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
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
'More aggressive': Tocchet shifts lineups as Canucks get ready to take on Oilers in Vancouver
As the Canucks prepare to take on the Oilers for Game 5, Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet is making changes to the team's lineup.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.
A Toronto man killed his mother and decapitated her. His lawyers argue it wasn't murder
A ‘lifetime of abuse’ led Dallas Ly to snap and repeatedly stab his mother inside their Leslieville apartment in 2022 but he never intended to kill her, his defence lawyers argued during his murder trial in Toronto on Thursday.