Addington Highlands Municipal Election Candidates

Oct 12, 2022

Reeve - Marlean Mclean

Marlean Mclean moved to Flinton on full-time basis in 2017, but her local roots go back much further than that. She is from Tweed, but has strong family connections in the Flinton area.

Mclean has been spending a lot of time in Addington Highlands ever since meeting her husband over 20 years ago. She lives in the farmhouse on the Clarke Line Road that was originally built by her husband’s great-great grandfather Solomon Spicer. The 2 foot-thick granite farmhouse dates back to 1881, and is a featured property for the Cloyne and District Historical Society.

She has a background in law and has volunteered for community organisations, including the YMCA.

One of the motivating factors for her to get involved in local politics is something that took place not long after she made the permanent move to the Flinton area.

“We took a walk down the road and saw young men at a nearby property wearing hazmat suits and carrying large rifles. That’s when we knew there was an illegal grow-op problem in Addington Highlands.”

The concern she has with the township over that issue, which eventually resulted in arrests, a number of months later, was that in her view, Council should have been more aware of what was going on, and should have been “ahead of the game by passing a bylaw. I brought this to their attention and they did not act, except to hold a town hall that only a few people came out to,” she said.

She said that another big reason she is stepping forward to seek political office, is the township response to the wind storm in May of this year.

“Neighbouring municipalities showed real leadership, including hot showers, food, and help finding shelter. In Addington Highlands there was not even fresh water available for people until they were pressured into it. There are elderly people right now dealing with downed trees and no help from the township. The Reeve did declare a state of emergency but that did not result in any extra help for people.

“I love people and I love a challenge, and politics has always been important to me,” she said, summing up her motivation for running.

She said that she had been considering running for council over the past year or so, and started reaching out to people about her plans.

“I got nothing but support, and then some people would say ‘you have my support for councillor but what we really need is a new reeve, why don’t you go for that!”

After considering that question, she decided that it would be as reeve that she would be most able to bring about the changes that were motivating her to run, including helping get new housing built, services for seniors, and cell coverage.

“My question is what could Henry Hogg accomplish in the next four years, that he hasn’t done in the last 20 years. The issues are not new, and they have not been dealt with before, so what makes anyone think that the same people on council will deal with them now.”

She said that she is telling people to “give me four years and if I don’t perform, go ahead and pick someone else next time.”

She said that she knows that many issues are complicated in rural municipalities, including housing and internet service, but argues that the township needs to be more proactive, more helpful when residents come forward with development plans.

“Sometimes you have to give a little bit if you want to get things built. We should be working with the people. How do we generate more revenue and increase the tax base, if all that the township does is put up roadblocks. That’s what I hear from people, that the township throws up roadblocks. And that needs to change.”

Reeve - Henry Hogg

“I think I can handle the job” Henry Hogg said of his decision to seek a 7^th term as Reeve of Addington Highlands, having held the position for 22 of the 25 years since Addington Highlands was established. His overall council experience runs for over 30 years as he was already active before municipal amalgamation in 1998.

He has talked about resigning from municipal politics in the past, even saying he was going to throw out his election signs after the 2014 election. But he ran again in 2018, defeating Alice Madigan, and is facing a contested election again in 2022.

“I was only acclaimed once,” he said, “it was in 2010, I think, so I’m used to elections. I’ve been at this too long to make any grand promises, but I think we have been able to keep the township moving forward quite well over the years, even though we have a limited tax base.”

The limited tax base makes Addington Highlands more dependent than other municipalities on the provincial “Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund” which is provided to rural municipalities in Ontario based on a formula that takes into account population and other financial information.

“I have not heard anything to indicate that the OMPF is at risk, but it is such a high percentage of our revenue that it is something that I worry about anyway.”

He said that the township runs a “pretty lean ship. The office staff works very, very well together, but they are probably overworked. We have brought in some part-time help, but we might need more.”

One of the extra expenses that Addington Highlands took on a decade ago was ownership of the medical centre in Northbrook, and the establishment of a satellite office in Denbigh.

“That is an expensive facility to maintain, but we need to make sure it is available for our residents.”

A doctor recruitment campaign, which is operated in partnership with neighbouring North Frontenac, has resulted in two doctors coming to the community, and although one of them left, Dr. Dumas has remained.

“We have two doctors who are ready to retire, and it is very hard to recruit doctors, even if we have money available to help them cover student loan costs. I read that Memorial University recently graduated 21 doctors, and only 3 of them went into family practice. It’s hard to attract them to a rural community.”

While healthcare is a provincial responsibility, Hogg points out that municipalities are already heavily involved in various aspects of the system, and this has a major impact on municipal taxes. That’s why he says that provincial decisions have as much impact or more on the local tax bill than anything council does when setting the budget each spring.

“Through our county taxes we pay half of ambulance costs, we pay for our long-term care facility, and we pay into public health. When you add the clinics to that, and doctor recruitment, it comes to a fair share of the tax bill.“

Emergency preparedness is something that municipalities work on regularly, but it is hard to be ready for something like the Derecho that hit many parts of the township on the May long weekend.

“We are still working through the cleanup from that, clearing the sides of all the roads, and there is so much more work for people whose properties were hit. We are continuing to let them bring their brush to the waste sites for free. And then a tornado hit in late July, which did not hit our township, but it came very close. It puts a lot of stress on our residents, and on our crews as well.”

Looking forward to another four years, if he is re-elected, he said that he would approach things the way he always has, but is prepared for some surprises.

“When this council started in 2018, we had no idea we would end up meeting virtually for most of our term, that the new office we were going to build would be closed to the public when it opened, but then we had COVID. You can’t predict the future.”

Ward 1 - Tony Fritsch

It was an easy decision for Tony Fritsch to run for council again this year.

“I would say that 90% of the time you enjoy it, and the other times you try to work through the nasty stuff, trying to make it fair. What you want is the best resolution. But really it is all about doing stuff for the community, and I enjoy that,” he said.

He said that he feels that the township is in good shape organisationally, financially and in terms of the relationship between council and staff.

Of the challenges the township is facing, he said that developing a detailed asset management plan has been a good one because it “allows us to make proper decisions by starting with the immediate priorities and working from there. If you look at everything that will need to be replaced over time, it is daunting, but what I like about it is that it is based on fact.”

That being said, he thinks that the impact of inflation on budgeting, for the next year or two, will be severe.

“Our goal in budgeting is normally to stay at or below inflation. At 7 or 8 per cent, that is not going to make any sense for all of the residents, some of whom are on fixed incomes. That's a challenge for us.”

Another challenge is the cell gap project that has been delayed.

“It will be a game changer when it comes in, but the delay has been frustrating, and with our population starting to grow now, for the first time in many years, cell and internet service is the difference in what some families need in order to live here full time.”

As an aside, he said that the new people he has met really want to get involved in the community and support local business.

He said that he is always concerned about the retention of the ambulance base in Denbigh. On the other hand, the impact of the relatively new paramedicine program on the ability of seniors to remain living on their own has been of particular benefit in Ward 1.

Maintaining medical services, by continuing to support the Lakelands Family Health Team and doctor recruitment efforts, is also a priority.

He is also monitoring efforts to regulate short term rentals, which he said are not yet a major issue in Addington Highlands, at least as far as formal complaints are concerned.

And finally, as the council member who has been most involved in the ongoing conversion of the former Denbigh School House into a community space, he said that with a brand new HVAC system now in place and assurances that the roof is good for another ten years, the next items to be looked at are a kitchen or kitchenette and fixing up the hallways.

Ward 1 - Royce Rosenblath

Royce Rosenblath ran for council in 2018, not long after retiring from the roads superintendent role with the township. He lost out in a close race.

Since then he has kept busy doing some grading and bulldozing work for a friend of his, and operating a sawmill on his farm property in the Vennachar area.

“I've been really busy with the sawmill ever since the wind storm hit in May. I keep getting calls from people with 50 logs, 80 logs, that they need to get cut up. And it's not slowing down because there is still a lot to clean up,” he said.

He keeps up with council business, and is putting his name forward again this time, hoping to bring his municipal experience and technical expertise to the council table.

“My knowledge in roads should be a big asset. More experienced decisions on council can be helpful, and I have a lot of experience applying for grants, which we need to get, in order to be able to do some major projects.”

Not that he has any problem with the way the road crews have been operating over the past 8 years.

“I think they keep the roads up pretty well, no complaints there. There hasn't been much opportunity for road construction, however, and that is Council's job, to find the money to do those kinds of projects or else you start to fall too far behind,” he said.

He also thinks that the township needs to update its emergency management plan.

“It's the elephant in the room, I think. There are some updates that are needed, and there needs to be a better communications strategy. Emergencies are more common than ever before, and in the last one, people were without hydro for weeks, even months in a few cases.”

Making sure that Lennox and Addington does not lose sight of the North is another priority for him.

“I remember going to a county roads meeting one time, years ago, and they had a map of county roads that only went up to Highway 7. I told them they were missing something and eventually they got a new map that included our roads. But we need to remind them that we exist. It's the same thing with the Denbigh ambulance service.”

He says that he is ready to get in and help Council, and the township, as much as he can if elected.

Ward 1 - Kirby Thompson

Kirby and Bonnie Thompson bought Bonnies’ parents farmhouse and acreage near Denbigh when Kirby retired. Kirby grew up nearby in Griffith Matawatchan.

“It made sense to retire back home,” he said.

Not long after that he decided to put his name forward for council and was elected in 2014, and again in 2018.

He said that he enjoys sitting on council and it serves his “intention to help somehow in the community.”

Thompson said that the first term was marred by the wind turbine controversy that split the community and council. “It wasn't a very good atmosphere, but I think that things have been running pretty well since then, certainly in the second term, even though we had to deal with COVID.”

He has also seen changes in Denbigh as the result of property sales.

“Some of the people who have moved in are permanent residents, and some plan on becoming that way. But our growth is limited because we do not have a school in Denbigh. We do have some services in Denbigh and it is up to council to make sure they are maintained. That could be difficult in the next few years because of cost pressures, so we will have to make some tough decisions.”

One thing that everyone in the Denbigh area, including the new arrivals, is impatiently waiting for, is improved cell and internet service.

“I haven’t been able to find out what’s going on with the Roger Towers that were supposed to go up a few months ago. I have been told that Bell is laying our fibre by 2025. The cell towers should bring some service soon, but there has been a hold up. I’ve been trying to find out what is going on, but there is not much that we can do about it. One of the tower's locations is even on our township property. It's frustrating but local councils can only do so much.”

One other issue that he thinks will require a careful response is the Airbnb regulation.

“To me it's a delicate issue. If we are going to go down this road, we will need to look at enforcement, and there is a cost to that, and we haven't really had complaints about them so far. But we should, and will be, looking at it.”

Ward 2 - Bill Cox

Bill Cox is a veteran of the political scene in Addington Highlands, having served three terms on council.

In the 2018 Ward 2 election, he lost out by 22 votes to Helen Yanch, and 62 votes to David Miles in a close three-way split for the two Council spots.

Undaunted, he is running again in 2022, in a 4-way race this time.

He retired from his job as an engineering technologist with the Toronto Transit in Commission in 1995 and returned home to Flinton, where he had grown up, and hasn’t looked back.

Even though he was not on council for the last four years, he has continued to be involved as the Addington Highlands representative to the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance (EOTA), the Tweed based organisation that is responsible for trail construction and maintenance in the township and elsewhere in the region.

“It is a very productive board and EOTA does a lot for the area” he said. “EOTA would like to see a pass for all ATV riders in Ontario, for the same fee. That is something we have been working on for a few years.”

He has also been a longstanding member of the Pine Meadow Nursing Home Management Committee, which has taken a back seat to the Land O’Lakes Community Services Board in overseeing Pine Meadow’s operations since the onset of COVID, because arranging meetings has been an issue.

Although he has been off council since 2018, he said that he is “still very involved. I read every agenda to keep up with what is going on,” he said.

One of the issues that concerns him these days is the crime rate.

“There is too darn much crime in our area,” he said, “I would like to see the community policing committee reinstated at least, and we can see if we can get anything going with the OPP. It can only help.”

He said that he is also concerned about the use of illegal drugs in the area, and the connection between drug use and crime.

Housing, inflation, coming up with a short term rental bylaw, and keeping a good atmosphere on council are priorities of his as well.

“On council, I always tried to see how we could make things work better for the townships, and for the people who come before us for help. I’m ready to dive back into it, if I get the votes this time,” he said.

Ward 2 - Ken Hook

When Ken Hook's name popped up on the Addington Highlands election page in July as a candidate in Ward 2, it was a bit of surprise, a blast from the past.

Hook last served as councillor in Ward 2 between 2001 and 2004, and as reeve between 2004 and 2006, but since then he has strayed away from municipal politics.

He has remained active in the community, and active in general.

“It's hard to remember what was going on in 2006, when I left council. I remember that Henry was coming back, and that our video and website business was taking off”.

He is also a competitive triathlete, competing in his age division in sprint triathlons around the world. Although sidelined from running because of knee surgery last year, he recently competed in an aqua-bike competition in Montreal in the 65-70 division and won the race, qualifying for the world championships in Spain next year.

45 degrees latitude, the company Ken runs with his wife Cathy, is now winding down somewhat, as a commercial business, with more focus on projects connected to the Cloyne and District Historical Society and the Pioneer Museum. However, Ken is working on an audio tour for Murney Tower Museum in Kingston – the first audio tour for any of Kingston’s Museums.

That has freed up some of Ken's time and he is now seeking to return to council.

“I miss being in the know about what is going on in the township. I feel a bit out of the loop, and would like to get back to it,” he said.

Ever since entering the election race, he has been talking to people about local issues.

“One issue that has come up is the lack of seniors’ housing and affordable housing. People who have lived here for a long time, or all of their lives, are being forced to leave the area because of it. I know the design and planning costs are horrendous, but if there is a government program that we can tap into, I’d like to see the township facilitate something.”

He has also been hearing about the short-term rental issue.

“I'm happy to see that North Frontenac is taking the initiative on this, and Addington Highlands has done a survey that we can look at. It is an emerging issue for us, especially in cases where property owners don't live in the area and run a business here without paying into the community, the way other businesses do.”

Finally, he said that, from talking to people around the community and on Skootamatta Lake, where he lives, he said that backlogs in getting permits from Conservation Authorities are a roadblock to development.

“I know some people who have waited months for a simple request, and these delays cost money and time,” he said.

Ward 2 - David Miles

David Miles submitted his nomination papers just before the nomination deadline in late August, but he said that it was not because of any indecision about running for a second term on council.

“I was just busy. I was always planning on running again,” he said. “I think that the atmosphere on council is really interesting and productive. While we disagree, it is rarely something that causes division. I really appreciate the way this council deals with business.”

He also said that township staff are an impressive group, “from our waste site attendants, to the roads staff and office staff, there is a good sense of teamwork.”

He is concerned, in a more general way, about the future of the local community.

“With all of the turmoil of the last few years, there is an aftermath to that, an unsettled future. One of my greatest concerns is the hopelessness this has brought to some members of our society and in our communities.”

He said that there is a range of people in Addington Highlands. In the last year or two there are people who arrived from Toronto and Ottawa “who capitalised on their real estate investments and are able to live a very comfortable resort type lifestyle,” while at the same time, “some of our families are in turmoil from economic and other factors”.

He said that the challenge “for us as a community, is how do we accommodate everyone and work together to try and bring hope back into the lives of those who have lost hope.”

On a township level, rising costs are going to be an issue in the next local budget.

“Fuel costs, staffing costs, heating costs, materials, are all going up in price, and it will be challenging to maintain services without seeing tax increases, that many of our residents cannot afford.”

He said that the next term of council will not be “business as usual. It will be an unsettled time. The challenge for Council will be to make decisions in an unpredictable period. We will need to keep a productive atmosphere, and not get sidetracked on issues by the government, or lobbyists, pushing their own ideology. In the long run, that will benefit the community.”

He said that he appreciates having had the opportunity to sit on council and would be happy to be able to serve again if he is re-elected.

Ward 2 - Helen Yanch

For Helen Yanch, serving on council, as she has done since late 2006, is part of her commitment to the local community, where she has lived, worked and raised a family.

“I think I still have a lot to contribute, and that’s why I’m running for the 4th or 5th time, I can’t remember exactly how many times. But if you aren’t sitting on council in order to work for the betterment of your community, you are in the wrong job,” she said.

To that end she said that if she wasn’t on council, she would be just as active volunteering in other aspects of community life.

She likes the variety of experiences that come with the job, however.

“You are learning all the time. These past few years with the pandemic have brought changes in the way we operate, it has brought a lot of new people to the area, and new issues for Council to tackle.”

It also brought changes to the Yanch tree farm and bait business, that Helen works on with her husband Ed.

“We didn’t know what to expect during COVID, but 2020 ended up being the busiest we’ve ever had at the tree farm, we were run off our feet. Then in 2021 was really busy as well, people were looking for something to do.”

One of the issues that she hears about from people during campaigns and throughout the term is communications.

“People say they don’t know what the township is doing. Now we have council meetings on Youtube, we have a Facebook page, and councillors are accessible by phone or email since we publish our contact information. I’m not sure what more we can do, and staff are already so busy, but people keep raising it as an issue,” she said.

Other items she is hoping to work on include the 7 and 41 intersection.

“People can be lined up on Highway 41 all the way up the hill to the Kaladar waste site, waiting to turn west on Highway 7, sometimes in the summer. MTO [Ministry of Transportation of Ontario] has purchased land and has plans to improve that intersection, but we’ve been waiting for years and nothing has happened. I’d like to see if we can talk to them about getting that project going finally.”

She also wants to make sure that spending does not get out of hand, because “we all need to realise that we are spending other peoples’ money.”

She said that Council is working away on a short term rental policy and she thinks a lot of care needs to be taken to get it right.