Incumbent Mayors in Petrolia, Warwick and Brooke-Alvinston face challenges
Enniskillen and Oil Springs councils to be acclaimed Monday
Petrolia
Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley will face former town administrator Richard Poore in the race for the top spot on council.
The municipal election nomination period has just closed and Loosley and Poore are the two candidates for the position.
There has also been a flurry of entries to the race for councillor; Chad Hyatt Debb Pitel – a suicide prevention advocate and Allison Mevis who was one of the people who recently tried to get Petrolia council to deal with drainage issues before approving the zoning for a townhouse complex – are among 11 people vying for six positions. They face all of the incumbent councillors – Joel Field, Grant Purdy, Marty Souch and Wade Deighton – with the exception of Don Welten who withdrew his nomination due to health reasons.
Plympton-Wyoming
There are now three people running for the top job in Plympton-Wyoming vacated as Lonny Napper retires. Current Councillor Tim Wilkins has filed his papers to run for mayor. He faces Muriel Wright and Gary Atikinson in the race.
Netty McEwen has been acclaimed as deputy mayor. The long-time councillor is also a former municipal administrator.
In the race for councillor in Plympton-Wyoming there are some new faces. Kristen Rodrigues, John VanKlaveren and Alex Boughen joined the race for four council positions Thursday. Incumbents Mike Vasey and Bob Woolvett are also up for re-election. Conner Weed filed his nomination papers with minutes to spare. Weed ran for council in 2018 as did Mike Thompson, a municipal administrator in Petrolia, who filed his papers in June. Randy Dayman – who voice concern about the fast past of development and its affects on the infrastructure, is also listed as a candidate for council.
Warwick Township
In Warwick, the race for mayor pits current Mayor Jackie Rombouts against former mayor Todd Case.
There are a number of new faces on the ballot for the four councillor positions. Thursday, Joe Manning joined the list of eight people now running for councillor positions. Incumbent councillors Colin Mitchell, Wayne Morris, Todd White and Jerry Westgate are all on the ballot is former councillor John Cowenberg, and newcomers Sharon Plunkett and Bill Davies.
Brooke-Alvinston
Incumbent Mayor Dave Ferguson faces a challenge from Current Councillor Jamie Armstrong in the race for the top job.
Incumbent councillors Frank Nemcek, Jeannette Douglas and Wayne Deans are up for re-election. But they have some company on the ballot. Former Inwood Fire Chief and president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Don McCabe, Les Douglas – who ran in 2018, Vanessa Benoit – who ran both municipally in 2018 and for the NDP in the provincial election, Jenny Redick – the organizer of the Tanner Redick Memorial Two Pitch Tournament – Craig Sanders and Gregory Hilliard, a political newcomer who has voiced concern about a number of council actions over the past four years, including the enforcement of the pool fence bylaw are all seeking one of the four councillor positions.
Dawn-Euphemia
The municipal council in Dawn-Euphemia will be official Monday.
Incumbent Mayor Al Broad is unopposed for the top job.
Four people filed their papers for the four available council seats. Jason Myer, Ann Gray, Paul LeBoeuf and Mark McGuire have all filed nomination papers and will be declared the official council Monday when the candidates are certified.
Noticeably absent from the list of potential councillors at this point is long time council member Leslea Williams. She’s served on municipal council for 40 years.
Enniskillen Township
In Enniskillen, the current council are all on the list of unofficial candidates – with no other challengers the entire council will be acclaimed Monday when the list is certified. Mayor Kevin Marriott and Councillors Judy Krall, Mary Lynne McCallum, Wally VanDun and Chad Burke will continue to serve on council.
Oil Springs
The entire Oil Springs council will also be acclaimed with four people looking to fill the four councillor seats and no challenge mounted to Incumbent Mayor Ian Veen.
Council incumbents Larry Wagner, Connie McFadden and Adam Veen have all filed to run for another term Jordon Newport – a newcomer to local politics – has also filed his papers.
St Clair Township
Three people, Tracy Kingston, Jeff Agar and Chad Shymoko are vying for the mayor’s chair with the retirement of long-time Mayor Steve Arnold.
Incumbent Steve Miller is the lone candidate for the deputy mayor’s job.
Six people running in ward one, including incumbent Pat Brown. Charles Mortley-Woods, Cathy Langis, Holly Foster, Bill Moran and Michelle Maitland have all filed nomination papers.
There will also be an election for councillors in Ward two as Brad Langstaff filed his nomination papers today. He’ll run against Bill Myers and Gary Martin.
Municipal election day is Oct. 24.
School Board Elections
While some councils have been acclaimed, there will be elections in all communities for the four school boards.
Supporters of the English Public Board (Lambton-Kent District School Board) will have three candidates to chose from; Heather Skolly of Petrolia, Greg Agar of St. Clair Township and Kathryn Shailer a life long educator and former VP of academics at Mount Royal University who now lives in Brooke-Alvinston.
There will be no election for the Catholic School voters. Incumbent Mat Roop will represent the region.
In the French Separate School Board Sylvie C. Barbeau-Chmielewski will face Meghan Reale for the region’s trustee seat.
In the French Public Board David Andre Paradis from Chatham-Kent is the new trustee for the regional board.
