Pat MacDonald
Pat MacDonald looks back on her work on the previous term of council with a sense of accomplishment, but that doesn’t mean she thinks there isn’t more that needs to be done.
“The issues that I think have to be addressed include taxation, which is always important, waste management, infrastructure such as roads and especially our aging buildings,” she said. “I can’t promise to solve all of the problems, but I will always seek to find out the priorities of the community. We need to maintain the high quality of life that we enjoy here in Central Manitoulin.”
While the community is a wonderful place to live, Ms. MacDonald said that she considers taxes to still be too high. “We still have to get our taxation down,” she said. “We have a lot of people who are on fixed incomes.” That goal faces an uphill battle, admits Ms. MacDonald. “Especially with provincial government seeking to download costs to the community.”
Ms. MacDonald said that when it comes to accomplishments over the past term of council, she was particularly proud of the new interpretive centre in Providence Bay. “There were over 8,000 visitors that came through the doors this year,” she said. “That was 8,000 people who were drawn to our community and I am proud to have been part of that committee.”
The new playground in Providence Bay is another project in which Ms. MacDonald played a strong role. “While people are in Providence Bay they also come to local businesses,” she said. “It gives something to attract people to this area.”
When it comes to rural community issues, roads are often a central concern, but in Central Manitoulin the maintenance of local roads is one of the community’s strong suits. “Our roads are wonderful,” she said. “In the winter it is not always easy, but we have a great municipal staff that goes above and beyond.”
Ms. MacDonald cites her role on the hiring committee for the municipality as one of her key accomplishments. “I think my influence was positive as chair of the finance and administration committee,” she said.
Ms. MacDonald said that one of the things she wanted to urge upon the community this election was to come out and vote. “There are so many places in the world where people are risking their lives to go out and vote in their communities and we don’t have that kind of risk here,” she said. “There are a lot of good choices for people, but too many people do not exercise the democratic rights that many others have died to protect.”
