Central Frontenac First In With A Contest for Councillor

There have been a number of sitting councillors who have registered to run for re-election in Central Frontenac, but the field is starting to fill out.

In Ward 3 (Oso) which includes the Hamlet of Sharbot Lake, there are now three candidates for the two council positions even though one of the sitting Ward 3 reps, Susan Irwin, has jumped into the race for mayor.

Two newcomers to municipal politics, Meredith Peters and Lesley Merrigan, have registered as candidates, and Bill MacDonald, who was appointed by Council just two months ago to replace Duncan McGregor when he resigned from council, is also running.

The MacDonald candidacy is a bit unexpected, because even though he never said anything publicly, Mayor Frances Smith told Council he was not going to be running when Council was about to vote on his appointment, to fill out the last six months of the current term.

Although she is a first time candidate, Lesley Merrigan has been the Chair of the Ward 3 Recreation Committee for many years, and is a central figure in both the Sharbot Lake Canada Day events each year, and the Beach Bash put on by the Country Music Association of Eastern Ontario, at the Sharbot Lake beach, each summer. She is also the daughter of Mayor Frances Smith.

Meredith Peter's name may be familiar as well, to those who monitor Central Frontenac Council. She appeared before Council just over a year ago to talk about the implications, and her opposition, to the Strong Mayor powers that were imposed by the Province of Ontario at that time.

Only one of the council members who were elected in 2022 has registered for the election so far, Danny Meeks, who is still the only candidate for Ward 2 (Olden). Chase Matson is currently the only candidate for one of the two Ward 1 (Kennebec) positions, and former Councillor Brent Cameron, who lost his re-election bid for one of the Ward 4 spots in 2022, is the only current candidate for Ward 4.

There is a race for mayor in Central Frontenac, between 2 term councillor Nicki Gowdy (Ward 4) Hinchinbrooke) and Susan Irwin (Ward 3).

There has been little change over the last two weeks in the other Frontenac townships, with the exception of the candidacy of long-time council member Ron Sleeth, in Storrington District, in South Frontenac.

As of now, all 8 members of the current council are running for re-election, and so far no one else is running to oppose them in any of the four districts.

Mayor Vandewal is also running for re-election, in a contested race with former councillor Alan Revill, who finished second to Vandewal in 2022.

There are four candidates running in North Frontenac, so far. Mayor Lichty is seeking re-election, and so are incumbents Roy Huetl (Ward 2) and Mike Hage (Ward 1). Katie Surra, a newcomer to local politics, who is the grand-daughter of long-time former Reeve of Palmerston-Canonto, Barb Sproule, is running in Ward 3.

There are two council positions for each ward throughout all Frontenac County municipalities. There are still no candidates registered in Addington Highlands for reeve, or for the two council positions in both wards