Haldimand County needs a referendum
To the Editor,
These are interesting times in Haldimand County. It seemed to me that the election here last fall was – at least in part – a referendum on the proposed massive subdivision near Nanticoke.
You might recall at that time most of those candidates eventually elected to council had professed to have no opinion on the proposal, claiming not to have “enough information” on the issue. Well, fast forward a few months and it appears that most of those same councillors have decided they’re in favour of the project (I guess they now have “enough information”).
A vote in council on May 23 approved the proposal, one that would potentially more than double the population of the county, simply by plopping down roughly 15,000 homes on a small parcel of land near the industrial complex outside of Nanticoke.
Mayor Bentley and councillor Metcalfe voted against while councillors O’Neill, Shirton, Lawrence and Patterson voted in favour. Before the vote, councillor O’Neill claimed that the four in favour ran for office based on their support for the project. That is patently untrue (as noted above in the universal “not enough information” stance). In fact, the results of the last election suggest that a majority of Haldimand residents are against the development.
This begs the question – is it your councillor’s job to do your thinking for you…or is it your councillor’s job to represent your views? I think the latter is true. There seems to be a disconnect here, between our elected officials and the wishes of the people who elected them.
There’s a simple solution. It’s not too late to hold a county-wide referendum on the matter. Let the residents of Haldimand decide, one way or the other. Of course, a referendum won’t happen without the approval of the councillors, including, of course, those who just voted in favour of the proposed subdivision. Will they act responsibly and actually represent the people who elected them? I hope they do. I hope they’ll consider a referendum…and if they don’t, I truly hope (and believe) that the voters will remember their disregard the next time we go to the polls.
Haldimand needs a referendum.
Brad Smith,
Dunnville
To the residents of Haldimand County
To the Editor,
Having just returned from meeting in Council (May 23, 2023), concerning the vote on the Ontario Government “MZO” Application, and the County Council response, I was floored when the vote was taken to allow the MZO Application to go ahead.
Citing the fact that only 1.7% of the County’s Ratepayers responded to how THEY wanted to proceed, or their inputs on the consultation process, and one Councillor’s ‘interpretation’ that the other 98% wanted the MZO to proceed. It did so, even after a vote NOT to ‘defer’ the vote until Council had a full “quorum” after the Ward 4 By-Election, on June 19, 2023.
All the complaints I endured over this matter, with conversations with neighbours and residents that were my business customers, were for naught, as NONE spoke up, via emails, letters, or phone calls to their respective Councillors.
For gosh sake, even in China they have local elections of party members at the Community level, and a full 96% of people attend those votes.
Further, those elected to the CPC Council are given timely performance appraisals, and if not up to par, are removed from their posts, and not allowed to run again for office. “Results” are driven by the people there, not it seems, their governance.
Though our interpretations of democracy may be different from each other, the actual ‘practice’ of that democracy is rife with apathy and indifference these days.
We are allowing corporations to steer our government’s decision-making by attrition, and we deserve the trajectory towards total ‘fascism’ that it is presenting.
William Stewart,
Selkirk
Nightmares in the Maritimes
To the Editor,
My name is Annie, and I am an 88-year-old senior woman from Norfolk County who had a traumatic experience I’d like to share. I was excited to go on a 9-day bus trip to the Maritimes in August 2022 through Firstline Tours. I booked the trip very last minute because an available spot opened up. I paid $3,699 and someone came to my house to collect my money and although I was told about insurance, I did not think I would need it because I did not need a passport to travel in Canada and I had OHIP if I needed medical care. I did not realize I would need insurance for any other purpose.
On the trip from Hamilton to Quebec, my side was rubbing against the unupholstered arm of the bus seat, and I got a blister and there was no first aid kit to tend to my wound. They had bottled water to drink but the water was not in a cooler with ice or anything; it was kept at room temperature. I was very badly treated by the bus escorts Darlene and Wayne. After only 4 days they suspected I had Covid, I was tested without my permission and never shown the results of the test. They were rude and forceful and made me stay in a hotel room by myself and I was only given 2 apples and 2 bananas. I do not believe I even had Covid. I truly believed that I had food poisoning.
I was eventually sent home and requested a refund as I only got to take part in half my vacation. I am being told that I cannot receive a refund because I did not have any insurance, but I did not realize that I needed any travel insurance. It was already such an expensive trip; I would have thought that it would have been included.
I also found out that there were about 6 other people that were sick as well, and they got to stay until the end. This entire experience has been just awful, and I was treated so poorly. I just wanted to make other people aware so that they do not have to have the same experience as me.
Annie Toic,
Townsend
