Walt McKechnie and Martin Lacey vie for Ward 5 councillor spot
News
Posted By Angelica Blenich
Posted 1 month ago
Two candidates have filed for the upcoming election in the hopes of being elected councillor of Ward 5 in the municipality of Dysart et al.
The position is being eyed by Walt McKechnie and Martin Lacey, both expressing a dedication to Haliburton and its residents.
McKechnie made a name for himself as both a player in the NHL and a restaurateur in Haliburton.
"I'm very passionate about the community," said McKechnie on why he ia running in the election. "I've been coming up here since 1970 and I have a lot of good thoughts about the community and I would like to be a part of the progress that's going to happen."
According to McKechnie, the qualities and issues that make up the community of Haliburton are both unique and common.
"I think there's a combination of things that we're all concerned about," said McKechnie.
"The concerns that everybody has are water quality in our lakes and our water levels. Another thing people worry about is taxes going up to the point they'll have to move away, I think that's something we should try to keep in control.
"We have to realize that we want to do a lot of things and we want a lot of things but it's like running a business, you can only spend as much money as you have. If you want to keep raising taxes you can have a lot of things but I'm a firm believer that should happen gradually."
There are, however, a number of priorities McKechnie would like to see brought to council in the near future.
"I think we should try to do more for the youth in our community and the young families," said McKechnie. "For our seniors I think we need more affordable housing so they don't have to move away. We have a first class hospital with first class doctors, all the things seniors need," he sais.
"Snowmobiling and recreational vehicles are big in this area and I think we should continue to make Haliburton a destination place for snowmobilers and ATVers."
McKechnie believes that despite having never served on council in the past, his previous career choices have properly equipped him to be a strong team player, a quality he believes is of utmost importance.
"My concerns are the same concerns everyone has in Ward 5," said McKechnie. "I think I would be a good messenger for everybody and I could be a good team player. I'm a firm believer that the council should work as a team for everybody."
Up against McKechnie is Lacey, who is making his first foray into politics. He has gained experience through a number of elected positions on committees and organizations throughout the years.
The decision to run in the upcoming election, said Lacey, resulted from curiosity.
"I went into the Dysart municipal office and sat in council meetings and I think the government is good here," said Lacey. "In my opinion, however, there is very little interest in municipal politics up here," he said.
"I thought this was wrong because grassroots politics is in essence the basis of all other policies and governments. So I filled out a nomination form and since then I've been asking questions regarding what the issues are."
Some of the more pressing issues, said Lacey, have to do with the youth and the need for a community centre.
"The ratepayers essentially cannot complain," said Lacey. "They're getting good service for their money in my opinion. Issues facing those in Ward 5 include road access, rezoning, public access to lakes, shoreline clearing and development. These issues are already being addressed.
"Then I started to look into issues facing the entire municipality. Personally my number 1 issue would be a proper community centre that includes an indoor pool, big telescope and tennis courts, among other things. That would mean clubs for seniors and lessons for kids. I think the community centre should be number 1.
"Then there's issue of attracting new business industry, which equals employment. That's an ongoing challenge.
"The third issue is the youth. They do not have the venues and activities to keep them on board. Even a skateboard park is not enough. We're losing our youth after they finish school, there's nothing to keep them here."
Other issues Lacey believes are important include housing and a more extensive band shell in the park; however his main priority remains the community centre and youth.
"My motto is the youth of Haliburton is the future of Haliburton," said Lacey.
