Limestone Board: Karen McGregor wins northern seat, Suzanne Ruttan keeps Lindsay Davidson at bay in South Frontenac

Jeff Green | Oct 30, 2014

Karen McGregor was very nervous as she joined the crowd at the Oso Hall waiting for the election results in Central Frontenac, and the fact the results did not come in until after 9 p.m. did not help matters much.

“How will we know the results from the other townships? Do I have to wait all night and phone around tomorrow morning?” she wondered. “I don't think I could take that.”

She needn't have worried. The results for the Limestone Board election from North Frontenac and Addington Highlands were submitted to Central Frontenac, so when CAO Larry Donaldson read out the results, he said, “These are the compiled results of all the votes.”

McGregor looked relieved but then came the moment of truth.

The totals for the two other candidates were announced first. Dave Kendall received 994 votes, Steve Magee 1057, and Karen McGregor ... 2748. McGregor's local knowledge was well received in all three townships, and her numbers in her home township were overwhelming. She received 1530 votes to 458 for each of her opponents in Central Frontenac alone.

McGregor will replace retiring incumbent Ann Goodfellow as the northern rep on the board.

The race for the northern seat was a polite affair, with candidates agreeing with each other on most issues during the numerous debates, but South Frontenac was another story altogether.

Incumbent Suzanne Ruttan was challenged by Lindsay Davidson on a number of fronts. Davidson charged that Ruttan was too much of an education insider to fight for the interests of South Frontenac residents.

For her part Ruttan said that she did not think that someone who had initiated court proceedings against the board would be a viable candidate to sit on that board at the same time.

(Lindsay Davidson is one of a group who have asked for a judicial review of the decision to close two secondary schools in Kingston and build a new one at an as yet undetermined location)

The third candidate, Lynda Hawn, struggled to receive much attention in the face of what ended up being a pitched battle between the two front runners.

The result was close, but Suzanne Ruttan held on to her seat on the board, with the support of 2737 people (49%). Lindsay Davidson received 2323 votes (42%) and Lynda Hawn 340 (6%).

Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board – Procter returns

It took until almost noon the next day before the results for the ALCDSB Frontenac County trustee race between long-serving member Wendy Procter and Harrowsmith Catholic School Council member Jodi Cameron were announced.

Procter held off Cameron by 26 votes, 388 to 362. Her margin in North and Central Frontenac outstripped the 30-vote lead that Cameron had built up in South Frontenac, where she received 250 votes to 220 for Procter.