High hopes for concrete resolutions and results dashed
A letter to the taxpayers of Central Manitoulin:
Five years ago, when I was elected as a councillor for Ward 3 in the Municipality of Central Manitoulin, I had high hopes of obtaining, through the local municipal system, resolutions and concrete results to any of the problems for taxpayers. Such has not been the case, I am sorry.
I am concerned that our council, especially in this past year, has become very dysfunctional. Each councillor with their own agenda. Councillors are not willing to compromise or take part in an unbiased discussion and instead for their ward rather than the betterment of the whole municipality.
Our council can almost always be counted on to object to any requests made by local citizens and instead of helping throw up all kinds of objections and obstacles to prevent a request from happening.
An example of this is Maple Lane bordering on the shores of Lake Manitou at the end of Silver Bay Road. A property owner from Sudbury on Maple Lane had to attend almost every road committee meeting for a whole year before a positive decision to widen and lengthen the road and even then, property owners on Maple Lane had to pay a substantial share of the cost.
When the Mindemoya Seniors Club approached council with the request that council pay the rent for a vacant classroom at the public school in order that the seniors of our community would have a place to gather, the answer from council was again “no.” A community with a large number of seniors who have worked and paid taxes all their lives now find themselves retired with no programs offered by the municipality for their interests and no place to gather for activities.
During this past five years, the Mindemoya Old School has been closed and so far, it has been an uphill battle to even keep it standing with some councillors so ready to tear down this historic building, saying “no” to the Mindemoya Historical Society which submitted many ideas for the building. A feasibility study has been prepared by the experts and while this study was ongoing the Old School Committee did not pursue other sources of funding, not wanting to interfere with the study. Now the study is complete with no acceptable, financially able tenants to be found. Upon asking council for a five-year extension to explore other cultural and heritage funding, of course we were turned down. Another “no,” turned down by the vote of four councillors. Why should four people decide the fate of a building that will be 100 years old next year? This five-year extension, if allowed, would have included a new roof, completely paid for by a local philanthropist.
What will happen to the beautiful little park next to the Old School? Many of the seniors in our community spent many hours planting flowers, placing memorial trees and a gazebo for a place to rest, all now in question. If the Old School is torn down, as will the park be destroyed, and all their hard work and dedication will be for naught.
What will be next, the community centre? This building was built by the veterans for the veterans who fought in the Second World War. If this new complex idea goes ahead, there is a good chance the community centre will no longer be there, what a shame. Make it accessible, put in a proper elevator, it will be used.
The Mindemoya arena was almost closed for the coming winter. Thank goodness a procedural rule was found in error, the motion was addressed, and the arena will remain open. One councillor was heard to remark that they were not prepared to “spend one more dollar” on the Mindemoya arena. Close the arena down and there would be no plan for the public school children to skate, all minor hockey would have to go to Providence Bay where the ice surface is not a legalized size for hockey, Pearson Cup and the Legion Homecoming Weekend would all be without a venue.
Of course, the answer to this is a new complex which will be a huge burden to the taxpayer even with government grants. The poor taxpayers.
It seems that council and maintenance staff are there to oppose rather than help our citizens. The frustration, the stress, is just not what I envisioned when running for council. I am tired of voting positive and being defeated and so I have resigned.
Thank you for your support over the years I spent on council. I did the best I could.
Linda Farquhar
Past Ward 3 councillor, formerly Sandfield Township
Central Manitoulin
