Category: Collingwood

Comments, thoughts and musings about my hometown: Collingwood, Ontario. And some local politics, too, with my comments as a municipal councillor.

Sunset Point parking

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

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Sunset Point Park is easily Collingwood’s most popular park and for good reason: it’s a wonderful resource and a great place to spend an afternoon. Summer weekends it’s always full of families, couples, pets and picnics. You’ll see swimmers, kite flyers, cyclists, sunbathers, strollers, anglers and hibachis everywhere. People come from miles around – even many from the GTA – to spend the day in Collingwood’s Sunset Point Park. And with that comes the problem: parking. People drive here and their cars have to go somewhere. The small lots fill quickly and then overflow onto the nearby side streets. The ……… click below for more ↓

What about climate change?

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

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Forest fires. Flooding. Drought. Algal blooms in our lakes. Extreme temperatures. People dying in heat waves. Climate change and its effects have been headline news this year more than ever. The New York Times dubbed 2018 the “summer of fire and swelter.” 2018 is predicted to be the fourth-hottest year on record – and the three hottest before that were the three previous years! So what are we doing about it?  Nothing, it seems, at least in many places. The NYT commented that the unrelenting news is, “… revealing in real time how unprepared much of the world remains for life ……… click below for more ↓

Collingwood’s pot problem

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Election 2018 / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

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Two months from now, Canada’s federal government will make marijuana legal. Laws will allow it to be sold in private stores, smoked, eaten and even grown in your home. There will be retail stores and online sales. And the next council will have to deal with it. But before then, our council should have discussed it and given the public some inkling as to what is planned here. Should have held public debate about where it could be sold – offered some suggestions for changes to our planning bylaws and Official Plan. Should have brought in someone from the police ……… click below for more ↓

A few answers

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Utilities: electricity and waterLeave a comment

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I was surprised that only ten people stood at the lectern to speak in the Judicial Inquiry’s first public meeting, last Monday.  I had expected that at least Brian Saunderson or one of his minions would have the courage to stand up in public to explain why they wanted to spend so many millions of your tax dollars pursuing their private vendettas. Explain why they launched an inquiry a few weeks before the municipal elections opened, instead of three and a half years ago, when they took office. Explain why they haven’t been able to stop looking at the past ……… click below for more ↓

Electoral reform for Collingwood

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

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Collingwood elects all of its council at large. There are no ward systems for local or neighbourhood voting. But is it the best system for Collingwood? I don’t think so, and want it to be discussed by the next council. And maybe a referendum question on the next ballot. At-large are good for mayor, and deputy mayor (if the latter is elected directly and not otherwise selected from the representatives). Everyone gets to vote for the top positions. But the next seven we choose are also elected at large. And why should everyone have to vote for all of council? ……… click below for more ↓

Statement for the Judicial Inquiry

Collingwood / Council / deception & secrecy / Election 2018 / Ethics and behaviour / Saunderson's Vindictive Judicial Inquiry / Utilities: electricity and waterLeave a comment

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NB: This is the statement I read aloud at the public meeting for the Judicial Inquiry, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. It is a much-abbreviated version of a statement I have made in my written submission to the inquiry. Thank you, your honour, for letting me speak tonight. My name is Ian Chadwick. I was a member of the previous council. This inquiry is about two of the many challenges council faced and overcame last term. First was the changing nature of Ontario’s energy sector. Prior to the provincial election, all three political parties vowed to reduce the number of Local ……… click below for more ↓

My responses to residents: 4

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

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NB: As a candidate for Deputy Mayor in the upcoming municipal election, I receive questions from residents about my stand on various issues and policies. I will post my responses here for everyone to read. My responses are in italics, below. Please keep your answers short and to the point. The following are my questions: 1.What do you see as the main issues in this upcoming election campaign? Answer: A return to open, accountable and ethical government to regain the trust of the people and staff is the first priority. 2.What experience do you bring to the office of Deputy ……… click below for more ↓

My responses to residents: 3

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Planning & PoliciesLeave a comment

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NB: As a candidate for Deputy Mayor in the upcoming municipal election, I receive questions from residents about my stand on various issues and policies. I will post my responses here for everyone to read. My responses are in italics, below. Looking forward to your review & response to enclosed questions to understand your level of support to improve cycling infrastructure in Collingwood that you will provide if elected in the upcoming election. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and respond to your questions. As a bit of background, when I was on council (2003-2014) I advocated for and ……… click below for more ↓

My responses to residents: 2

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / HospitalLeave a comment

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NB: As a candidate for Deputy Mayor in the upcoming municipal election, I receive questions from residents about my stand on various issues and policies. I will post my responses here for everyone to read. My responses are in italics, below. Hi Ian, Where do you want the hospital to be built ? It’s not where *I* want the hospital built that matters – it’s where the hospital’s staff, consultants, planners and board identified as the best place after many months of surveying, studying and planning. They are the experts, not me, not anyone on council. It’s the site with ……… click below for more ↓

My responses to residents: 1

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018One Comment

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NB: As a candidate for Deputy Mayor in the upcoming municipal election, I receive questions from residents about my stand on various issues and policies. I will post my responses here for everyone to read. My responses are in italics, below. One of my main concerns is development in the area. I do understand that development is important for the economic growth of Collingwood and builds a tax base. My concern is the natural area that makes Collingwood beautiful is shrinking especially with the future housing plans. Is this a priority for you? If yes, what will you do to ……… click below for more ↓

Airport sold after secret deal, no public input

Collingwood / Council / Deceit / deception & secrecy / Election 2018 / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

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According to the Connection, Collingwood’s airport – owned by the taxpayers – was just sold to a private corporation after almost 20 closed-door council sessions. Not once was the public consulted. Not once was the public told WHY or even if selling the airport was good for the community. Not once did Brian Saunderson or his Block puppets warn the public last election campaign that they planned to sell our public asset.  Not once did Saunderson or the Block or the town administration present a business case in the past four years to show that selling it was good, that ……… click below for more ↓

A response to Don May

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018Leave a comment

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In a recent email, Don May took several shots at me and my integrity. I expected this and similar attacks from Saunderson’s followers – and May is an admitted supporter of Brian Saunderson. I won’t bother to respond to his innuendo or unfounded allegations. However, I want to address one thing May said that is correct: he accused me of having a, …desire to go back to our former governments of the past. Leaving aside the obvious tautology (what else could a former government be but of the past?), he’s right: I do want to see Collingwood council return to ……… click below for more ↓

Saunderson’s abject desperation

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Election 2018 / Entitlement / HospitalLeave a comment

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I’m not sure whether I pity Brian Saunderson most for his lack of principles or for his lack of shame. Or maybe both. Desperation makes people do things that common sense would suggest won’t work. Monday we saw desperation replace both principle and shame when Saunderson made a motion to support the hospital at the end of the meeting. It was an abject, grovelling effort. Embarrassing to watch.* Brian Saunderson is, of course, desperate. He faces not one but two credible candidates for the position of mayor, in a town where he and his five Block minions on council are ……… click below for more ↓

Running for office, 2018

Collingwood / Council / Election 2018 / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

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This morning I filed my papers to run for Deputy Mayor in the 2018 municipal election. I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to run, who endorsed my application, and who has promised to help my campaign. Your confidence in my ability to do the job and to provide open, ethical governance and return council to accountability is deeply felt. I promise I will not let you down. I will continue to inform voters of the abuses of power and personal agendas this term, and expose for a larger audience the unacceptable amount of secrecy and deception this council ……… click below for more ↓

Tim Fryer’s fictitious candidate

Collingwood / Election 2018Leave a comment

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You have to wonder who is being described on Tim Fryer’s campaign website when you read about claims of: Transparent and Trustworthy Leadership. Responsible and Accountable Creative and Open Minded Socially & Environmentally Conscious Is Fryer advertising for another candidate? One not so deeply joined to Brian Saunderson and his personal agendas? One who actually stood up and fought for open, accountable meetings and public consultation when privatizing our electricity utility instead of shambling into almost 50 closed-door meetings to plot the sale? One who refused to sideline our hospital redevelopment and delay it three to ten years? One who ……… click below for more ↓

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