Collingwood's town council, elected one year ago on Oct. 24, 2022, is now celebrating one year in office as a group.
With that in mind, we canvassed Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer and all seven town councillors to talk about their experiences one year into their mandate.
Questions ranged from asking about their accomplishments so far, to how this council feels they’ve set themselves apart, and to surprises they’ve experienced so far as elected officials.
When asked about their biggest personal accomplishment, and their biggest accomplishment as a group so far, many councillors talked about their working relationship as a team.
“As the leader of a nine-person council, I am pleased that we have achieved a good working relationship among all of our council members,” said Hamlin. “While we, of course, will not agree on everything, I do believe a council makes the best decisions in a context of civility and respect.”
Hamlin says that as a group, she appreciates they are able to look ahead to the future, toward issues such as attracting young families to town and affordable housing, while also celebrating current successes such as the opening of Awen Waterplay at Harbourview Park.
Fryer says one of his personal goals was to get a committee-of-the-whole system back in place, which was approved by council in March and went into effect starting in May.
“It is still a bit of a work in progress, since we are trying out (having) council and committee-of-the-whole (meetings) on the same day but at least all council members, when possible, are at the table considering/discussing/voting on extensive staff reports and when public presentations are made,” said Fryer.
When looking at what the group has accomplished so far together, Fryer points to ongoing negotiations on the Poplar Health and Wellness Village project.
“With the way things started for council right out of the gate after taking our oath of office, council is very pleased to have this in the final stages with Live, Work Learn Play Inc., so that all of the major plans for this important development can move forward as quickly as possible,” he said.
Coun. Kathy Jeffery, who serves as chair during committee-of-the-whole meetings, says she’s been able to maintain and apply her personal leadership skills through the role.
“With five new members of council, the biggest accomplishment in my opinion is the fact that council – for the most part – has found its way to a positive, constructive, and respectful way to interact,” said Jeffery. “The organizational memory that comes with long tenures of council mixed with the new eyes of the first-time council members will certainly benefit our community.”
Coun. Deb Doherty was elected as a director on the board of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario this year, and cites it as a personal accomplishment.
“I am proud to work with a group that includes, in my view, giants of municipal governance, and have learned so much – learning and information that I bring back to the town,” she said.
Doherty points to motions she’s put forward this year and passed to change direction on some items, such as the design of the Blue Fairways Phases 5 and 6 subdivision and to have staff reconsider their planned re-design of Sixth St. as examples of the importance of asking questions and pushing back.
As a group, Doherty counts the approval of the proposed repurposing of the Terminals as one of council’s biggest accomplishments so far.
Rookie councillor Christopher Baines says he doesn’t feel that there’s anything at this point he can claim on his own as an accomplishment, but that as a group he is proud of the $350,000 council allotted in the 2023 budget for affordable housing.
“I am quickly learning the process and intricacies of the municipal council system. I also enjoy interacting with our citizens to try and resolve their issues,” said Baines.
Coun. Brandon Houston also says he doesn’t claim any personal accomplishments in his term so far.
“I don't believe any one thing gets done without everyone around the table,” he said. “I can say personally, I've had great conversations with people that live in Collingwood and I've actively tried to listen to each and every one of them and bring those questions and concerns forward.”
Houston considers the group’s biggest accomplishment so far is the $350,000 for affordable housing allocated through the budget process.
“We have quite a few large initiatives underway and I think we've accomplished a few really good things,” said Houston.
Coun. Rob Ring said he has tried to not focus on personal accomplishments so far, although he says he has worked to do his best to help any resident who has sought his assistance.
“I don’t perceive these things as accomplishments, but instead I feel they were my duty,” said Ring.
As a group, he says he found working through the 2023 budget to be a challenge as a new council. He also points to the opening of the Awen Waterplay, the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the revitalization of the Terminals and putting finishing touches on the new Official Plan as major items this council has worked on this year.
Coun. Chris Potts says one of his major accomplishments this year has been helping to establish the Mobile Soup Kitchen, as well as bringing specific resident concerns to the council table.
“I struggle to find one stand-out item that this council has done as a group, if anything, increased funding to affordable housing,” said Potts.
Coun. Steve Perry, also a rookie to local politics, says one of his major accomplishments this year has been learning about the municipal government process.
“I’m still learning,” said Perry. “During the past year, I feel I have built a respectful relationship with fellow councillors, town staff as well as residents. I also appreciate the three returning elected officials and their willingness to share advice and knowledge when asked.”
“In my opinion, our biggest accomplishment as a group is the respect we have for each other,” he said. “We sometimes have vastly differing opinions, and the different opinions are very important to listen to and be open-minded to. Having said this, there are never any hard feelings and we all understand it’s part of the process of government.”
This is the first in a four-part series asking council to reflect on one year in office. Parts two through four will run throughout the week.
