Linda Stevenson’s trip to city hall this past Monday (July 16) ensured the sitting council would not be in a lame duck position to close out the term.
Stevenson filed her nomination papers, signalling her intention to seek a second term on council. The following day, Mayor Heather Jackson entered the now-crowded mayoral race, leaving only Coun. Mark Burgess as the lone question mark for the Oct. 22 municipal vote.
Following her official business at the clerk’s counter, we talked with Stevenson at length about her initial four years in the council chamber and her expectations for the future.
“I enjoyed the first term a lot,” advised Stevenson. “I think it was a good working council. We got a lot of work done. A lot of faith in staff bringing forward reports that were full and the information was good so we can make good planning decisions. Continue reading
Category Archives: 2018 municipal election
For mayoral hopeful Joe Preston, ‘municipal politics is where rubber hits the road’
Earlier this week we wrote briefly on Joe Preston’s entry into the St. Thomas mayor’s race, joining Steve Wookey and Malachi Male, who already had declared their intention.
So, how does Preston’s announcement impact the mayoralty campaign and, if elected, what does he bring to the council chamber?
“The mix on council right now, I know I can work with them,” offers Preston. “I know most of them and I have met with almost all of them while I made my decision. I’ve learned I can work with pretty diverse groups.
“I come to this with a little bit different credentials than others. I put my risks where my mouth is and have gone out and created jobs in this community. I’ve been a community activist involved in a lot of other projects in the community.
“But others come with their own credentials and life skills that can make a good team work.” Continue reading
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Joe Preston makes it three in St. Thomas mayoral race
Former Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Joe Preston ended weeks of speculation this morning (July 10) by announcing on the steps of city hall he has entered the St. Thomas mayoral race.
The move was inspired by “hundreds of people”, according to Preston, encouraging him to declare his intention to become head of the corporation.
“It got hard to ignore it,” added Preston, “and I didn’t start out to do it, but I had enough people come to me and say, ‘You should.’ I looked at all the decisions and said yes, good plan, let’s do it.” Continue reading
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The departure of CMHA Elgin executive director ‘moved the needle in the right direction’
“All things are positive from the get-go.”
That’s the upbeat assessment of the working environment at the Elgin branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association after the Southwest Local Health Integration Network took a unique approach by appointing a supervisor for the St. Thomas/Elgin operation.
That move, initiated this past spring, was prompted by the report from healthcare consultant Ron McRae which pointed to numerous issues of poor governance and a lack of oversight.
Things had sunk to such a level last October that an information picket was held outside the Centre Street office in St. Thomas by staff – represented by OPSEU Local 133 – who claimed they were working in an environment of fear, intimidation and anxiety. Continue reading
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They have yet to close the gap, but talks continue in an effort to avert a strike in St. Thomas
While talks continue, no settlement has been reached between OPSEU Local 152, representing 22 health care professionals and Closing the Gap in St. Thomas. Their contract expired on March 31 of last year.
And, those employees could be off the job in a week’s time.
Closing the Gap is a healthcare provider offering services in homes, schools, workplaces, long-term care homes, hospitals, and clinics across Ontario.
On May 2, a final offer from the employer was presented to OPSEU members who unanimously turned down the deal.
The outstanding issue remains wages, with Closing the Gap earning, on average, $165 per client visit while paying their employees $46 to $48 per visit, some of those lasting almost two hours. Continue reading
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Will the city advocate for its most vulnerable citizens?
Last month, we noted the city is looking at a bylaw to deal with non-licensed residential care homes in St. Thomas. The move is prompted, in part, by the situation at Walnut Manor, operated by Niagara Supportive Living out of Welland.
Well, a report from Tim Welch Consulting out of Cambridge – which undertook the city’s 10-year housing and homelessness plan – is before council Monday (June 11) and in it is a section dealing with informal residential care facilities (RCF) like Walnut Manor.
These homes “provide supportive housing to non-senior individuals who require assistance for daily activities due to physical disabilities, mental health and addictions challenges,” as defined in the Welch report.
“Level of supports varies depending on individual need but are most commonly in the form of meals, administration of medicine, bathing, supervision etc.,” the report continues. Continue reading
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For Steve Wookey, is this the best way to go fishing for votes?
Mayoral hopeful Steve Wookey is not giving up his campaign to allow small craft and fishing at Lake Margaret.
Wookey first expressed this desire at an April 24, 2017 reference committee meeting when he declared, “In my world there should be fishing and canoeing.”
He was reminded the decision to prohibit fishing in Lake Margaret was a recommendation of the 2010 Lake Margaret Environmental Plan.
Under discussion that meeting was the transfer of ownership of Lake Margaret to the city from developer Doug Tarry Limited.
City manager Wendell Graves particularly stressed the need to enforce the no fishing regulation.
And, the aim of striking an environmental stewardship committee which would report to city council. It would include members of council, city staff, developers, the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority and members of the public who would, among other things, develop an action plan and pursue funding opportunities for stewardship. Continue reading
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Will municipal property taxpayers be on the hook for those election promises? Plenty of silence from the three major parties on that.
With the provincial vote less than two weeks away, the leaders of the three main parties have promised billions of dollars in goodies to entice voters.
Trouble is, there is a real lack of detail forthcoming on how these enticements will be funded.
As a ratepayer, that should be a concern for you and when considering which candidate will receive your vote, ask them first who is picking up the tab.
As Lynn Dollin, president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, correctly notes, “The provincial government dictates and regulates municipal services. At the same time, municipal governments deliver and help fund key provincial programs, like social housing and child care. Our fates are deeply intertwined.” Continue reading
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Municipal employees and garbage collection staff should not be at risk of unsuspected jabs . . . neither should the public
At its May 22 meeting, council will be asked to approve an amendment to the Waste Diversion and Curbside Collection bylaw, with regards to used needles.
According to a report from Michelle Shannon, the city’s waste management coordinator, in the past year there have been three incidents of needles found in curbside waste.
Under the current bylaw, used needles are a designated hazardous waste under the Environmental Protection Act and are prohibited from being collected at the curb in the regular waste stream.
Shannon stresses improperly disposed of needles and drug equipment pose a health hazard to the public, garbage collection staff, and municipal employees. Continue reading
