Mayor Michael Prue
Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb
Councillors
Linden Crain
Molly Allaire
Donald McArthur
Diane Pouget
Peter Courtney
Author Archives: theburgwatch
Unofficial 2022 Election Results
The town’s website lists the unofficial results in this post.
What do you think?
VOTE!
This is the day you’ve been waiting 4 years for!
Councillor Candidates: My Opinion, Last But Not Least
After evaluating the Mayoral candidates, and favouring John Laframboise, excluding the 18 of 25 that may have excluded persons with disabilities, eliminating Leo’s lineup, and criticizing incumbents, except Peter Courtney, seven candidates remain.
Based on my interactions, or lack thereof, I have no opinion except for Diane Pouget, who has an impressive commitment to the community and previous council experience for 14 years. Pouget therefore knows the role of council and will fulfill her obligations conscientiously. and without conflicting loyalties.
Hidden Mobility Disabilities Free Resource
As you know if you’ve read a few of my posts, I raise awareness at every opportunity about the need to ensure equality for persons with disabilities.
Following my post, Council Candidates: Accessibility Evaluation, and due to some attitudes and misinformation I encountered during this campaign, I emailed this:
“Research has defined hidden mobility disabilities (HMD) as being able to walk – but only for 35-50 feet – and being able to stand unsupported – but only for 1-2 minutes – without significant health consequences.”
I urge you to attend a FREE WEBINAR: Hidden Mobility Disabilities. Candidate Lori Wightman replied and let me know she registered.
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Councillor Candidates: My Opinions, The Incumbents
My opinions are based on a variety of sources, my interactions, my own fact checking and my perspective as a person with disabilities and advocate.
THE INCUMBENTS: newcomers in 2018
With all the discussion about fiscal responsibility, debt control, strategic plan, KPMG Report, wasteful spending, over expenditures, lack of amenities, community safety, trust, transparency, Ombudsman Report, lack of decorum, sidewalks, road maintenance, fire hall, town hall, studies, design plans, , etc., do the incumbents deserve another chance? for 4 more years?
Peter Courtney is the only incumbent I would like to be re-elected. He has the courage of his convictions and asks tough questions that he acknowledges taxpayers relayed to him. Addressing issues is more important to me than spinning positivity for the sake of avoiding negativity and I trust he’ll do that.
Donald McArthur’s commitment to active transportation and trails, dog park, skate park and Open Air is obvious. He moved to waive the procurement policy and felt the kids were owed an apology and suggested the traffic by-law should be changed because of the distance to the Libro.
McArthur felt there’s a cry for help and he wanted to give more money to the Park House museum than was requested, an additional $6500. He mentioned their fundraiser, music off the back porch, which he has participated in so he’s aware of the museum’s accessibility barriers.
His self evaluation includes ‘hardworking and responsive.’ He angrily argued with a delegate and he hasn’t answered many of my emails. After his speech calling for no reference to Jeffrey Amherst in the new high school name, I asked him if it wasn’t hypocritical to promote ‘a step towards reconciliation’ for the new high school, when council has no jurisdiction to do so, yet dismiss the idea of a name change for the town?
McArthur vociferously promotes Open Air while I equally object to it because of its impact on businesses that are opposed, because its COVID related rationale for existence has ended and because taxpayer money should never be used to sponsor an event that may be contrary to the legislated principles and protection of equal rights.
Marc Renaud is not as vocal as some and also hasn’t answered many of my emails. After nudging and fact checking, he answered my blog reader’s question about removing Open Air barriers. He has minimized concerns about Open Air barriers and remained silent on my delegation about other barriers, including bureaucratic barriers, to the Accessibility Advisory Committee where he was Council’s representative.
Patricia Simone would be my nominee for a ‘mum’s the word award’ because for 7 months she has avoided answering my questions regarding her Notice of Motion and the town’s namesake, Amherst. Without discussion or a motion, Mayor DiCarlo pulled it from the agenda when it was to be discussed. She also hasn’t answered many of my emails or my blog’s questions. Her interest in not for profits is obvious, as is her dedication to heritage, but her promise to engage with residents, in my case, has not been kept.
Do Endorsements Matter?
It depends. I’d want to know a bit about the endorser and their reasons for their choices. Amid rumours of a slate, I looked for commonalities.
Leo’s lineup
Outgoing Deputy Mayor Leo Meloche publicly commented, ‘With the exception of the Mayor’s position here is the lineup I am supporting in the upcoming elections for Amherstburg Town Council.
For Councillor,
Lori Wightman
Linden Crain
Marc Renaud
Pat Simone
Don McArthur
For Deputy Mayor,
Chris Gibb.
I have had conversations with them and am confident in their ability to make key decisions that will move the Town forward while exercising financial stability. Wishing the team all the best.”
Leo’s
Gibb
Crain
McArthur
Renaud
Simone
Wightman
ACF
✅
✅
0
✅
0
✅
S Gibb Q
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
Heritage
✅
✅
✅
0
✅
✅
Barriers
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
ACF is the Amherstburg Community Foundation where the website lists all the members of ‘our team‘ and ‘Community Builders‘ like Leo Meloche and Marc Renaud, 2021. Only those running are listed above.
S Gibb Q, is Chris Gibb’s wife and these candidates answered all of her blog questions.
As I previously stated, candidates are not obliged to answer anyone’s questions and I make no assumptions, although I do wonder if it would have been fair to answer all, or none, rather than favouring some.
Of note, Lori Wightman was the only one of the above candidates who answered my blog’s questionnaire. McArthur, Crain and Renaud, after nudging, answered one about removing Open Air barriers. Crain said yes and added, “If there are particular barriers in place,” which was similar to McArthur’s, ‘If there are persisting issues with accessibility.” Renaud mentioned parking and walking distance. Gibb and Simone publicly supported Open Air but didn’t answer my reader’s question.
One more common comparison: Richard Peddie (director), and Renée D’Amore (director), along with Linden Crain, were part of the T.H.R.I.V.E. team that created the Open Air White Paper. D’Amore wouldn’t allow my Facebook comments about the candidates’ nights at the Downtown Espresso that he is an owner of, and Peddie blocked me after a few tweets about barriers at the bookshop.
Heritage refers to the Architectural Conservancy Ontario Windsor-Essex chapter’s request for candidates’ heritage platforms.
Barriers includes meet and greets, website and twitter issues that may have excluded persons with disabilities.
Other candidates may share common interests, but these are only the ones I compared due to the rumours of a slate for information purposes only.
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‘Fully Accessible’ Richmond Popcorn Company
Candidate Linden Crain tweeted his congrats about The Richmond Popcorn Company’s October 8 grand opening. Even if it is unwelcome, I raise accessibility awareness at every opportunity so I tweeted, I’m not celebrating; it’s another one step barrier to a shop that may exclude some people with disabilities in Amherstburg.
I guess Dan Gemus saw it and replied, ‘Just so happens we have custom ramps on order for our building. They are scheduled to arrive any time now’ to which I responded, ‘Just so you know, Accessibility involves more than ramps.’ Besides, access delayed is access denied.
October 18, The Richmond Popcorn shop’s Facebook page states, “It was super important to us to make sure our non accessible building was fully accessible for the newest shop in town! We had to get a little creative, but we made it happen!”
October 20, I commented, I’d like you to explain how this is ‘fully accessible’ and by what or whose standards? the stop gap ramp company stipulates it is not intended to be a permanent fixture and should only be used when required. the permanent accessibility design should be incorporated at the design stage so it’s never an afterthought and full accessibility would include many more features than a ramp.
October 21 I went to check out the store but the ramp wasn’t out. There still would have been barriers though.
Now Seven Months Awaiting Answers From Councillor Simone
It’s now been 7 months and Simone is pledging, “I will continue to speak with residents to understand their concerns,” but what about answering questions?
Councillor Patricia Simone promised to answer questions when she campaigned in 2018, and she registered to run for re-election in 2022 but she still not answered questions from March 16; on March 28, she said she would review the questions and respond as soon as possible about Simone’s Notice of Motion To Redefine Town Name.
Councillor Simone promised ‘to be available to answer any questions you may have’ during her 2018 campaign to become a councillor, repeated in A Look Back – Candidate Patricia Simone.
As mentioned in Mayor DiCarlo Responds for Councillor Simone, questions were not answered.
Council Candidates: Accessibility Evaluation
It seemed like ‘accessibility’ and ‘inclusive’ were new campaign buzz words, but it was very disappointing to discover that 18 of the 25 candidates may have excluded persons with disabilities. The town was to have provided accessibility information ‘to ensure equal opportunity for all electors to access your candidate information and to interact with you.’
A few ‘A’ words come to mind; acceptable applies to a few but then there’s awareness, attitude, and ableism.
One Guide covered print material, websites, physical spaces, audio/video media, one on one communication, accessible parking, barriers, customer service, budgets, service animals and a resource.
I wonder if the candidates with accessibility barriers read it or read it and ignored it?
JUST THE FACTS
Stats Canada states one in five (22%) of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over had one or more disabilities, or approximately 5000 Amherstburg residents.
The Retail Council of Canada states over half of the Canadian population is affected every day by disabilities, or approximately 11,700 Amherstburg residents.
ACCEPTABLE
John Laframboise’s meet and greet at the K of C hall was accessible and I didn’t encounter any issues with Joe Shaw’s website.
BARRIERS
Not one candidate made the no e-scooters pledge. I expected a simple yes or no answer to a reader’s question: Will you remove barriers during Open Air weekends that block people with disabilities from driving to the bank, local stores, bars, and generally driving through town?
Some candidates were in favour of removing the barriers, some would modify the time frame, some didn’t answer and some have publicly supported it but didn’t answer. For those who are in favour of the barriers, how will they fulfill their obligation to remove barriers, if elected?
Some print materials were unacceptable and for those who want to continue relying on social media, I would encourage them to learn how to remove barriers.
| Candidate | Meet & Greet | Website | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerasa, Frank | x | |||
| Prue, Michael | x | x | x | |
| Rozankovic, Bob | x | |||
| Atkinson, Nancy | x | x | ||
| Gibb, Chris | x | x | x | |
| Moore, Gregory | x | |||
| Sanson, Dennis | x | x | ||
| Allaire, Molly | x | x | x | |
| Argoselo, Andrew | x | |||
| Crain, Linden | x | x | x | x |
| DiPasquale, Frank | x | |||
| Kearsey, Tara | x | x | x | |
| Kretschmann, Holger | x | |||
| McArthur, Donald | x | x | x | x |
| Renaud, Marc | x | x | ||
| Simone, Patricia | x | x | x | x |
| Theriault, Gerry | x | x | ||
| Wightman, Lori | x | x | x | x |
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