First debate for Ward 1 candidates
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

The people aspiring to serve Ward 1 on Caledon council got to present their views to the public for the first time at an all-candidates meeting Friday night at the Inglewood Community Centre.

They were also joined on stage by the mayoral candidates who were attending their fourth all-candidates meeting.

The Ward 1 candidates were first asked to give their vision for Inglewood and the Town of Caledon.

Incumbent Regional Councillor Richard Paterak noted they're located within the Niagara Escarpment Plan and Greenbelt Plan. The Greenbelt Plan speaks to growth with only incremental growth every 10 years. He added there's 30,000 acres that has to be planned carefully. He urged voters to elect people who represent the entire Town and who are forward thinking and progressive.

His challenger for the regional councillor position, Jim Pattison, said unsustainable farmland is the result of growth. He vowed Town staff will be accountable to council and he will attend any town hall meetings. He also wants to stop cost overruns and work with the local businesses.

The three men seeking the Ward 1 area councillor position include Tim Forster, Doug Beffort and John Martin.

Forster was pleased with the improvements that have been made in Inglewood including the traffic calming that's in place and the designation of the railway tracks. He said the next four to five years look great for Inglewood. He added Caledon needs transportation corridors and he sees the Bolton arterial roads being completed within four years.

Beffort said the Places To Grow initiative tells them where growth will be. He would like Caledon to attract green industries. For Inglewood, he said street lights, roads and recreation need to be looked at. He added Inglewood is a destination point that must be cleaned up.

Martin noted the issues affecting Ward 1 include traffic, water quality and sprawl. He believes they need creativity in their decision making and he would like all the public engaged in the process. He urged voters to elect someone they can trust not to let them down.

All the candidates were asked if they will honour the sidewalk and road upgrades planned for Inglewood.

"Yes, I will keep all the infrastructure upgrades," said mayoral candidate Garry Moore.

He added there's always the opportunity to tweak things and they have involved the experts.

"Of course I would honour the commitment," said incumbent Mayor Marolyn Morrison.

She explained it's best to do the upgrades in conjunction with the sewer work.

"Inglewood has need a facelift for a long time and it's finally, finally going to happen," she said.

The third mayoral candidate, Norm Calder, noted the Town was faced with a similar crisis in Caledon East when he was mayor from 1992 to 1994. They not only put in the new sewers, but provided for streetscaping as

well. He definitely supports the upgrades for Inglewood which will benefit residents and tourists.

Pattison said he wants Inglewood to function good and is 100 per cent behind the upgrades.

Paterak said he's made the commitment before and agreed with Calder a precedent was set in Caledon East.

Martin said he's totally committed to finishing off the upgrades.

Beffort said he will make it unanimous. He wants to lobby the province for more infrastructure money.

"I'm pretty good at lobbying," he said.

Forster said it's important for all the villages to have the charm put back in and he's committed to these upgrades.

The mayoral candidates were asked what kind of ambassador will they be outside of the community.

Calder noted he was a founding member of the Greater Toronto Area mayors committee which had a tremendous rapport and drove its agenda forward. He also made a few presentations at Queen's Park and helped defeat plans for a dump in Bolton.

Morrison pointed out she has 18 years of political experience. In May 2004 she was integral in the startup of the GTA Mayors Countryside Alliance and

had three meetings with Minister John Gerretsen regarding the greenbelt legislation. Changes to the legislation came about because of their lobbying, she said.

"I'm down at Queen's Park all the time," she added.

Moore believes they need professionalism and leadership in a mayor, and if he's elected he's sure people will be happy with the results. He said if voters send new people to office they get things done. People who can read and research can lobby, he added.