What about climate change? No. 2
A few of the apocalyptic headlines from the past few days: Final call to save the world from ‘climate catastrophe’ – BBC news Landmark UN climate report warns time quickly…
Ian Chadwick
Are facts inflammatory?
Inflammatory is the word I was told the Connection used this week in rejecting an ad by mayoral candidate John Trude*. That ad challenged some of the claims of one…
Abby and the heartbreak
She was a small cat. At first we thought she might be not much older than six or eight months, but no, we were assured, she was fully grown. Just…
Robocalls and smear campaigns
Have you received the robocall yet? Many Collingwood residents have, and every one I’ve spoken to thinks they are in appallingly bad taste. And they are right. It starts out…
My answers to AWARE Simcoe
Candidates throughout Simcoe County were sent a series of questions by AWARE Simcoe, which describes itself as “…a citizens’ group with members in all Simcoe County municipalities as well as…
Ten points on affordable housing
I was invited, along with the other candidates for this municipal election, to address residents at Rupert’s Landing this week. Each candidate was provided a list of ten questions and…
Red light cameras for Collingwood?
A small but very irate number of residents have broached with me the topic of installing red light cameras at Collingwood’s traffic intersections. I hadn’t really thought about it –…
Time and conflicts in mayoral politics
Being a mayor today, even in a small town like Collingwood, takes time. A lot of time. Time that working people are hard pressed to find in their busy days. I…
The campaign’s moral compass
Every politician – in fact, every human – has a personal moral compass that helps guide the way they act, debate and vote in office. While a politician’s may not…
My answers to residents: 5
This is a somewhat edited response to a resident who asked about a splash pad. The resident also commented that, “As nice as Collingwood is, we feel that this town…
My answers to AOC
The following questions came from the local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO). They were sent to all mayoral and deputy-mayoral candidates, but I am unsure whether council…
My answers to SOS
The following questions were sent to all candidates by the local citizen’s group, Save Our Shoreline (SOS). These are my answers, below. I have formatted my response for better online…
More traffic woes
Another place we need a traffic signal in Collingwood is at Third and High. On busy days – and there are many more of them now than ever – it’s…
Water: Our most precious resource
Did you know there were water restrictions in Collingwood this summer? No? Well, there were. And that underscores the vulnerability of our community to climate change when a community situated…
Internet voting this election
This election will see Collingwood’s first use of internet and phone voting (the latter includes both smartphone and your bog-standard touch-tone phone). Eligible voters will be mailed a PIN early…
Traffic lights on Highway 26
After looking at the increased volume of traffic on Highway 26 in the recent weeks, I have become convinced we need a set of signal lights between the Pretty River…
Heritage icon or white elephant?
Everyone recognizes the Collingwood terminals, one of the iconic (albeit unused) grain elevators on the Great Lakes, but it is actually the fourth on our waterfront. The first three were…
Sunset Point parking
Sunset Point Park is easily Collingwood’s most popular park and for good reason: it’s a wonderful resource and a great place to spend an afternoon. Summer weekends it’s always full…
What about climate change?
Forest fires. Flooding. Drought. Algal blooms in our lakes. Extreme temperatures. People dying in heat waves. Climate change and its effects have been headline news this year more than ever.…
Collingwood’s pot problem
Two months from now, Canada’s federal government will make marijuana legal. Laws will allow it to be sold in private stores, smoked, eaten and even grown in your home. There…