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It’s official—Callander’s Mayor Robb Noon has declared his intention to run in the upcoming municipal election. He filed the necessary papers earlier this week, and yes, he’s running for the mayor’s seat. Noon has served as Callander’s mayor since the spring of 2020. In January of that year, Callander’s long-time head of council Hector “Hec” Lavigne passed away, and the council of the day voted for Noon to fill the position.
A lifelong resident of Callander, Noon was first elected to municipal council in 2000, and “I had one four-year term off, so I’ve been a councillor for 18 years,” Noon explained. “It’s been a great experience serving as mayor, it’s been an honour serving” he said, “and I’m excited to continue.”
He’s been “working on plans for the municipality for years,” particularly the strategic plans and the Downtown and Waterfront Revitalization project, which recently received a financial boost from both the provincial and federal governments. “I’ve been heavily involved with these plans and have worked to push them through with different councils, so I really want to continue on that track, and get those programs through.”
See: Federal money washes into Callander’s waterfront
Noon mentioned municipal staff “are an amazing group,” and he’s been enjoying working with council to achieve the town’s goals. He feels the momentum gaining, and he wants to ensure this momentum carries throughout another term.
“I’ve always been a planner,” he admitted, and emphasized the importance of a solid strategic plan, as such a document distills views from many community members and helps provide direction for council’s decisions.
“I think you’re more successful when you have a plan, and you implement that plan,” he said. It’s when you “stray away” from the means to achieve the ends that “you can really set yourself up for failure.”
See: Provincial cash comes to Callander’s downtown
Maintaining strong infrastructure remains a priority for Noon, and council has been ensuring money is being kept aside for future maintenance, and he is also interested in finding ways to diversify the housing situation within the municipality, to create “a more balanced” approach to housing that would take seniors into consideration, and those who can’t afford current real estate prices.
See: Callander not on track to affordable housing goal
“I’d like people to be able to live their whole lives here” Noon said, which includes the retirement years, “and for people to be comfortable” doing so. “I’ve always been community first, so I’d really like to address how to provide a balance in housing, so that everybody has an opportunity to stay in town.”
Encouraging more tourist dollars is also on the mayor’s mind, and the Downtown and Waterfront Development Revitalization plan is helping to improve some of Callander’s popular destinations. “Callander’s a great place,” Noon said, “and we need a plan that everyone can agree upon and stand behind. Then we can start working toward that.”
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.
