Northern community reacts after mayor and council booted by the province
Black River-Matheson no longer has a sitting town council, after it failed to meet for more than 60 days due to lack of attendance.
The province disbanded council yesterday and the town will now have to hold a new election.
Town hall has had an empty council chamber since January — and now it will stay that way until residents elect a new mayor and six new councillors.
A coalition of three now-former councillors forced the move by boycotting meetings, saying it was either this or living with a “broken” council.
“We couldn’t get results, we couldn’t get proper guidance from our staff,” said former councillor Dave Dyment.
“Mismatched information out of our reports and untimely reports. We just felt that we weren’t running the town and that the town was actually running us.”
This comes after high tensions in the community over a 34 per cent tax increase, the ongoing municipal worker strike and three councillors resigning in the last year.
Black River-Matheson no longer has a sitting town council, after it failed to meet for more than 60 days due to lack of attendance. (Photo from video)
Former Mayor Doug Bender was not available for comment, but the vacant council chamber comes with mixed reactions.
“I do not believe that they ran for (office) to end up here, I really don’t,” said Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof.
“And so we have to look deeper to see why, why they ended up here.”
Vanthof said while he’s seen unrest within councils before, he hasn’t seen Matheson’s level of public bitterness.
Byelection will be held
Now without a mayor, Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, will appoint someone to take over council duties for the time being.
“An appointee will be in place until the byelection is complete and a new council is in place,” Calandra wrote in a letter.
“The appointee will exercise the duties and obligations of council in an accountable and transparent manner.”
No word on when the byelection will take place, but Dyment is hoping more people will run than last time, when everyone but himself ran unopposed.
“That way, we’re getting a broader spectrum of people to choose from,” he said.
“Difference of views from different councillors, so we’re not falling into the exact same position.”
Dyment said the new council’s priorities will have to start with transparency, positivity and solving the town’s immediate issues.
And he said he would like to be part of that council -- as the community’s next mayor.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Republican National Committee in Washington evacuated after blood vials received in package
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Interpol says more than 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles identified since February
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.