Dear Editor,
The North Grenville Times (NGT) has been much appreciated by me over the last decade as a resident of North Grenville. I have often felt and expressed with neighbours and friends the worthiness of having a local newspaper of well-balanced opinions and thoughts.
The present Municipal Council is refreshing, transparent, and inclusive. I feel considerable gratitude for their diligence, due process, fairness, and representative thoroughness. Just as importantly, the NGT has thoroughly covered the varied political challenges.
I did not support several of those who challenged the incumbents as they appeared to have an agenda that in my opinion was ‘interest’ generated rather than a duty to represent all residents, all needs, and demands. A few of them canvassed our neighborhood objectively stating that they were “against the Prison”. I told them that I was neither for nor against it.
The ‘No Prison’ supporters needed to realize that they had established a rational and fair opposition to the provincial legislative process of proposing Kemptville as the new prison site. That was definitely laudable. On the other hand, when a few took to shamefully criticizing the local Council in an effort to amplify their demands, they lost me. Unlike the Provincial Officials, our Council was transparent and in my opinion, added value to the essential criticism of our MPP and present Ministry.
In a good functioning democracy, as we see in North Grenville, we must continue to be inclusive, listen to all opinions, and ensure that all voices are heard fairly, justly, and accurately. That achievement can give us pride. For me, that pride extends to our fortune in having the North Grenville Times, reporters, editors, contributors, and Dr. David Shanahan as our trusted sources of reporting.
Thank you North Grenville Times for all of your efforts covering the election and the Prison.
I cannot say that I enjoy reading the oft-negative letters to the Editor or contrary contributors, but I see them as having a strong educational value in enabling a full awareness of all the demands and supports in local policymaking. I hope that I will always be flexible enough to recognize when contrary opinions are of significant value to my own limited understanding of local issues.
Graeme Waymark
