Hope Restored at City Hall – Editorial by Julia Lucio

Cornwall has finally wrapped up its political season and what an interesting outcome it has been!

Four years ago, during the campaign, we heard a lot of talks about change, but the fact of the matter is that things remained pretty stagnant, so when change was spoken of again this time, I didn’t quite pay attention.

However, Cornwall was serious! The people have spoken. With a new mayor and 5 new names around the council table, I’m sure things at City Hall will definitely be shaken up.

Another race that has been closely followed is the one in South Stormont. It seems this wind of change also transpired there as a new mayor was elected as well.

A big issue with the old council has been transparency… Or the lack thereof. Will the new council implement measures to ensure issues are not swept under the carpet? Will they run this city with integrity and high moral values? I am hopeful they will.

A few surprises:

Mayor Kilger not returning. I must admit, I was not prepared for this mainly because everybody I had spoken to–and I speak to a lot of people–was on Kilger’s side. I spent this campaign defending O’Shaugnessy because all I kept hearing was “he dropped off council, he’s a quitter”, so when came Monday, and Leslie was leading, I couldn’t believe it. A lot of people say he won because there was no better option. I disagree. I feel O’Shaugnessy is ready and will stir council in the right direction. I think he will be a positive change.

Guy St-Jean not making the top 10. – I will be blunt here. I think Guy is a fabulous individual who is outspoken, caring, fair and who would have been a great asset to city council and I hate to think that, dare I even say it, his sexual orientation had anything to do with the fact that he landed in 11th place instead of, say, 4th. If this is the case, it is predjudice, ignorant, backward and has no place in society in this day and age. If this is the main reason you didn’t vote for him, shame on you!

Stephanie White getting close to 2000 votes even though she had dropped out of the race. I have no idea who Stephanie White is, but apparently, 1910 Cornwallites do and voted for her. She finished ahead of 6 very capable candidates. It is a shame because those votes could have gone elsewhere and ultimately changed the outcome. Oh well…

Accolades

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who reads my editorial weekly. Over the last little while, I’ve received so many kudos about the topics and the fresh perspective that I tackle each week. It’s encouraging to know that you are in fact enjoying our words. Being the only female newspaper editor in the region is definitely a challenge, so if you are a male reader and have comments, I would love to hear from you also. It’s easy, just comment below!