Saturday, May 18, 2024

Editorial

Candidates Thumbing Nose at Sign Bylaw

By Stephen Vance, Editor The Meaford Independent is on the hunt for candidates that are choosing to ignore the municipal bylaw regarding signs.   Bylaw 57-2004 has a section dealing specifically with election campaign signs and posters. The municipal Clerk has even posted an excerpt of the bylaw in the election section of the municipal website. Here is what it says:  The information...

Early Thoughts on a Baker’s Dozen of Council Candidates

By Stephen Vance, Editor The large number of candidates running campaigns for council seats poses a number of logistical problems when conducting an All Candidates meeting.   How do they all fit on one stage? How much time can be afforded each candidate for opening and closing statements? Who gets to answer questions asked by voters?  Under difficult circumstances the Meaford & District...

Just Answer The Question Please

By Stephen Vance, Editor The Meaford and District Chamber of Commerce held the first of three All Candidates meetings that they have planned for this election season on Monday night.   Residents filled the Meaford & St. Vincent Community Centre for their chance to hear what the candidates for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and School Board had to say, and to ask any...

Let’s Have a Leash-less Council

By Stephen Vance, Editor Welcome to the Monday morning after the deadline for candidates to file their nomination forms to run in the upcoming municipal election.  For a while it looked as though Meaford was heading toward an acclimation festival come October 25, but in the final few days before the deadline a flurry of activity took place at the municipal...

And We Wonder Why We Have No Candidates…

By Stephen Vance, Editor It is true that in recent columns I have spent a lot of time expressing frustration - or perhaps it is fear – that we have a serious problem in this community when we have no candidates for the upcoming municipal election. I have though, perhaps stumbled upon a contributing factor to this lack of candidates.  A...

What if This is As Good As it Gets?

By Stephen Vance, Editor And The Race is On! ...Sort of   Meaford voters will actually get to vote in the upcoming municipal election, but don't get overly excited just yet.   In the past week we gained a candidate in the run for council when local real estate agent Mike Poetker filed his papers with the clerk, formally declaring his candidacy.  While that would...

Are We About to Get The Council We Deserve?

By Stephen Vance, Editor I had hoped that by this stage of the summer there would be plenty to write about - and debate about - with regard to the upcoming municipal election. So far though, the only thing that can be said about the municipal election is that there is nothing to say.   On June 28th I asked the question...

Let’s Talk Trash

By Stephen Vance, Editor Judging by many of the letters to the editor, and the latest poll run on TMI, it would appear that there are many folks who are unhappy with the changes the municipality has made to the collection of residential trash and recyclables.  It is no secret that I have been hugely supportive of both the implementation of...

Remembering Oka

By Kaisha Thompson, TMI Columnist This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Oka Crisis, the land dispute between the Mohawk community of Kanesatake and Oka residents.  The standoff began July 11th, 1990 lasting until September 26th, 1990.   The dispute began when Oka, the nearby town wanted to expand their golf course (from 9 holes to 18 holes) and add residential...

It’s Just a Hot Dog Stand…

By Stephen Vance, Editor Don and Kathy Evanson want to start up a hot dog vending cart business in downtown Meaford. That fact shouldn't really be a news story, but it is going to be.   Why?   Well, we live in a society that at times seems hell-bent on drowning itself in rules and regulations most often in an effort to protect what...