Bill Saunders Named New Frontenac County Warden
In assuming the chain of office as Warden of Frontenac County, Bill Saunders pointed out that he is 160th Warden in the history of the county, going back to the founding of Frontenac County in 1865.
He is also the first Warden, at least since municipal amalgamation in 1998, who is not the head of council, in his local municipality.
In 1998, Frontenac County became a management board, overseen by the Mayors of the four Frontenac Townships, and when the County was brought back in 2004, it was the four mayors who made up the new council. That changed when a second member from each township was added for the 2010 municipal election, but only the Mayor’s were eligible to serve as Warden.
Part of the logic behind the restriction is that while the Frontenac County Mayors are all elected by all voters in their township, the second member of council from each township is only elected in their own ward.
Council reversed that rule in 2021, and for this latest term of council all 8 council members have been eligible in the annual Warden selection process.
For the first three years, that made no difference, as the Mayors from South, Central and North Frontenac served as Warden. The first sign of a shift came last year, when Bill Saunders became the Deputy Warden and not Frontenac Islands Mayor Judy Greenwood-Speers. And last week, Saunders was the only nominee and was appointed to the position of Warden without a vote.
South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal will serve as Deputy Warden this coming year.
There are two wards that elect two members each to Frontenac Islands Council, Howe Island ward and Wolfe Island ward. Saunders represents Howe Island on Frontenac Islands Council. Since Mayor Greenwood-Speers lives on Wolfe Island, the councillor from Howe Island who received the most votes was appointed Deputy Mayor and County Council Representative.
Bill Saunders received the most votes on Howe Island, 370, more than a hundred votes more than second place finisher, Councillor Bob Ackley.
Like all members of Frontenac Islands Council, including Mayor Geenwood-Speers, Saunders is a first term councillor.
He has been presiding over most of the Frontenac County meetings in 2025 in is his role as Deputy Warden.
After taking his oath of office, Warden Saunders made a brief address to council.
He said that friends of his asked him when they learned he was considering standing for the position, “Are you sure you know what you are getting into, a question that I believe Frances Smith asked now former Warden Gerry Lichty a year ago. My experience and that of friends and acquaintances has been that the opportunity to serve and have a positive impact on your community is extremely rewarding. I believe I can do my part to work collaboratively with council and staff to address the pressing issues of the day, while setting the direction for Frontenac Counties' future success.”
Concerns over Prime Agriculture
Steve Leonard, a farm property owner from South Frontenac, addressed council on the day when it was slated to provide final approval to the South Frontenac Official Plan. He said that part of the new process of developing that plan, had resulted in his own farm being designated as Prime Agricultural land, which he said would lessen his ability to develop it as he wished. He had been zoned rural agrictltural before that
He said the designation did not come from the land suddenly becoming better, but for political reasons, and urged council to vote “no” to the South Frontenac Official Plan, or insist on amending his land designation before approving the Official Plan.
Later in the meeting, council approved the South Frontenac Official Plan without making any changes to the document.
New Baby
At the beginning of his monthly report of activities, normally a relatively dry exercise, Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Farrell presented exciting news, a photo of 'baby Collette' a new addition to his family, who was born on October 30. Farrell reported that his wife Jess, and the couples two other children, are all doing well.
New Washroom
After a protracted debate, and a start and stop process going back two years, Council approved the expenditure of $100,000, subject to the completion of a memorandum of understanding with the township of Central Frontenac, towards a washroom/warming station/water station at the parking lot in the hamlet of Sharbot Lake, at the foot of Mathew street, next to the public beach.
In 2017, the council of the day committed to providing $100,000 to each township for trailhead development, and although the first $100,000 was allocated to the purchase of land for the South Fontenac trialhead in Verona, no other money was set astide at the time..
That is, until the 2026 Frontenac County budget was approved, which establishes a $350,000 K&P trail reserve fund.
Both Warden Saunders and Deputy Warden Vandewal said they were reluctant to support this because the new washroom, although located along the county owned K&P trail, the washroom itself will be a Central Frontenac Township asset.
“I have a problem with us investing in something that we do not own,” said Vandewal.
Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith pointed out that nowhere in the conversation about investing in trailhead's, one in each township, is the question of ownership raised.
Richard Allen, the Manager for Economic Development, said that Smith is correct, ownership was never a criteria for the funding. He added that through the memorandum of understanding, that will be completed before the money is allocated, the obligation of Central Frontenac to heat and maintain the washroom facility will ensure that it is maintained into the future, without requiring any further financial support from Frontenac County.
Council approved a motion to allocate the $100,000 to Central Frontenac.
