Municipal elections are October 26 in Ontario. To help voters make an informed decision here in Cornwall, the editorial board of The Seeker has put together 10 questions for candidates seeking a seat at the municipal council table, whether as Councillor or as Mayor. To ensure fairness, the same questions were sent to every candidate. We sent a total of 10 and they had the option to answer all of them, or pick a minimum of 5. Their answers will be published in their entirety, in the order they are received. We will not edit, correct or modify any responses.
These are Mary Jane Proulx’s Answers. She is running for councillor.
Who are you? Where are you from? What education do you have? What relevant experience do you have?
My name is Mary Jane Proulx, born and raised in Cornwall. I worked for the mentally challenged for 25 years and now I am retired. I Went to General Vanier High School and Algonquin College.
I have no experience at all, but I do know right from wrong. And that is why a certain employer has a Gag Order on me because I exposed someone.
Why are you running for City Council? What is the most important issue facing the City of Cornwall today.
I have ran for City Council 2x before for the feral cat problem, because Cornwall was the worst City in Canada for feral cats. Because I was running, I was asked to do a Documentary – Running Wild Cats of Cornwall.
This time running, I am showing my support for 2 women from Cornwall who were violated by a male employee. And he wasn’t fired but a Gag Order was put on me. How this went down absoultely blows my mind.
You ask – this has nothing to do with this City. But this happened in our City and I don’t want to see this happen again.
When it comes to Women’s Rights and Animal Rights. I will always speak up!
Most important issue that I see is – we can never have another Arts Center blunder again. Waste of money, could have been done cheaper for sure.
We constantly hear about the Arts Centre and the water meters. Many residents have expressed the view that these were bad decisions on Council’s part. Both projects are being implemented, but they remain a sore spot for some voters. Would you consider revisiting or changing decisions made on those projects?
8 years ago when I ran for Council the 1st time, they gave us a tour of the Arts Center. I was the only one not to take the tour. At that time it was 5 million dollars and they didn’t have one cent in the budget for the feral cat problem. And I was protesting it! Now I am told the Arts Center is 20 million. How did we get here???
Water meters is a Yes for me, because I am a environmentalist. We have to do better for the Planet and that is one reason why I am Vegan. Climate change is real!!!
Health care is primarily a Provincial responsibility but access to Healthcare is a major concern for Cornwall residents. What can the City of Cornwall realistically do to help improve Healthcare access and would you make it a priority as Counsellor?
I am one of the lucky ones to have a Doctor. And going into town, I always see a line up at the Pitt St clinic. That’s a good thing, people are using that clinic. Saying that, another clinic would be great to have.
Other Provinces have a Doctor shortage as well so we just have to deal with it until the City can aquire more Doctors that would be a priority for me.
The times I have gone to the Hospital for my vertigo, I had excellent care. And a few times I had to wait 12 hours but that was ok.
Many residents are concerned about crime, vandalism, drug use and a general decline in their sense of safety. What can the City realistically do to address these concerns and where should Municipal responsibility end and Provincial or Federal responsibility begin?
Safety to me means Common Sense. Always be aware of your surroundings. And I realize sometimes that isn’t enough, but always listen to your instincts!
If you have a garage put your car in the garage. House doors locked all the time and a motion light outside. I also know alot of people have cameras, that is a good thing.
I’m seeing a lot of cars being broken into in certain Cornwall groups. Maybe the Police can patrol those areas more.
In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to do these things, but it’s not perfect.
Those are my 5 questions that I have answered to the best of my ability. Thank you.
Vote for Mary Jane Proulx for supporting 2 Women.
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