Current South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis is seeking re-election in the upcoming 2022 Ontario municipal election.
“We all faced a lot of challenges as a community during the last few years and we have other challenges ahead of us. Therefore, I decided to run for re-election for Mayor of South Stormont.” commented McGillis in a recent release. He continued he has served the municipality as mayor for three terms, or twelve years, and can offer the residents of the municipality a proven track record of bringing people together, leadership abilities and experience serving the community. He noted public council meetings are now streamed online as well as being recorded and keeping the municipal website current has provided individuals the ability to keep informed.
McGillis noted while much has been accomplished, there are still challenges to overcome moving forward. Safety concerns regarding Highway 138 continue to be a priority, and he will continue advocating to the province regarding this matter. “We just received great news from the regional director of East Operations that the roundabout will be built at the Headline Intersection and 138 Hwy,” commented McGillis. He continued there is a need to continue discussions on passing lanes on the highway and mentioned it has been confirmed the MTO plans to tender for “construction for new paving from Monkland to Cornwall Centre Road in 2023.”
Other issues facing the municipality include low water levels in Lake St. Lawrence, the transition of parkland to the township from the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, population growth with its impact on affordable housing, and infrastructure issues. These issues involved collaborative consultations with the International Joint Commission, SLPC and upper levels of government. McGillis noted there are several new businesses planning on locating within South Stormont, with the potential to “bring up to 1,500 to 2,000 good paying jobs to South Stormont.”
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.