Close to 100 area residents had the chance to get to know their municipal candidates a little better. 
A Meet the Candidate event was held at the Moose Lodge Thursday evening, with all of the council hopefuls from Wards 4 and 5, as well as five out of the six mayoral candidates.
Access to clean drinking water was a hot topic among several of the Ward 4 council hopefuls.
“Personally, we don’t have a functional well anymore ever since the pile driving (of wind turbine foundations) last summer,” says Jessica Brooks. “We’ve been hauling water, and I’m amazed how many people we run into at the water tower every time we’re there. People are frustrated and don’t know where to go and don’t know what to do, and so I need to be a voice on council to keep this very important issue foremost in the minds of council because it seems to have been forgotten.”
“Too many people have dirty water and water that’s just unsafe to drink,” Steve Scott says. “Whoever’s fault it is, whether it’s the turbine company’s or whatever, (the affected homeowners) need to have clean drinking water.”
“We need to really understand if people have taken a base line,” says Mary Anne Udvari. “We need have some provincial obligation as well as municipal and federal to really get down to the bottom of the matter and find out what is wrong.”
“I think in this day and age in Canada, water is a right, it’s not a privilege,” says Patricia Sylvain. “Whether somebody can’t bathe or can’t drink water is a huge concern for me, and I think we really need to address that sooner rather than later.”
Another hot topic was municipal services, including paramedic and ambulance services.
“EMS, for example, was outsourced, and I think numbers, reports need to be looked at,” says Ward 4’s Jamie McGrail. “We need to really look at night, that we have enough services available that if multiple issues arise, that no one’s left out and we can be able to work with what we have.”
Ward 4 incumbent Joe Faas wants to make sure the local economy continues to prosper. “Our staff has been very good doing what they’re doing, our job as council is to make sure that the funding is available, that we’re there to support their initiatives, and get involved in way we can to push that along.”
Dylan McLay believes support for Chatham-Kent’s agriculture industry is key. “I’m tackling that issue, get out, get the support of the farmers, see how we can grow with agri-tourism.”
Joey Cyples wants to have a greater focus on resident attraction and retention. “Especially in Dresden,” Cyples says. “Kids are moving away, Dresden’s now lost the casino, so we need as a council to not forget about these small communities. There are some good things that are happening, but as a council and a municipality, we need to embrace these small communities more.”
Turning to Ward 5, Randy McNeil says accessible transit is a big issue. “The good news is that half of council’s going to be brand new,” McNeil says. “So they’re all going to have the same type of ideas as I am, and we’re going to be able to work together and talk to see how do we put together something that works for everybody and still fits the budget of Chatham-Kent.”
Incumbent Carmen McGregor doesn’t believe there’s one hot-button issue in Wallaceburg. “There’s many pieces of a puzzle that all need to come together,” McGregor says. “Environmentally, what’s the problem in our community? It’s probably the closure of the dam and protecting our community from flooding. Job wise, I think we need to provide retraining or education to students so they understand all of the great jobs that are here in Chatham-Kent that we can’t fill.”
Political newcomers Aaron Hall and Nick Cadotte both want Wallaceburg issues to take a greater focus.
“I know it doesn’t fall under the municipal umbrella per say, but people love the hospital, people want the hospital, people are concerned about it,” Hall says. “I’ve been following this issue and covering it for years and years, I want to take a look through a different lens and put a different hat on with it and create that relationship, hold that accountability.”
“I have no problem going against the grain and standing out for something that is a core value of Wallaceburg and that we believe in,” Cadotte says. “I’ve also tried to work together with all the other councillors across Chatham-Kent, work together in a holistic manner, understand the issues that go on in each area.”
Last night’s event, put on by the Wallaceburg and District Chamber of Commerce, had a more casual feel than the typical election debate.
Online voting continues until 10pm on October 15th, advance polls run October 11th to the 13th, and Election Day is October 22nd.
