Welcome to the {original} Skootamatta Web Page!
Skootamatta District
Ratepayers Association
Inc. 1983
Your SDRA cannot survive without volunteers!
Please contact a member of the executive if you would like to participate actively.
Thank you to all members who took the time to cast their (electronic) ballots. Election results, (courtesy the Frontenac News), are posted below. The SDRA wishes the new reeve and council well, as they manage township issues over the next four years.
| Position: | Name: | Votes |
| Reeve | Bill Cox | 583 |
| Reeve | Henry Hogg | 1005 |
|
Ward 1:
|
Denbigh, Abinger, Ashby | |
| Council | Janice Kerr | 418 |
| Council | Faye Mieske | 311 |
| Council | Eythel Grant | 422 |
|
Ward 2:
|
Kaladar, Anglesea, Effingham | |
| Council | Ibra Cuddy | 205 |
| Council | Larry Pealow | 256 |
| Council | Louise Scott | 357 |
| Council | Charles Snider | 148 |
| Council | Tommy Thompson | 182 |
| Council | Helen Yanch | 425 |
Missing Buoy !! [sorry ladies ... product not exactly as illustrated]The large, white, float, used to mark the rockpile just off Oborne Point, has disappeared before it could be hauled in prior to freeze-up. If you happen to spot it, or if it washes up on your beach, (probably in the Trail's End or Wolf Creek bays)...
please contact Kent, kentfarr@rogers.com.
Our neighbours on Lake Weslemkoon obtained written responses to specific questions posed to all candidates. They are posted at: http://www.weslemkoon.com/main/frame-v.htm
In simple terms, if you're over eighteen and a fulltime resident or property owner / spouse of a property owner, you're eligible to vote. PIN numbers were mailed out early last week to names on the 'official voters list'. Without a PIN number, you will NOT be able to cast an (electronic) ballot !!
It is worth noting that responsibility for the 'official voters list' lies with the province. To protect privacy, voters lists are NOT linked to external databases, (e.g. revenue Canada, motor vehicles, etc. etc.). They are prepared from land registry records and door-to-door enumeration campaigns, (which, for obvious reasons, are not practical in cottage areas). So ... although it is 'official', the voters list in an area dominated by 'seasonal residents' can be very inaccurate. (Spouses of 2nd generation property owners are a common omission, as we have found out). Municipalities use the official voters list for their elections and are a primary source for updates and corrections to the lists.
To add your name to the voters list, you will have to fill out an affidavit and return it to the township, who will, in turn forward the information to the province, (and the electronic polling firm - to issue a PIN number). The A/H website [http://www.addingtonhighlandstwp.ca] has a tab for "2006 Municipal Elections". The first entry "Application to Add, Correct, Delete a voter" is a printable affidavit form - which should be completed and faxed back to the township. Hopefully, your PIN number will arrive in the mail prior to Nov.13th.
Hats off to the council of Addington Highlands. Recognizing that over half the tax dollars collected in the township flow from seasonal property owners, Addington Highlands is going to use modern technology to make it easier for everyone to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.
For the first time, voters will be able to cast their ballots electronically - via telephone or the internet - without having vote to 'in person' at a polling station in the region. (Many seasonal property owners have never voted due to the inconvenience of driving long distances in poor weather typical of late fall). With this requirement removed, cottage owners can now have real political influence proportional to their taxation. Hopefully these new ways to vote will result in a lot more ballots being cast - so election results will truly reflect the wishes of the majority of eligible voters, (not just the small percentage who traditionally 'get out' to vote).
To vote electronically, you must confirm your identity by using a Personal Identification Number, (PIN), which is mailed to you in advance. Casting an electronic ballot is straightforward - similar to making a transaction at an automated banking machine.
The official list of candidates is posted at: http://www.addingtonhighlandstwp.ca/candidates.html
BRIEF PROFILES OF THE CANDIDATES ARE PUBLISHED BELOW
by Jeff Green - reprinted by permission from the Frontenac News
When current Reeve Ken Hook announced early in 2006 that he was planning to take a hiatus from municipal politics and would not be seeking re-election, members of the four-person council began talking amongst themselves to see if one of them would be willing to stand for reeve. As the year wore on, Bill Cox, who has been an active first-term councillor in Ward 2, decided he was willing to take his municipal activities to the next level and put his name in for reeve.
As the nomination deadline approached, it was looking as if Cox would be acclaimed, but a little over a week before the September 29th deadline, former reeve Henry Hogg put his name in, and a campaign for reeve began.
With Bill Cox seeking the reeve’s job, there will be at least one new councillor from Ward 2, (the former township of Kaladar, Anglesea and Effingham). Along with incumbent Louise Scott, five other candidates: Ibra Cuddy, Larry Pealow, Charles Snider, Tommy Thompson, and Helen Yanch, are running for the two Ward 2 Council seats. In Ward 1, (the former township of Denbigh, Abinger and Ashby), there will be a change on council as well. Lorraine Berger, councillor and deputy reeve, is not running, leaving incumbent Eythel Grant, Janice Kerr and Faye Mieske as contenders for the two seats.
All of this means there will be significant change on Addington Highlands Council with this election. With Reeve Hook and Deputy Reeve Berger resigning, the township will be sending two new representatives to county council.
At the township level, there will be anywhere from two new members to an entirely changed five-member Council.
Bill Cox was born in Northbrook, and worked for many years in purchasing with the Toronto Transit Commission before returning to Flinton 12 years ago, with his wife Kathleen, who currently works in the North Frontenac township office.
Cox has served three years on council. Chairing the township’s recreation committee has taken up quite a bit of his time. The committee has been very active in overseeing repairs to the Denbigh Hall and site, and renovations to the Flinton Recreation Centre.
When Bill Cox announced that he was seeking the reeve's position, he said he would not be running if the current reeve, Ken Hook, had not decided to step down. He will, therefore, not be looking to alter the course that council has been taking. He said that he would like to continue working on the projects that are underway, and hopes to see some of them completed in the next four years.
As a councillor, he has found himself taking on direct responsibility for projects, a role that in other townships would be more likely undertaken by staff, and therefore Cox says he fully supports a recent consultant's report that calls for the hiring of a Chief Administrative Officer for Addington Highlands.
"When you’ve got employees that don't have a job description, don't have a salary grid, don't undergo employee evaluations every year, you're leaving your door open for problems".
"I think if we get the CAO in place, we will operate more efficiently and we will find that we are able to attract more grant money from the province," Bill Cox said in an interview with The News this week.
He added that the provincial government will be downloading more administrative tasks soon, and that the township needs someone to help carry that load.
"We will do this without hurting the employees we already have," he said, "They'll maintain their status, but we need to be more efficient".
Among other issues that Cox sees coming in the near future is the need for the township to finalize plans for waste management. "The Ministry of the Environment has worked with us as we determine where we are at with our waste sites, but council will have to watch these sites carefully," he said.
He is also keen to see a septic inspection program established to protect the lakes in Addington Highlands.
"We are very lucky to have an economic development committee, nicknamed AHEAD, that has been working on doctor recruitment, beautification, resort development, and other items. I really look forward to working with them. There is a lot that goes on in Addington Highlands, behind the scenes, and I can see myself stepping up my involvement by being reeve for the next four years."
Henry Hogg is a familiar name to voters in Addington Highlands.
He was the first reeve of the township, serving two three-year terms between 1998 and 2004, and he was Reeve of Denbigh, Abinger and Ashby between 1988 and 1994.
Henry Hogg moved to Mazinaw Lake in 1975, and opened Pine Crest Marina. Soon after that he began driving a school bus as well. He eventually purchased some busses and began running a school bus company, which he has maintained to this day, with four buses on the road.
It was his businesses that lead him to pull out of municipal politics three years ago.
"My businesses had expanded to the point where I couldn’t get everything done," Hogg told the News this week in describing why he did not run in 2003. Since then, he has sold the marina, and says he now has the necessary time available to fulfill the role of reeve.
One of the issues that Henry Hogg thinks will be important to the new council is the maintenance of ambulance service, particularly in the north end of the township. Having been involved when the township's Official Plan was in the initial stages of development, he is interested in following through with a comprehensive zoning bylaw, which will give the Official Plan some legal teeth. It will likely be finalized early in the mandate of the new council.
The current council hired a consultant to look at the operation of the township office, and recommended the hiring of a Chief Administrative Officer. This hiring has not taken place because of the proximity of the election. Hogg said that while he has not investigated the consultant's report, he has no doubt that extra staffing is needed at the office. If elected, he will recommend to council that a thorough review be undertaken and job descriptions for all staff be developed, before deciding what kinds of positions should be created.
He expects that the township could be facing some increased costs as, in the wake of the bridge collapse near Montreal, the pressure builds for bridge inspections to take place. "That could be a major burden for the township," Henry Hogg said.
In terms of economic development, Henry Hogg remains frustrated that Crown Land in Addington Highlands, (which constitutes 70% of the land within the township), generates no revenue to the municipality and cannot be opened up for commercial development at this time.
A resort development project that the township's economic development committee has worked on for several years will not be able to proceed, he said, until the Algonquin land claim is settled, because all of the suitable land for the project is located on land that is within the claim territory.
Ibra Cuddy has always lived in the Frontenac Addington region. He has a house and a cottage in Addington Highlands and a house in Harlowe.
He worked for 30 years for Corrections Canada in Napanee, and over the years he has served many terms on council in Frontenac and Lennox & Addington counties.
After serving a term on Addington Highlands council, he was defeated in 2003, but since then, he has remained involved in township matters as a volunteer with the roads committee, the joint fire board, and as the council representative to the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.
If Ibra is elected this time around, he will work to see that there is more communication with the provincial government regarding Crown lands.
"The provincial government is running opposition to private business. They take all the monies from timber, deer licenses, and fishing licenses on Crown Lands."
Ibra Cuddy will also be looking to bring gas tax money to the township from the province, and plans to work with other municipalities in order to make that happen.
Larry Pealow has been involved with the Addington Highlands Economic Development Committee (AHEAD) since buying the Pine Grove Motel in Northbrook four years 4½ years ago.
The Pealow's previously lived in Campbellford, where Larry worked as a security guard at the local hospital and ran his own business.
"My wife owned a wilderness fishing camp, and she liked that business, and we like meeting people, so owning a motel seemed natural thing for us and we love this area," they said.
Larry Pealow brings the perspective of the business community to his candidacy, and an interest in business related issues such as cell phone service, doctor recruitment, and lower taxes.
As a vibrant 50 year old, he sees a tremendous amount of opportunity in the township.
"Land is still relatively cheap here. We're close to hwy. 7 and not that far from the 401, and there are a good bunch of people working behind the scenes, so things should start to improve economically," he said.
After owning a summer cottage on Skootamatta Lake since 1973 while living and working in Napanee, Louise Scott moved permanently to the lake 7 years ago.
She ran for Council in 2003 and was elected. "I had an interest in the area, in the lake and the roads, and people wanted someone from the lake on Council."
In the next term, Louise thinks the biggest issue are going to be roads and waste management.
"I don't think the people deserve the condition the secondary roads are in. They need gravel. They need to be upgraded. We don’t expect paved roads … we just expect decent roads to travel on," she said, "and that will take more money in the road maintenance budget."
Louise Scott supports economic development, but she would like to focus on maintaining existing businesses.
Charles Snider was born and raised in Cloyne. He worked at General Motors for 28 years, and when he retired, he returned to Cloyne to live. He later moved to Northbrook.
Charles served a term on Council in Barrie township between 1995 and 1997. He ran in Addington Highlands in 2003, but was not elected.
"I'm quite concerned with the way the township is running. I think they are spending money that we haven't got. As far as roads are concerned, I think the township should pay more attention to maintenance instead of construction. We did that when I was in Barrie township. That's what kept our taxes down," he said.
Charles Snider is also concerned about the zoning bylaw, saying that cottagers are quite concerned about the Official Plan.
Tommy Thompson comes from a long-time local family. His antecedents have lived in the area since the 1840's.
He moved to London, Ontario, in 1951 and ran a mechanical contracting business there until 1975, when he returned home and started up a sawmill, which he closed in 1990.
Tommy was Reeve of Kaladar, Anglesea, Effingham for 9 years, and chaired the amalgamation committee. In 2003, he ran for Reeve in Addington Highlands.
He also chaired the 911 committee, the steering committee for Pine Meadow Nursing Home, and the Lennox & Addington Children’s Services Committee."
"I think I can be an asset to the municipality. I have a tremendous amount of experience and that can only help," he said.
In terms of issues facing Council, Tommy Thompson said he is not certain that the township needs a Chief Administrative Officer, but he would look at it. He also thinks there might be a way to get a cell phone tower installed in the near future.
Helen Yanch was born and raised in Flinton, and only left the area for about 3 years when she was younger.
She raised a family and went back to work at the Yourway Home Centre. She now works as an operations manager for the Friends of Bon Echo.
She has never sought a council seat before, but she was a school trustee with the Lennox and Addington County Board before school board amalgamation.
High taxes are an issue for Helen, as are the quality of township roads. "We need to keep improving our roads," she said, "because they're the first thing that visitors see when coming into our area, so they are crucial to economic development."
She also thinks that Sunday gun hunting will be an issue that the new council will have to re-visit. She sees it as a wedge issue, splitting seasonal and permanent residents.
"A lot of seasonal people don't want it, but lots of other people do," she said.
Janice Kerr is originally from Inverary but moved to Griffith area 33 years ago when she got married, and 12 years ago the Kerr’s relocated 10 miles south to Denbigh.
Janice has raised a family and worked in Foymount and Renfrew over the years, and she has worked for the past several years at the Swiss Inn.
She served on the Griffith Council for a three year term, and chaired the Griffith Recreation Committee. This is the first time she has sought a Council seat in Denbigh.
"There are some issues that I feel are important, including things like the dump and taxation, and I felt it was time to stop grumbling and come forward," she said of her decision to run for Council.
Janice Kerr thinks that recreational opportunities in Denbigh have fallen back, and should be pushed forward again. She would like to see the rink back up and running, and would like to see a carnival as well.
"We have a good community hall," she said, "There could be events there. We need recreation for the kids."
Faye Mieske has lived for 40 years in the township. She was originally from Bancroft, but moved to Hartsmere when she got married. She has driven the Denbigh school bus for 25 years, until the school closed this fall, and she continues to work as a relief driver. She also worked at Red Pine Instruments for four years.
Faye has been an active volunteer, both at the school and with seniors.
One of the assets she brings to her candidacy is her familiarity with Weslmkoon Lake.
A major concern for Faye Mieske is the maintenance of ambulance service. She does not want Denbigh to be served from Renfrew and Northbrook.
"They are too far away," she said. "We need an ambulance here."
Although she is not happy about the school closing at Denbigh, she would like to see something done with the building, which could be of use to the community.
Faye Mieske would like to see Council pay more attention to the needs of the north end.
EYTHEL GRANT
Eythel Grant has lived in the Denbigh area for 69 years so far, and he has no intention of moving. For 34 1/2 years, Eythel worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources, including many years at Bon Echo Park. He retired in 1993.
He has served as a Councillor, including nine years on Addington Highlands council. If re-elected, he will provide continuity from the first days of Addington Highlands council.
Issues that continue to be of interest to Eythel Grant include working towards hard-toping roads in order to decrease maintenance costs, and developing alternate uses for the school building at Denbigh, if indeed the school closes for good.
He was reluctant to talk too strongly about proposed staffing changes within the context of an election when interviewed this week, but he said he is "partly in favour of the plans in the recent consultants report."
"There's no doubt we need more help in the office," he added, "but I don't know if a CAO is necessary."
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