Maybe Carolyn Lane-Rock can moderate an all candidates night
To the Expositor:
Across Ontario, municipal political incumbents and aspirants are readying themselves for the October 27 election. Some Manitoulin communities, like Gore Bay, seem happy with their representation—mayor and council are all acclaimed!
Here in Billings there is change on the way, both in people offering themselves and in the actual voting process itself.
Council, back in May, decided to eliminate the proxy voting system used last time because of a lot of complaints about the way it worked. Only two options are now available—either vote at a polling station on October 27 or submit your vote by mail! I have heard there is a new procedure developed by the municipality, but I am not sure it has been made public yet.
I am trying to organize an all candidates meeting that will give the maximum number of taxpayers a chance to hear what all the candidates have to offer. I have spoken to some candidates about this already. Best time for that seems to be when cottagers come back to the Island for Thanksgiving and to traditionally close up their cottages. I am also hoping Returning Officer McDonald can use that meeting to quickly summarize the new procedure and even provide voting packages to those voters who know they won’t be on the Island on October 27.
I am even hoping that Carolyn Lane-Rock, whom the Expositor/Recorder tapped to do such an excellent job as moderator at the provincial election all candidates’ meeting a few months ago, can do the same for Billings.
Let’s hope we can get a fair process together and get an informed large turnout both at information meetings like this one and on election day.
Paul Darlaston Kagawong
