​Three candidates in race for mayor of Huron-Kinloss

Roxy Bergman, Don Murray and Angela Thompkins are competing for the job of mayor of Huron-Kinloss Township in the fall election.

ROXY BERGMAN

Roxy Bergman, 47, lives at Lots 45 and 46, Concession 2, Huron-Kinloss Township, and works for Euro-Parts Canada.

She has been interested in politics for as long as she can remember, and decided to run for mayor because her father (now deceased) suggested a decade ago that she should do so.

Bergman has some personal experiences with local politics. She has personally researched provincial and federal laws in response to employment, and she has a college background with environmental law and land planning.

She sat on the fall fair board for a short period of time but had to step down due to family personal life.

The major issues in Huron-Kinloss, she says, are drugs, theft, housing and employment.

DON MURRAY

Don Murray (right), 54, was born and raised in Huron-Kinloss Township and still calls this beautiful municipality his home.

He and his wife live at 619 Statters Lake Avenue (formerly, the 10th Concession of Kinloss Township) where they run a livestock farm and a small trucking business, along with a livestock assembly yard. They have four grown children and four grandchildren.

The current Huron-Kinloss deputy mayor, Murray is running for mayor so he can continue to serve his community with a strong, reasonable voice.

“I believe I have the experience for this leadership role,” he says. “We will always have more work to do but I am proud to be a part of a council that has been successful in keeping this municipality debt-free while being fiscally responsible."

Murray was first elected as a township councillor in 2006. In 2018, he was elected deputy mayor.

While a member of council, he has served on many committees, including Lucknow Strawberry Summerfest, Lucknow Recreation (which is a joint board with Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh), Lucknow Fire Board, Lucknow Medical Board, Community School Alliance, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority, and the Multi-Municipal Wind Turbine Working Group; often serving as chairman. He has also been part of union negotiations.

Murray has been a volunteer for Lucknow’s Music in the Fields, the Lucknow Agricultural Society, and Rock with your Docs. And as deputy mayor, he has had the privilege of representing the township at the Bruce County council table on a number of occasions.

Prior to being elected to council, he was a director and chairman on a Mutual Insurance company; and he sat on the Bruce County Cattlemen’s Association as a director and chairman. He was a founding director of a feeder finance co-operative and a breeder co-operative in the Huron-Kinloss area, and went on to serve as Ontario Feeder Finance chairman for several years.

As for the issues facing the township, Murray says fiscal responsibility is a major one.

“With interest rates climbing and the housing market dropping, we must continue to ensure that we are maximizing our tax dollars, to maintain the services we have, but allowing for growth,” he says. “I will continue to work with council and staff to look for new streams of funding availability as well as budget cuts, where necessary.”

Maintaining township roads is another priority, he says.

“In Huron-Kinloss, we maintain 530 kilometres of roads - 180 kilometres are gravel, 43 are tar-and-chip, and 306 are asphalt - and we have 98 bridges and structures, that need to be maintained,” says Murray. “I would like to see more of the concession roads turn to asphalt from gravel. A paved road is easier and cheaper to maintain than a gravel road.”

Another big issue is lakeshore preservation, says Murray.

“Mother Natural plays a huge part in this department,” he says. “I would keep partnering with the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network which works hard to do land stewardship. I look forward to having open lines of communications with our lakeshore and beach associations.”

Affordable housing is a constant concern, he says.

“We need to petition the provincial government and other agencies to make changes to the Landlord and Tenant Act, hoping it makes it easier for landlords,” says Murray. “We must work with Bruce County on its plan to build 60,000 new affordable housing units in the next 10 years. And work with developers to see what options there are for more affordable homes and how our municipality can help do this.”

And finally health care is a major issue, says Murray.

“It’s important to continue supporting doctor recruitment at our local level, and keep lobbying federal and provincial governments for more funding for rural health care, and funding for medical training.

“In closing, if elected your mayor, I will be a strong, reasonable voice for the entire municipality.”

ANGELA THOMPKINS

Angela Thompkins (right), 61, resides with her husband, just south of Kincardine in the Kennedy subdivision on a property her parents have owned since 1964. She has two grown children and one grandchild.

She recently retired after 40 years working in business, the last 30 spent with one of the top five financial institutions in Canada. During her working career, she was recognized and awarded for her leadership, common-sense approach and positive results.

Thompkins and her husband spend much of their time giving back to the community through various volunteer roles that have included the Food Bank, Low Income Housing, Lions Club, PRIDE and Kincardine Triathlon. She has chaired, or been president of, several non-profit committees. She also golfs, curls, and is a member of the Kincardine Community Singers.  

“All these activities have given me an opportunity to meet and get to know the many wonderful people in the area,” she says.

Thompkins became interested in a role in municipal government three years ago when a new subdivision beside her home was going through municipal approvals.

“I challenged the proposed location for the main entrance to the subdivision exiting onto the neighbourhood to the north,” she says. “It presented a safety risk as it has narrow roads and no room for sidewalks or roadside gutters.

“I was disappointed that no one took the time to drive to the area and understand what was being approved. I went door-to-door, spoke with residents, then documented and represented their concerns at council meetings and filed a formal petition with the planning office. Eventually, a traffic study was ordered that identified alternative options. Through collaboration among the municipality, developer and ourselves, we reached a favourable result.

“I realized I could serve the community with the skills I've amassed working in business, along with my leadership, voice of reason and common-sense approach.

“As mayor, I will not make any decisions without first understanding the proposed changes. I will take the time to drive to the areas where infrastructure changes are proposed to fully understand the impact on the community. I have been interested in municipal politics for many years and now that I am retired, I have the time to commit to this role.”

As for the major issues facing Huron-Kinloss, Thompkins says the municipality is in a good state, fiscally, and has plans to address the pressing infrastructure needs.

“But, like all communities, we are faced with rising costs, lack of affordable housing and the impacts of climate change,” she says. “There are also groups of residents who feel under-represented, either through lack of services or that their voices are insufficiently heard. I’ve heard more than once that people feel that decisions have been made before any input has been requested. I’d like to help change that perception.

“There are many other issues that are impacting the community, not all can be solved at a municipal level. I am committed to doing my best for the entire community. To look at problems and solutions from all angles and to work with my peers on council to drive for the best solution for the community.”

Thompkins says the role of mayor requires the facilitation of council meetings, collaborating with staff through the chief administrative officer and department heads, and representing the municipality at the county level and other levels of government throughout the province.

“I am an award-winning, results-oriented, proven leader with diverse working and community experience,” she says. “I have a calm and purposeful demeanour which has enabled me to efficiently manage people, large teams and meetings. I was responsible for multi-million-dollar budgets, managing bank assets and representing the bank on external initiatives.

“I am a relationship builder and qualified facilitator who is committed to being an effective leader within council and collaborating with adjacent municipal and provincial levels of government, as required. I have a strong understanding of governance which is the primary role of Huron-Kinloss council.    

“In a nutshell ... I get things done.”

To learn more about Thompkins and her core values, and to complete a short survey, visit her website at www.angelaformayor.ca.

“More importantly, get out and vote, Oct. 24,” she says. “Municipal government has the most impact on your day-to-day life. Ensure your voice is heard.”
 

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The Township of Huron-Kinloss council consists of a mayor, deputy mayor and five councillors.

The township is using an Internet/telephone voting system for the 2022 election. Electors will receive a notice in the mail providing instructions and a secure PIN number to use to vote either by Internet or telephone.

Electors can vote anytime from Oct. 17 at 8:30 a.m. to Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., using Internet or telephone voting, or by visiting the municipal office.

Voter Help Centre -  located at the municipal office in the council chamber, at 21 Queen Street, Ripley:
 

• Monday, Oct. 17 to Friday, Oct. 21 - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 22 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 23 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 24 - 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.