The votes have been counted and North Grenville has a new council. The new team will begin their four-year term in December, with the last Council meeting for the current Council coming on November 30.
Nancy Peckford is Mayor of North Grenville until November, 2022, having been elected with a total vote of 2844. The vote count for the other three mayoral candidates was: Elwood Armour (254); Jim Bertram (1632); David Gordon (1200).
Four individuals have been elected to serve as Councillors for the coming term. They are (with their vote totals): Jim McManaman (3160); Craig McCormick (2795); John Barclay (2734); Doreen O’Sullivan (2591).
The other candidates for Councillor were Kristin Strackerjan (2402); Barb Tobin (2333); Deron Johnston (2316); and Frank Onasanya (2279)
It is too early, at the time of going to press late Monday night, to get a full analysis of the turn-out, and a full report will be published in next week’s Times. What can be said with confidence is that this may be the first time since amalgamation in 1998 that the new Council really is new. The entire current Council has been defeated, and we will have five brand new faces around the Council table in December.
The new Mayor, Nancy Peckford, has a great deal of experience in political activism at the federal level, having been the Executive Director of Equal Voice for some time.
Interestingly, that organisation is dedicated to encouraging women to get involved in the political process. Nancy will need to get up to speed quickly on the issues involved in municipal governance, and there is no continuity in the new council she will lead.
Of the new councillors, only John Barclay has been a regular attender at Council over the past years, and his work with the BIA, the Farmers Market and the Oxford Mills Community Association will stand him in good stead in his new position. Craig McCormick is also well acquainted with Council meetings, having sat through many in his time as OPP Sergeant in the Kemptville detachment. Both Doreen O‘Sullivan and Jim McManaman will need to be quick learners in their new jobs.
The unsuccessful candidates deserve our thanks for putting their names into the contest and for the hours of canvassing, meetings, and talks with individual residents. Their commitment to our community should be acknowledged and the hope is that they will continue to be involved and add their energy and experience to the life of the new council and their friends and neighbours.
