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Gay Smylie, Daryl Vaillancourt and Robb Noon are all vying to become Callander’s mayor once October’s ballots are counted, and last night, the three took to the YourTV studio to discuss their platforms and debate the issues. Clarke Heipel moderated the event and summed up the evening well—it was “a healthy and respectful debate.”
Heipel raised many issues germane to the community, and there were some recorded questions from Callander residents as well. Some were softer than others. When asked if Callander would consider amalgamating with North Bay, all candidates answered a resounding no, whereas some questions brought out some opposing views.
Transferring police services from the North Bay Police Service to the OPP was one such issue. Heipel asked if they were satisfied with the new transfer and the new service, and although all agreed they were, Smylie took the opportunity to note how it was "most unfortunate how that policing contract ended,” adding that it was “poorly handled by the current council.”
See: Gay Smylie throws her hat into Callander’s mayoral race
Vaillancourt is a member of the current council, and Noon is the current mayor, so both took issue with the suggestion council handled the issue poorly. Noon said he remains “very satisfied” with the O.P.P and is happy with the current price, noting overall, it was a seamless transition between the two.
“We didn’t have a choice,” Vaillancourt said, noting that once North Bay Police Services refused to carry on the contract, the municipality had no option but to hire the provincial police. He also emphasized that the town is “building a reserve fund” to ensure those costs remain covered.
A notable theme with all candidates was the will to keep Callander’s small-town atmosphere in place—to “keep Callander Callander,” as Smylie emphasized. She noted the community is at a “critical crossroad” where excess development could ruin the current community spirit. Noon also agreed, noting the need for “planned and thoughtful growth.”
Vaillancourt also noted that people want to live in Callander, and “not capitalizing on that is a mistake,” however, he also assured voters that he would develop with the community spirit in mind. Without population growth, he warned, eventually the town will not be able to keep up with the expenses of operating the municipality, as those costs tend to rise each year.
See: Vaillancourt first to the gate for Callander’s mayoral race
Noon made the point about creating a “balanced” housing plan that would accommodate different levels of income. He wants to “ensure people can stay in the town that they helped build,” and work to create the type of housing folks can downsize into without breaking the bank.
Smylie agreed on the importance of drawing more people into the area, emphasizing the need to support local infrastructure. The sewage lagoons came up, and Smylie took the opportunity to emphasize that she was not in support of building a new treatment plant, but that she would be open to discussing that possibility in the future, and begin saving for that if the need arose. On that note, Noon explained that Callander is in “a good position” with its infrastructure, and with the plan he and the council have passed, the lagoon will be “good for 10 years.”
Noon kept the focus on the municipal plans he and council have worked on throughout the years, including the Waterfront and Downtown Revitalization Plan, which, thanks to some recent provincial and federal grants, is beginning to materialize. The improvements at Centennial Park and at the pier are prime examples.
All agreed that beautifying the town and creating more attractive draws was a plan each would continue, noting it helps bring people into the downtown business core. Smylie emphasized there is still more that can be done, aiming to “ensure that we are open for business” as a council, and work to “cut red tape” and implement policies that helps businesses work.
Noon will continue to “build the infrastructure that encourages businesses to come,” although Vaillancourt cautioned that the town should be “mindful of the pace” of such projects, as money is limited. Vaillancourt promised business owners that if elected, council would “get out of their way” and implement policies that would make doing business in Callander a worthwhile and rewarding investment.
Vaillancourt would like to implement a community improvement plan that would invite local businesses to apply for grants to help fix their facades and improve the look of the building to give a better impression for the business and the town. Overall, he wants to create a better business environment by creating better policy.
The library is also a hot topic among Callander politicians, as plans have been underway to find a new location for the library for years. All agree it needs a new home—it’s too small to properly serve the community’s needs, Smylie acknowledged—and she suggested that instead of building new, it could be housed in an existing municipal building.
That “might be something worth looking at,” she said, although Noon wants to carry on with the plan to build the new library on the municipal land near the pier on Lansdowne. However, he emphasized he is not willing to go into debt for the project, noting the idea is to attract a developer to the project and develop the entire parcel of land with the assurance that the library will be built on site.
See: Robb Noon is running for mayor of Callander
He envisions the new build as a community hub, “a destination” for residents and visitors alike. Vaillancourt supports a new library space but is not so keen on the community hub vision. The plans “have completely stalled,” he noted, and the entire idea is based on “empty promises and no action.”
Vaillancourt also questioned if it was in the town’s best interest to build a library “on our most valuable property,” along the lake shore.
All three candidates know the value of a dollar, and Vaillancourt was the first to bring up the town’s annual budget, which hovers around $8 million. “We have to watch every tax dollar,” he said, and spending in one place means cutting somewhere else. “There are only so many pieces in the pie,” Smiley said.
Yet all agreed the rural roads of Callander should be well-maintained, and that residents along those roads should feel as if they are treated the same as those in the town’s core. Vaillancourt noted that a few residents feel out of the loop, that there is “not an equitable distribution of funds” to the rural areas. That money is spent mainly on the core.
Smylie picked up on this as well and promised to maintain high standards for rural roads and to ensure that money is always there, she would make sure “we are not spending frivolously somewhere else.”
Planning “allows for a stable tax rate,” Noon emphasized, noting he will continue along the same road he has been for the past years, focusing on beautification, attracting people and businesses, and bolstering reserve funds for the municipality. He wants to continue leading “a beautiful progressive town our residents can be proud of.”
Smylie closed by emphasizing her will to keep the small-town spirit of Callander alive and well while attracting new residents and businesses to the area. She promised to “account publicly” for all council decisions and to make “decisions that will reflect what’s best for Callander.” Smylie told voters she’s “up for this job and ready to work for you,” once elected.
Vaillancourt summed up by acknowledging Callander is “an amazing place to live” but cautioned against “a lot of big dreaming” with “no plan how to pay for it.” Once elected he plans to review every line in the budget to ensure the municipality “invests tax dollars wisely,” and believes strongly the town “maintains what we have before building something new.”
Each candidate made clear that adhering to a strict budget is paramount for the health of the community. Debt is a four-letter word to all three, and each emphasized they would prefer to work with what they have than create something new the municipality will have to maintain and staff at great expense.
Although each agrees on a similar vision for Callander’s future, all three candidates have slightly different approaches as to how to get there. The voters will decide which path to take.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
