay out of politics because of his role in the Kingston media landscape. Over the years he has done a great deal of fundraising, including chairing the Kids for Kids Hockey Tournament, and raising money for the Pediatrics department of the Kingston hospital, and the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston.

He has also been heavily involved in waste diversion in Kingston, serving as the chair of the Kingston Area Recycling Corporation (KARC), at one time.

He originally moved to South Frontenac in the mid 1990s, living in Verona until 2010, when he moved to a house just south of Harrowsmith.

He officially retired in 2020, just before COVID hit, and is now able to turn his attention to local politics.

“I can bring some fresh new ideas to the table,” he said, “I have very much a business perspective, which I will bring to council.”

He thinks that the official plan process will play a big role in determining the future growth scenario for South Frontenac.

“There is going to be housing growth, and a greater need for services,” he said. “I’ll be pressing for public hearings if I get on council, and for us to look very seriously at waste and waste diversion.”

He said that another issue that is a major concern of his, is medical emergency response and medical services in the township.

We have a single doctor in Verona, Dr. Gibbons, serving 2,800 patients, and there are still so many people without a family doctor all over South Frontenac. We need to put money into walk-in clinics and doctor recruitment. We need to take some pressure off the system,” he said.

He said that he feels that the township has been run conservatively, and that things are stable, “but I’m afraid that the next ten years will bring so much change for young people, seniors and families that a lack of vision will hamper us.”

“Instead of saying ‘we can’t do that’ we need to start saying ‘how can we do that.’”

Whether it comes to building social housing, fighting for rural communities, or making investments in infrastructure, he wants to see Council take on an activist agenda.

While this is his first run at South Frontenac politics, he said, “I’d like everyone to realise for the last 20 years on radio, I made a commitment to promote everything that was going on in Frontenac County, and raised money for Kids for Kids, the beef farmers association and the 4H club as well.”

Portland - Doug Morey

Doug Morey looks back at what he knew about how South Frontenac Council works, when he first ran 4 years ago, and shakes his head.

“I’ve learned a lot in 4 years. So many people around the table had the knowledge that I did not have, and have been willing to share,” he said.

He mentioned the late Pat Barr in particular.

“She had great insight. It was a real loss when she died,” he said.

Now with a fuller understanding of the issues on the table, and the way Council works, he thinks a few things will be very important over the next 4 years.

He is hopeful that the establishment of a municipal services corporation will allow for development that will enhance opportunities for new kinds of housing and commercial development to diversify the township, but thinks Council needs to monitor how it is set up, very carefully.

“It is new, and there are a lot of unknowns that we need to keep our eyes on,” he said. “I know it will be an arm's length corporation but we need to know all the terms of reference, and all of our liability as well.”

The implications of the Recreation Master Plan, on budgeting, is something he thinks will be a concern for Council.

“We need to consider the needs and wants of recreation. There is a lot in that report. If we want to accomplish these things, we need to budget for them. And it will come quickly. I think that a splash pad is number 2 on the list. Are we ready to put one in next year? What will that cost? Will it be on municipal water in Sydenham. On well water, somewhere else? There are a lot of decisions to be made,” he said.

Another thing he would like to see in South Frontenac is an aging in place strategy, with easier to access supports.

“But there is no point thinking about aging in place, in isolation from community development. Seniors need family to be around them. We need to support youth, support community groups and agencies, so seniors are living full lives, people need to age well in place.”

He thinks that short term rentals are an issue that the township needs to deal with, “but like everything else, we need to be aware that there is a cost to everything that we assign to staff to work on. There are only 8 hours in a day, and if you want 16 hours of work, you need to hire another person to do that work.”

Rural internet is another big issue for South Frontenac, going forward.

He said that the biggest thing that he has learned, in four years on council, is the value of listening.

“If you listen carefully to what people have to say, whether it is a constituent, or a council or staff member, you are then in a position to do something for them, or with them.”

Portland - Shane Peters

Shane Peters has always been political. He was on the executive for the federal and provincial Conservative Party riding associations in Lanark Frontenac Kingston, from his early 20s, and made the decision to run for council, in South Frontenac, back in 2017.

He was not ready for 2018, but now that he is the ripe old age of 36, he has decided to run in Portland. He grew up in South Frontenac, living in Verona and Perth Road when he was young, and has settled on Petworth Road, near Hartington. He works with his father in the family electrical business, which is based in Kingston.

Aside from politics, he has a passion for the outdoors, and is a big fan of the Frontenac Challenge each fall at Frontenac Park. He is active with the Friends of Frontenac Park, serving on the executive as communications officer.

“This council needs to see some generational change, and the only way for that to happen is for younger people to seek office, so I am bringing that to South Frontenac.”

He said that he is not bringing his own agenda to the race, but rather reflecting the concerns of Portland residents.

One of the biggest concerns is with speeding on township roads, leading to and within the villages, and on side roads.

“We have a police services board, which is where we need to start the conversation. We pay a lot of money for policing that we are not getting, but the issue needs to be dealt with,” he said. “Maybe it is safety bollards that can be removed during the winter, maybe it is something else.”

He is also hearing questions about equitable distribution of township resources, pointing that while Centennial Park in Harrowsmith has received a lot of attention, there is very little being done in Verona when it comes to recreation.

“I am encouraged by the Recreation Master Plan, but I think we will have to go further to attract more young families. A Recreation Centre is something that people are looking for, but it is not in the master plan right now. Some people want a gym, some want a pool, and of course costs need to be factored in, but it needs to be in sight.”

For the most part, he thinks South Frontenac is well managed, and is on the right track.

“I just think we need to make sure that we do enough public consultation before Council makes big decisions,” he said.

Storrington - Phil Archambault

It has now been 12 years since Phil Archambault, his wife Melanie, and their four children (who were all under 5 at the time) moved to Silverwood Drive, at the south end of Loughborough Lake.

While working as a management consultant, specialising in healthcare accessibility and efficiency, and being a hands-on parent, he has taken two other runs at political office. He represented the Liberal Party in Lanark Frontenac Kingston in a federal election, and then in 2018, he ran for mayor of South Frontenac.

He spent a lot of time at the beginning of COVID making sure that the Symphony Spa & Yoga, the business that he co-owns with Melanie, received all the support it was entitled to. Now, with the spa thriving again, he is giving another run at municipal politics.

“There are lots of young families moving into South Frontenac, and one of the big things that we need to do, as a township, is to develop more family friendly policies. The recreation master plan is on a shelf, I feel. We need to pull it off the shelf, and we need to look at it. A bunch of small initiatives would make a big difference, like a skateboard park and splash pads. It can only help if the younger demographic has a bigger profile on council,” he said of his candidacy.

He also thinks that the township should be supporting entrepreneurs who are making a difference in the community, and also needs to address a lack of healthcare options in South Frontenac.

“With so many people moving into this community, there is still no family doctor here. I think that the council could take a more proactive approach when it comes to healthcare. I also think that the township could do more efficiency work on their operations. With my management consultant background, I have seen a lot of organisations find savings through efficiency, and with savings, the township could do a lot more for the residents,” he said.

Over the last few years, Archambault has been actively bringing concerns about speeding, on many of the township roads, to the attention of council, and now others are raising concerns as well.

“I think it is time that some real effort is made, to deal with this. It really has not been talked about enough at council meetings, since I started bringing it to Council, and it is time we heard something from the township about a plan to address it. When I have been out campaigning, everybody is talking about the danger from speeding, and roads that need more attention,” he said.

“I’d like to get onto council in order to address all these issues and improve the life of the residents in Storrington, South Frontenac.”

Storrington - Mark Erdman

Mark Erdman and his wife Kristine were living in Surrey, British Columbia after having made his career in the public and private sector in management and communications.

He has family roots in Alberta and Ontario, and the decision to move back to Ontario was one they both appreciated, as they missed the lakes and the seasons, and it enabled them to be close to aging parents.

Kristine found our home. I was working and she was here, looking for a place to settle, when she called me up and said she had found the spot for us. So here we are.

They moved east, built their “forever home” on Dog Lake, and not being quite ready to retire, Mark is currently working at Queen’s as Manager of Community Relations.

His motivation for seeking a position on council is partly because he has always sought opportunities to get involved in the communities where he lives, partly to offer his skill set for public use, and also because of his concern about the direction of political discourse in the country as a whole, which is of concern to him.

“I am deeply concerned by the way politics and special interests are changing this country using fear instead of consensus, and the damage that has wrought, on so many lives and livelihoods. I am opposed to deliberate efforts to polarise and divide our population, efforts to “dumb down” people, and the unwillingness of our governments, or society, to discuss or explore facts and ideas on issues that impact the lives of so many,” he said on his campaign website.

He favours keeping taxes low, out of concern for the rising cost of living, to the extent that he thinks the township should make sure that critical infrastructure is kept in good repair, but should consider “re-evaluating any elective projects that can be deferred.”

He also is concerned that the township “ensure our farms, small businesses and tourism industries are protected from potentially damaging policies and regulations.”

Given his work in communications, he thinks that making sure that residents are fully apprised of the direction that the township is taking on public issues, is also a priority for him.

He is also very much committed to developing a solid aging at home strategy, for seniors in the township, and thinks that a transit strategy is important in that regard.

“Even if the township can set up a shuttle service from our villages, to coordinate with Kingston transit, it would be beneficial,” he said.

Living on Dog Lake, which has its own environmental challenges, he is supportive of “protecting the environment and supporting sensible and achievable goals to reduce our impact on it” but he opposes the Ontario Nutrient Management Act, which he sees as a threat to the viability of the farming community.

Storrington - Suzanne Quenneville

If Suzanne Quenneville is elected to South Frontenac Council, she will be a first time member of council, but she will also be more familiar with the way the township is financed than even the most seasoned veterans.

And she will also know a thing or two about Council’s only direct employee, Chief Administrative Officer Louise Fragnito.

Between 2007 and 2017, when she retired, Quenneville was the Deputy Treasurer for the township, working under the late Deb Bracken, in the old area rating days of the township, and then under Fragnito for 6 years.

“I am very familiar with administration,” she said, “even though there have been many changes in the township since 2018, and I am very familiar with taxation issues.”

Quenneville moved from Kingston to Sydenham in 2008, and in 2010 moved to Inverary.  In 2016, she and her partner built a home on a 62- acre property on Round Lake, near Inverary. With 1600’ of waterfront, they had their property officially designated as conservation lands.

Although retired from the township office, she is still working for the township, continuing to serve on the fire department, based at Station 8 in Sunbury, which she has done for over 10 years.

One of the big motivating factors for her decision to run, was to bring the option of diversity to voters in Storrington District, a point she made graphically at the all candidates meeting in Sunbury last week, where she was the only woman, among 8 candidates, at the front of the hall.

She said that her run was triggered by the fact that when Pat Barr, the only woman on council, died while in office in 2021, Council did not choose a woman in her place, reverting to a fully male council by appointing John MacDougall.

“There is so much missing when a woman's perspective is not at the table. For example, council members can claim mileage, but a woman might prefer to claim daycare or elder care costs instead of mileage,’ she said. “Municipal governments have a role to play in community development, and being unaware of a whole set of issues, around the council table, means those issues are not understood at all. There are safety issue, issues of equity, public services and the urban environment.”

She thinks that the communal servicing initiative, that the township just signed on to, is important as a means of bringing alternative housing to South Frontenac, to attract a more diverse, and younger, population. And would like to see both a local transportation program, perhaps in the form of a weekly or bi weekly shuttle bus, in place.

“Through the fire department, I see a lot of isolation among seniors, and transportation would help, along with other strategies,” she said

Storrington - Norm Roberts

Norm Roberts’ path to local politics runs through his commitment to local recreation.

That is why it is not surprising that, in addition to wanting to make sure the township gets its new official plan document right, he is very interested in the rollout and implementation of the recreational master plan, which was accepted by council last spring.

“Now that the master plan has been accepted, we have to figure out what the priorities are, what the costs are, and how we are going to budget for them. Staff will bring back a report pretty soon, and we will start working on it then” he said.

Norm Roberts is originally from Hare Bay, Newfoundland, and like many Newfoundlanders he went west, to Alberta, in the 1960s. He met his future wife in Alberta and they eventually moved to Belleville. They moved to the Inverary area 26 years ago, when his wife, who was with the federal government, was transferred to Kingston.

Norm, a woodworker by trade, was able to work anywhere, and he set up NCD Woodworking in Inverary. He also brought his interest in recreation, from Belleville, where he had been involved in the minor hockey federation. He was one of the first people to join the Storrington Recreation Committee when South Frontenac started up in 1998, and has remained involved ever since.

His lifelong direct involvement in hockey and soccer leagues has led him to work on facility upgrades as a member of council, and the Central Recreation Committee that South Frontenac has established.

“We’ve done a lot and there is more to do,” he said, “we are looking now at doing something at Davidson Beach in Inverary. The main thing there is the slope. We need a way in, for a vehicle, for safety, and servicing any facilities we put up.”

“I think one of the biggest challenges on council is just to maintain what you have: make sure the roads are maintained, because that’s what gets you around; that the waste is dealt with; keeping our recreation facilities in good condition. These are the basic needs of the township and we can’t let them slip.”

He thinks that major road projects, Road 38 and Sunbury Road, need to be addressed in the next term of council.

“They are multi million-dollar projects, a real challenge for us,” he said.

But he does not like to get ahead of himself.

“My philosophy is to take everything as it comes, whether it is a township issue or a resident's concern, that they call me about. I like to talk to people and deal with one issue at a time. You won’t hear me making promises. I just like to get on with the job.”

Storrington - Ron Sleeth

Ron Sleeth took a long break between serving as a council member, reeve and deputy reeve for Storrington Township in the 1990s, and running for South Frontenac Council in 2014.

He did not leave because his interest in local politics waned, it was because of his commitments to both the Holstein Ontario, and Holstein Canada organisations, where he held leadership roles for about 25 years, necessitating a fair bit of travel.

When he put his name forward in 2014, “I felt that Storrington was the largest tax base in South Frontenac, but had not been receiving as much attention as it required and we needed a new voice at the table.”

Since then, “we have been fortunate to have completed a number of projects: road projects; the Storrington Centre upgrade, which we are still working on; and work on our recreation facilities. All of this has been done while we have been financially responsible, and have limited tax increases. I think we are one of the strongest municipalities of our size anywhere in Eastern Ontario.”

He is concerned, however, that the provincial government is making it more difficult for townships such as South Frontenac, to maintain their rural character.

“We have seen that when working on our new official plan, when they prevent us from promoting rural lot development. I’m a lifelong farmer, so I obviously support the protection of agricultural land, but my concern is that if we don’t have some sort of use for scrub land, for development, it will just deteriorate. And, if we push suburban style development as our way forward, we threaten the rural character of South Frontenac,” he said.

In the next term of council, he thinks that the township needs to do more than just talk about a seniors’ housing project in Verona.

“I’m concerned that we have not put a shovel in the ground and we don’t have a date for doing so,” he said.

“We also need to upgrade our emergency preparedness plan to deal with climate change-based weather events. We can see the changes in the environment very clearly on the farm. We need to make sure we have proper emergency centres in our township buildings. Backup generator systems, clean water, all of that is going to be really important. We have seen these weather events all around us, this summer. We need to be ready.”

He thinks that keeping the township finances in order, addressing some major capital projects, and completing a new official plan are going to be major concerns of the new council.