Just like the sand in the hour glass, time is running out for Councillor Barry Dalrymple as the representative on HRM regional council for Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley.
Some will be happy to see Dalrymple’s two term (eight years) tenure come to an end, but I know there are many that won’t. Those are the people that appreciated what he did for the community. In politics, as in life, it’s hard to please everyone.
All that stands between Dalrymple being an incumbent councillor representing the Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley area, and electing in one of six relative greenhorns into HRM municipal council are three months. Outside of Steve Streatch, the other five are newbies so to speak with regards to municipal politics.
With three months to go, the six candidates—Streatch; Alison McNair; Colin Castle; Trevor Lawson; Cathy Deagle-Gammon; and Steve Sinnott—have been busy getting out to events and meeting people they hope to represent.
In the next three months, the campaigning, promises, listening, and event attendance by the candidates will likely ramp up, and that is the perfect opportunity to let them hear your concerns, give them your feedback on what you would like them to see.
And let them know the issues—there are more that the winning candidate will need to focus on than some would like to think.
While I have interviewed all of them and their stories have been printed either in the paper or online on our website at TheLaker.ca, there hasn’t been a clear cut picture as to what they will bring, what their platforms you could say, are. That will play a part in the decision making of the voters from the riding.
Being a councillor is more than just attending meetings at City Hall—although some would think that’s all it’s about. It’s about doing things, supporting community groups/organizations, advocating for the needs of your community.
Without Councillor Barry Dalrymple advocating for the youth of the community, would we have the amount of new playgrounds in the riding that we do? If he didn’t advocate about the condition of bridges in the riding that needed replacing do you think HRM would have looked at them all or have said “well, we’ll only do two or three.” That could have been the case.
Fire stations in Meagher’s Grant and Grand Lake could have closed if he—along with other councillors—didn’t push HRM Fire to keep them open. Had they closed, finding the money to operate and keep them open would have been left on the shoulders of volunteers.
Heck, without Councillor Dalrymple steadfast support of his residents could we have easily seen the proposed Fall River quarry already up and running five years ago? It could have gone through without as much as a whisper if he wasn’t on the side of those against it. At least I think it could.
Whichever one of the six candidates earns the council seat based on the voters’ decision on Oct. 15, they will need to know they have big shoes to fill in replacing Dalrymple. And all the eyes of the residents will be on them to hold them accountable as they should.
Hopefully, the residents hear enough from them all to make an informed decision on their choice when they go to the ballot box.
Pat Healey
