Doug Bonesteel - Candidate for Councillor - Ward 2 ... Lambton Shores / Grand Bend

I asked Doug Bonesteel some questions.

Hi Doug!

I have a few questions of you regarding issues:

What is your position with regard to the proposed sewerage system for Grand Bend and Southcott Pines?

What is your position with regard to commercialisation of the Grand Bend beach area?

What is your vision of the future for Grand Bend?

Thank you,

Arthur Lake

Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends!  May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.

Reply from Doug:

Arthur, thank you for your email. I'll try to be as brief as possible with my answers to your questions.

1. Sewers for Zone 3

As a member of the original Zone 3 Community Group I stand by their mission statement of finding an ecologically appropriate and sustainable waste management system for this area through an accountable, public process. We should continue to test the groundwater and initiate a septic inspection program that makes sense. I would also suggest that we ask the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to have one of their hydrogeologists conduct unbiased, blind groundwater testing both in Zone 3 and the village to compare groundwater results. Perhaps, this would shed some light on the need for a collections system in the first place. I am firmly opposed to the low pressure grinder pump system that the municipality has suggested as the preferred collection system in their Environmental Assessment application.

2. Commercialism of the Grand Bend Beach

I believe that the people most impacted by council decisions should have input well before any decision is made, circumstance permitting. There are varying degrees of commercial activities that could be permitted in public places e.g. would people object to a single hot dog vendor on the beach as opposed to the volleyball proposal. The entire PVB volleyball proposal should have been handled much more effectively. Municipalities should communicate any business decisions affecting the lifestyles of their citizens well before any decisions to proceed are made to the point of no return. This is where you can connect people back to their community. I believe that the municipality needs to consult with the public about their vision of what recreational and commercial activities they feel are suitable for a public beach (by laws permitting). People in various communities need to be contacted on a regular basis to determine how they feel their municipal government is performing and demonstrate that they have listened to what has been said. Elected officials and bureaucrats should never take their ratepayers for granted. I have a suggestion in my last answer as to how the next council can accomplish this.

3. Vision for the Future of Grand Bend

I would hope that no one would disagree that we live in a very special place in Ontario. Like anything of value it needs to be cared for and tended to as a communal venture. I think the vision for Grand Bend should come from the local people. As an elected official it's my job to see that their wishes are carried out. I believe that regular town hall meetings could connect ratepayers back to their council. Council needs to hear how they are doing, and not just every four years. I've knocked on hundreds of doors in Ward 2 to date (it's my goal to knock on every door before the ballots are mailed) and I've met a lot of interesting people. Many of these people have indicated that they would be willing to serve as volunteers on advisory committees for the municipality to deal with matters in economic development, recreation, finance, waste management etc. This is a meaningful way of connecting citizens back to their local government. We should never adopt an attitude that we don't have time to deal with our residents' concerns. That's what local, grassroots government is all about. I have heard a number of people suggest that a shuttle service on main street in the village would alleviate car crowding, noise and air quality, parking issues (including metered parking rates), create summer jobs and add a carnival atmosphere to the town (it works well in Denver for instance). Others have commented on the need to have store fronts and signage in the village reflect a consistent theme.

Arthur, we could chat for hours on all of these issues. I hope that my answers have given you some indication of the type of councillor that I will be if elected. We all need to work hard to keep this special place an attractive and affordable one in which to live. Thank you for your interest.

Doug

Hi Doug!

I like your answers which come close to what I had hoped.  Would you mind if I posted them on a friendly blog page.

Thank you,

Arthur Lake

Doug's Response:

By all means, Arthur. I appreciate you asking in advance. Openness, transparency and accountability begin at home. Thanks for taking the time to care.

Doug

Attitudes towards Pollution and the Quality of the Environment

As one gets older, there is a sense of detachment that is often difficult to describe except that it is the absence of the rush or high of youth. When we are young, our attitudes to messiness and being dirty relate more to what we are about than to what we remember as "shoulds", those things our parents tell us we ought to do. We are more likely to have our own "shoulds" as standards that young people feel and sense.

I can remember effluent of colourful water flowing into the local river. It was beautiful, but I knew there was something wrong about it. Essentially, the adults had not got their "shoulds" right. We read that young people are keeping youthful attitudes long into their adult years. Does this mean that their attitudes towards the environment never grow beyond what they were as children, being into whatever it was without thinking about consequences for others very much, or will young people bring a fresh approach to their environment by being observant of what makes it messy and dead looking. Turds floating in the river or harbour waters for example. How do they get there? We know they should not be there, but have the adults got their "shoulds" wrong again.

Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.

Syd Fletcher Mayoral Candidate for Lambton Shores, Ontario a place that includes the community of Grand Bend

Syd Fletcher is a candidate for Mayor of Lambton Shores, a city that is not a city, but a municipality that is a strange concoction of different communities, some that go together and others that seem strange together. It is a home to the environmentally friendly and to those who should be more environmentally friendly, a place of joy and community, and a place where wild animals meet humans on their front door?

Syd posts his email address and invites questions, so I thought I would ask him what was on my mind at the time ... Yesterday.

I am pleased that this candidate has ticked my boxes for what I am presently thinking about commercialisation and sewer systems.

Good on him!

RT, a nickname I use because I like art and my name is Arthur. I am also known as Woosh to some, since I am a bit of a head full....

On 30-Aug-10, at 11:47 AM, Woosh wrote:

Syd!

Thank you for putting yourself forward as a candidate for Mayor of Lambton Shores.

As a potential voter, I would like to know what your positions are regarding commercialisation of the front at Grand Bend and regarding the development of a sewerage system for Grand Bend.

Any information you can give of your vision for the future of Lambton Shores would be welcome.

Thank you,

Woosh

On 30 Aug 2010, at 03:11 PM, Syd Fletcher <promise@xcelco.on.ca> wrote:

Hi Arthur:

Re: Commercialization of the waterfront at Grand Bend

Commercial interests should not be allowed on the waterfront. It needs to be left open to the public.

One time events such as the Summer Games sailboat racing should be allowed as they would draw people to the area.

If the Ministry of the Environment mandates a sewer system for subdivisions in Lambton Shores then we would have no choice in the matter and would have to proceed.

There should absolutely be no thought of a 'grinder' system - ever. It is a poor solution at best.

My understanding from Carl Belkie is that the Ministry has no intention of mandating a sewer system. I also understand from the meeting on Thursday night that the present council has applied for a grant to do the sewer. If that does come through (and I cannot believe that that will happen before the new council comes in) then it would be the new council's position to say politely, "We made an error in applying for this grant. We will not be accepting it. We have found that we cannot afford to put up the balance of money that would be needed for the project."

I believe that we need to take a very strong look at the process of consultation that is being used to make decisions about major projects such as the sewage system and the water lines which were put into the former Bosanquet Township area. Firms which have a vested interest in proceeding with a project should not be allowed to be the main 'opinion' on said projects.

We need to set up a system of community committees which would (in conjunction with council) come to a consensus on future projects - e.g. if a committee of residents and business owners had had appropriate say in the design of the main street in Grand Bend, I have no doubt that it would look considerably different as opposed to those who like things to 'look pretty' instead of 'pretty and utilitarian' for the people who are using them.

Finally, we need a council and bureaucracy which understands the difference between the 'letter of the law and the intent of the law'. The example I use here is in the treatment of the young couple who were starting up a trucking business just to the north of Forest. The planner told them that they had to pave all around the building and put in curbs. They asked if they could be given a couple of years grace, until the business was started. They were told, "No, it has to be done right now." They took the issue to the OMB which agreed totally with them and said that the municipality was being high-handed with them.

I'm hoping that the new council will begin to deal with issues using common sense, thinking more about people than about projects.

Good day to you sir! Hopefully this helps you understand where I stand on some of the current issues.

Respectfully,
Syd Fletcher

On 30-Aug-10, at 9:10 PM, Woosh wrote:

Hi Syd!

I like your answers and would ask whether I might post them on my blog with favourable comments by myself!

Arthur

Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.

Syd responded:

Certainly.
Syd

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall upon your fields
And until we meet again
May He hold you in the palm of his hands
(Irish blessing)

Syd's blessing above.

And mine follows:

Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.