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MANITOULIN—In the coming editions of The Manitoulin Expositor, reporters will be profiling the candidates for mayor/reeve in all Manitoulin, Cockburn Island and Killarney communities. 

The only municipality which will not see an election for mayor/reeve is in Gordon/Barrie Island where incumbent councillor Brad Wright has been acclaimed as reeve of the municipality.

This week we are profiling the candidates for mayor/reeve in the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands and Burpee and Mills.

For NEMI there are three candidates for the position of mayor, including incumbent Al MacNevin, Rebecca Milne and Paul Skippen. Burpee and Mills will choose from two candidates for reeve, including incumbent Ken Noland, who is being challenged by Daniel Duval. Tehkummah voters will be voting from among two candidates for mayor, including incumbent councillor Steve Wood and challenger John Greenway.

The municipal elections will take place on October 26.

Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands

Al MacNevin

NORTHEAST TOWN—Incumbent Mayor Al MacNevin is looking for another four-year term with the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands next month, a title he’s held through both acclamation and election for the past 14 years. Add to that his time as a councillor and he’s got an impressive 30+ plus years of experience under his belt.

He recalled his first time holding the title of mayor, stepping in when former mayor Joe Chapman resigned halfway through his term. As deputy mayor, his fellow councillors tapped him for the job. He’s never left.

“Those were tougher times,” he shared. “I came in on the heels of a municipal strike. There were hard feelings—there probably still are today.”

“I think we’re very fortunate as a municipality,” the incumbent said of the way the council table pulls together for the betterment of community. “Council has really been focussed on getting things done, and they have.” This term has seen the completion of a number of projects and securing funding in the millions of dollars. “And we couldn’t do it without having a good staff, from the CAO to public works.”

“Our focus has been to provide the services taxpayers expect from a municipality—road maintenance, water and sewer, economic development—and doing this without greatly increasing taxes, and we’ve done that,” Mr. MacNevin said.

The incumbent is pleased to report that thanks to staff working hard at securing funds wherever possible, the tax increases year over year remain the lowest on Manitoulin.

“Housing because an even bigger issue during COVID,” he continued. “We managed to create an opportunity for builders to create new homes in our new subdivision (off Booseneck Road) and we worked with the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) to see the creation of the 12-unit Fielding Place which offers affordable housing for seniors.”

Fielding Place was the first provincially-funded new build seen in the province in 40 years. When the mayor asked officials “Why Little Current?” he was told it was because the services were in place—it was shovel ready. “Council had the foresight to do that,” said.

“Since then, the apartment complex on Draper Street (on the old Manitoulin Transport property) created by the Noble brothers of Gore Bay has also been purchased by the DSB which, means more affordable housing in the community,” Mr. MacNevin continued. “And we’re hoping we can leverage some of the newly-announced provincial and federal building programs to get more going We will continue to work with the DSB to seek further funding.”

The incumbent was tasked by his Manitoulin peers with being the Island representative on the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities board of directors, a task he doesn’t take lightly. It gives him the ear of many ministers for all Island concerns, but most important to him, are those of his own municipality. He has held court with many ministers over the years and greatly enjoys that level of work, he said.

The municipality is currently renewing its Official Plan which lays out the frameworks for future development. This is an important document, he says, as it guides future planning. While the province pushes for development in areas that are serviced (sewer and water), municipal statistics show that it is the rural areas that are seeing more interest in terms of new builds. Sheguiandah has a water treatment plant but not much development. What can they do to change that, by way of example. “We know we have to work on that (areas with serviced lands). Our economic development officer and our planning firm are exploring that.”

One thing members of council hear a lot about is finding doctors.

“At the end of the day, our constituents don’t care that it is not directly a municipal issue, but we do our best through recruitment and meeting with the Minister of Health to champion better funding for our hospitals every chance we get,” Mr. MacNevin said.

“We have seen the fruits of our labour with doctors coming here,” he added, pointing to the influx of foreign-trained doctors and to Dr. Jonathan Poenn, son of Little Current’s Dr. Dieter Poenn, coming home to practice medicine.

Mr. MacNevin said he knows there is still some sting with amalgamation in the rural areas of the municipality. “I didn’t think we’d ever learn to talk nicely across the council table, and we still sometimes run into roadblocks, but 99.9 percent of the time, I think we come together for the municipality as a whole.”

He noted that in the rural areas, 11 kilometres of roads have been resurfaced every year for the past several years with several kilometres more of repairs. He also noted the new public washrooms at the Sheguiandah dock and playground, a new sand dome at the Sheguiandah public works garage, repairs to the Sheguiandah boardwalk and boat launch as just some of the rural projects of late.

“It’s a real balance of funding (between rural and ‘urban’) and we’ll always continue to do that,” he added. “And Ward 4 councillors are always vocal about what their constituents need.”

He said the ever-rising cost of treated water for Sheguiandah residents remains a concern for the council table and they continue to seek answers through funding opportunities and lobbying efforts. This is because, similar to other small-population communities on Manitoulin supporting a water treatment plant, the rising costs of supporting this service is shared among a small population base so that the per household cost is relatively higher than that of more populous neighbouring communities supporting similar services.

“People looking for an efficient, well-managed council need not look very far,” the incumbent observed.

The role of mayor is different from that of councillor, Mr. MacNevin explained. “You become an arbitrator of those different and varying views from around the table. When you’re sitting as mayor, you’re supposed to try and offer wisdom, and that’s what I try to do while at the same time, work with staff, sometimes lean on them, and bring answers back—in a nice way—to council.”

“I’ve been very lucky to work alongside some great people, and I still believe I can do a good job.”

Rebecca Milne

NORTHEAST TOWN—Rebecca Milne is hoping to become the first woman mayor of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands.

“You can sit at home and complain about the town, or you can actually get up off your couch and do something,” Ms. Milne tells The Expositor.

She shared the story of attending a Remembrance Day service at the Legion several years ago where almost everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. She recalled thinking, ‘this is horrible; why is this happening?’ So, instead of sitting at the back of the room and doing nothing, she marched downstairs immediately following the service and signed up to become a Legion member. She figured she could lend a hand to ensure that future services would go off without a hitch. “I started attending meetings and helping where I could,” Ms. Milne says.

“Be the change,” she says.

Ms. Milne grew up in Little Current and raised her own family there. In fact, Ms. Milne and her siblings grew up next door to incumbent mayor Al MacNevin. “He has seen me grow up and become the community-oriented professional person that I am today,” she says. “It would be delightful and a privilege to receive the reigns from such a respected member of our community.”

Over the years Ms. Milne worked as an employee of the municipality, spending time at both the town office and recreation centre so she knows the ins and outs, policies and procedures of the daily running of Manitoulin’s largest municipality. She also spent five years on the NEMI Fire Department, holding various roles as officer during that time.

“When I decide to do something, I don’t come in at 50 percent, I give it 110 percent,” Ms. Milne says.

“I know there’s work to do, and I’m not afraid to ask questions.”

Ms. Milne has serious concerns with the lack of affordable housing in the community which, in turn, makes it harder to gain professionals and newcomers wanting to work and live in NEMI.

Ms. Milne is employed as a director at Mnaamodzawin Health Services in Aundeck Omni Kaning and sees first-hand how hard it is to find housing for the healthcare professionals she seeks to employ. “I know the hospital is facing the same thing; we have nurses and doctors that want to come practice here, but there’ s nowhere for them to live.”

She would also like to see the myriad vacant business locations in and around the community filled and believes there is a way for mayor and council to do that—by supporting young entrepreneurs. One way to accomplish this may be a tax break incentive, she suggests.

Ms. Milne is hoping to get more sidewalks and streetlights in Little Current on the agenda, if elected. She also believes a dog park is warranted, considering the number of dog owners in the community and the level of interest.

The candidate for mayor thinks the community should be taking a better look at its recycling practices and consider a composting program at the landfill, such is done at much larger centres.

“I’m not a politician, I will be the first to admit that, but I do know what I stand for—my principles, integrity and upstanding character speak for themselves—and I know I can do the job,” she says.

“I believe in collaboration, not only with our members of council, but our neighbouring municipalities,” Ms. Milne continues. “We are a small Island, and we need to stick together to create meaningful change. As a director at Mnaamodzawin Health Services, I can attest that collaborating with Island health agencies, such as the hospitals, family health teams, and our 91���˵��� community agencies is how we improve client care, patient experience and the health care system. The same can be said about municipal government.”

She’s a good boss, and she knows it. Since her time at Mnaamodzawin, the retention rates have exploded. She believes that translates well to the role of mayor. “I can take the qualities of being a compassionate manager and put that to work with members of council.”

Ms. Milne says it’s time to change the ways of the “old boys club” and get some fresh perspectives at the head of the council table.

“If I’m elected as mayor, I will be the first female Indigenous mayor in the history of this municipality,” she adds. “It’s time to make a difference—vote Milne for mayor.”

Paul Skippen

NORTHEAST TOWN—It’s been an eight-year hiatus from the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI) council table, but Green Bay’s Paul Skippen is hoping to make a return—this time as mayor.

Mr. Skippen is no stranger to the Northeast Town council table, having served three terms as Ward 4 councillor. He believes this—plus his 28 years as a high school teacher, former contractor negotiator and vice president for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, small business owner and farmer—gives him the perfect vantage point to serve as mayor of Manitoulin’s largest municipality.

“I have a strong work ethic,” he tells The Expositor.

Top of Mr. Skippen’s mind is better servicing the municipality’s elderly residents. He lost his parents, Rae and John, in recent years and seeing what his mother had to go through, and the hoops he tried to jump through to get her services, put fire in his step.

“I have a strong commitment to do something for senior housing; I made a commitment to my mom,” Mr. Skippen shares. “If she could have remained in her own home and had better services, things would have been very different for her. I’m going to do this whether I get elected or not.” (The Late Mrs. Skippen resided at the Wikwemikong Nursing Home.)

Mr. Skippen points to how important the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) is to this piece of his campaign, as it oversees much of the affordable seniors’ housing in the municipality. “(The DSB) needs someone there to shake things up,” he said, referencing the board’s makeup of elected officials from all the Island municipalities. He believes the shared terms the municipalities have (NEMI alternates terms with Tehkummah) should be abolished in favour of a permanent seat for NEMI.

“I’m very disheartened by the treatment of seniors,” Mr. Skippen stresses.

Mr. Skippen is also calling for equal reorientation among all four wards. “Do you realize how far you have to go to get to the landfill for some Ward 4 residents who live on the outskirts of Mindemoya?” he queried. “I think we forget about the people, like Ward 1.” He said that while putting signs up at a boat launch in Willisville (with the goal of having residents of McGregor Bay see them) he was approached by a resident who said in all his years, he had never seen any NEMI representation in the area.

“Not just everything revolves around Little Current,” he adds. “Most of the new tax base is out in Ward 4, but we’re not reaping the benefit.”

Mr. Skippen also had questions about the high bills NEMI is paying for what he feels is a steadily growing contingent of police officers in the municipality. He suggests that with that many officers, who spend much of their time enforcing the Highway Traffic Act, NEMI should add into their annual contract with the OPP municipal bylaw enforcement, eliminating that job from the municipality.

“My idea is to push some of these things on the agenda and get government backing,” he says.

Mr. Skippen says he wants the typical things too, like a good working relationship with council, attracting investment to NEMI, encouraging responsible economic growth and looking at cost-saving and efficiencies for the municipality. He also believes in openness and transparency and suggests livestreaming council meetings as one way of achieving that.

The mayoral candidate notes that under the Municipal Act there are two ways of running a council: one where the CAO directs municipal business, with the direction of mayor and council and the other is the opposite with mayor and council leading the charge. Mr. Skippen suggests the latter may be the best way forward for NEMI council. “It might be time for a change,” he suggests.

He has concerns that the municipality is currently budgeting with an eye to surplus and while he believes there should be money in reserves, he thinks more money should be going back into roads. Mr. Skippen says the roads are in the best shape they have ever been, giving kudos to the public works crews.

He says he’s an idea guy with lots of suggestions on ways the municipality could better manage its coffers, from a near-capacity lagoon system in Little Current to spending thousands of dollars a year on physician recruitment. “What if the municipality paid for the schooling of a doctor directly, someone who couldn’t afford it, with the guarantee that they would come back and practice in this community?”

“I see money wasted,” he put it bluntly. 

Mr. Skippen believes in building a municipality that is responsive, responsible and focused on the needs of its residents. “I believe that local government should work for the people it represents.”

“I don’t have all the answers, but I have the background,” Mr. Skippen adds.

Burpee and Mills

Dan Duval

EVANSVILLE—Daniel Duval, a candidate for Reeve for Burpee and Mills township outlined several reasons he decided to put his name forward in the upcoming election. 

“My main goal is rejuvenation: helping Burpee and Mills become a place where more young families can establish themselves, children can grow up and small and home-based businesses can contribute to community life.”

“I want to respect longtime and seasonal residents while creating more opportunities for year-round living, housing and local businesses,” said Mr. Duval. “The (incumbent) Reeve was returned by acclamation in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. This election gives residents an opportunity to hear different ideas about the township’s future.”

“My long-term vision includes exploring whether Burpee and Mills could support a local school again. The township’s asset-management plan records population growth from 308 in 2011 to 382 in 2021 while also showing an older demographic. I would work with the school board and community partners to determine child population, enrolment, transportation, nearby-school capacity and long-term demand. Options could range from a conventional school to a smaller or shared facility. I would not promise one without demonstrated need, a viable plan and funding,” said Mr. Duval.

“I would encourage conditions supporting a corner store, fuel stop, café and other local businesses,” he said.

Mr. Duval said, “I have not served on municipal council. I operate a bookkeeping and tax-preparation business serving clients in Canada and the United States and have served on church, corporate, and charitable boards.”

“My work involves revenue, expenses, compliance and administration. I would bring that financial discipline to municipal government while recognizing the public decision-making process.”

When asked if he is originally from Manitoulin, Mr. Duval replied, “My broadest answer is ‘human being, planet Earth.’ I respect Manitoulin’s cultures and traditions, including Haweater and Anishinaabe identities, but I do not believe birthplace, culture or subculture, race, or religion should determine whose concerns matter. I would give residents equal consideration whether their families have been here for generations or recently arrived.”

If elected, “My priorities would be housing, family growth, understandable bylaws, responsible finances, infrastructure, communication and public access.”

“I would review opportunities for a principal home and smaller second dwelling on suitable existing lots without automatically requiring subdivision. Water, septic, access, drainage, setbacks, shoreline protection, and neighbouring impacts would still matter. This could help accommodate adult children, aging parents or long-term tenants.”

“Seasonal and shoreline owners contribute property taxes year-round. I would include suitable shoreline properties in discussions about housing, improvements and year-round conversion while balancing environmental and servicing concerns. I would also examine regulated, resident-operated short-term accommodation alongside long-term housing,” he said. 

“The township’s sea-container rules, short-term-accommodation bylaw and other municipal bylaws should be reviewed for clarity and consistency. My review of published bylaws, correspondence and freedom-of-information records has raised concerns about ambiguous wording and residents receiving inaccurate, incomplete or delayed information about requirements and enforcement. Residents should be told the exact enacted rule being applied, when it took effect, what is required and what review process is available,” continued Mr. Duval.

“I would continually examine municipal costs, duplicated work, purchasing, applications, asset use and appropriate technology. Technology should improve service, not replace accountability.”

“Growth should be financially measured,” said Mr. Duval. “New housing and improvements can expand the assessment base, but council should compare additional revenue with infrastructure and service costs. Before supporting tax increases, I would ask what they fund, what alternatives were considered and what residents receive in return.”

“I would connect the township’s asset-management plan to annual budgets, scheduled maintenance and public reporting so residents can see the condition, expected cost and funding plan for municipal infrastructure.”

“Communication would be a major priority,” stated Mr. Duval. “I would propose a 72-hour standard for a meaningful initial response to ordinary inquiries. Permit applications should receive their checklists, accurate status information and explanations when requirements  change.”

Mr. Duval said, “Council meetings should be livestreamed, seasonal residents should be able to participate remotely, and I would publish direct contact information so residents can communicate with me without routing every concern through the municipal office.”

“I would also review election-information access. Candidates should have equal access to usable voter-contact information wherever legally permitted, with appropriate privacy safeguards, and the basis for any restriction should be published and clearly explained.”

“My work has required attention to detail, persistence, financial discipline and the ability to explain complicated requirements practically. I read the material, check the figures, ask questions and follow issues through to an answer, while remaining willing to reconsider a position when better information warrants it,” continued Mr. Duval.

“My objective is to combine long-term development with dependable administration; opportunities for families and businesses, maintained infrastructure, understandable rules, careful use of public money and a municipality that communicates clearly and follows through.”

Ken Noland

EVANSVILLE—In his over 29 years as a member of Burpee and Mills township council, Reeve Ken Noland has always had the best interests of the municipality and its taxpayers in mind.

“Being a member of council is about doing your part for the community,” Mr. Noland told The Expositor. “I have always wanted to see the community succeed for the benefit of its taxpayers.”

Mr. Noland noted that one of the reasons he is running for the position of Reeve is that, with the potential that council seats could be filled by all new council members this election, “there is a need for some continuity on council, people who know the history and issues that the previous council has dealt with, and those issues that will come up during the term of the new council.” 

“As a council we need to plan for the future and keep the municipality in shape financially and infrastructure wise, especially in dealing with the province and what is coming down on municipalities next,” continued Mr. Noland. “There is less municipal control over our township finances, as a large part of the costs are mandated by the province for the township/municipality to share in: such as policing, District Services Board, public health unit. When you take all the costs townships have to share in, due to downloading by the province, it would probably be over half of the tax dollars that are collected every year, even before we open the books.”

“One of the concerns I have is that we keep losing tax base when the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) acquires lands in Burpee and Mills,” said Mr. Noland. “These NCC lands become tax exempt and in turn we lose tax base because of it.”

“The government indicates that the lands acquired by the NCC are supposed to be good for all residents in the community, the province and the country,” said Mr. Noland. “If that is the case why is the municipality the only one burdened with the cost of these lands being tax exempt.”

“We need to continue to push the province to curtail this tax exempt stature for NCC, and this is a never-ending fight,” continued Mr. Noland.

Mr. Noland said that, “certainly overall the assessment in the township has increased with property values having increased, especially in areas like farmland, but everything has increased.”

“One of the big issues we need to continue to focus on and budget for is our roads to be maintained,” said Mr. Noland. “Roads are one of the big expenses on our budget every year, and need to continue so they are maintained properly. We need to continue to maintain our roads. If we don’t the cost to the municipality will become an uncontrollable expense.” 

“If we were to stop maintaining our roads the next generation would have this huge expense and be something the municipality would never be able to catch up on,” continued Mr. Noland. 

Mr. Noland served on the new Burpee and Mills council when the township amalgamated (Burpee and Mills), “From 1998-2000, when I was first on council, it was after the amalgamation of the township. I wanted to make sure that Mills township was well represented and had a strong voice on council.”

Mr. Noland said the municipal council has over the years supported two major projects at the Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport with the runway and new terminal building projects funded through grants and taxes. “We have also secured millions of dollars in funding not only for the airport, but for example roads, renovations and expansion of our community complex, municipal office, fire trucks and the fire hall over the years.”

“We have also built up a healthy reserve in our budget finances, so that we have our share of funding when government projects become available for us to participate in to benefit the township,” said Mr. Noland.

“I have held the position of reeve since 2001,” said Mr. Noland. “I have enjoyed my time on council and serving the residents of the township.”

“We’ve always had phenomenal councils over the years,” said Mr. Noland. “The people that have served on our councils have been committed and dedicated to serving the taxpayers of Burpee and Mills. All these years I’ve represented Burpee and Mills on council we have always had phenomenal people, who have always had the best interest of the municipality and its taxpayers foremost in their mind. They have always worked well and if I am elected again my focus will be to help look after the best interests of the municipality, its residents/taxpayers.”