Ontario municipal elections are scheduled for Monday, October 24th, 2022.

The Big Basswood Lake Association encourages all eligible members to vote in the upcoming October 24 Huron Shores municipal elections.  Voting for candidates who support BBLA interests is the single most important action you can take to ensure that Big Basswood Lake is a top priority on the municipal agenda.

The board of directors urges all eligible BBLA members to make their voices heard in this election and believes it's time to elect a council that will represent our interests as Huron Shores taxpayers.

If you have already closed-up your cottage for the season, you can still cast your vote by phone or online. For complete instructions on voting electronically along with helpful videos to walk you through the process, please visit:

https://huronshores.ca/your-government/council/elections/ 

The criteria for eligibility in the election are as follow:

• Canadian citizens 18 years of age or older
  
  
• Property owners and spouses of property owners – seasonal or year-round – within the municipality of Huron Shores are eligible to vote.This includes tenants who are leasing/renting property within the municipality.  Note that if you are a seasonal property owner, you are eligible to vote within each jurisdiction in Ontario where you own property.  If you happen own multiple properties within the same municipality, you are only eligible to vote once in the election.

All eligible voters should have already received a voter instruction letter in the mail from Huron Shores.  The letter includes all the information you need; the voting period, your PIN, how you can vote, where to go for electronic voting assistance, and on the back is information such as what qualifies you to vote in a municipal election, acceptable identification required to add someone to the voters’ list, etc.  Electors must bring this letter with them if they choose to vote electronically at the Municipal Office.

If you did not receive this letter and/or the information is incorrect, please contact the Huron Shores municipal office via email: email@huronshores.ca. 

Some of the issues to top issues for BBLA members include:

1. Improvements to waste management and cleanup of the dump facilities – particularly in Ward 1 and 2
   
   
2. Reinstatement of the private road grants that were retroactively phased out in the spring of 2021, with no prior consultation with private roads committees and no consideration of the value that the maintenance of our private roads provides to taxpayers and the municipality at-large.
   
   
3. By-law and official plan enforcement for trailer parks within the municipality. To our knowledge, the incumbent councilors and the mayor have not provided any guidance to municipal staff on this matter over the past term.This enforcement policy should ensure proper coordination with Algoma Public Health, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and a by-law enforcement officer, on sewage disposal, water supply, shoreline density and setbacks. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) must also be contacted to review the assessments of all structures within trailer parks.
   
   
4. Careful consideration of the proportion of taxes being paid by Big Basswood Lake property owners. Municipal property taxes have increased by up to 30% over the past four-year term of the incumbent Mayor and Co More judicious use of our tax dollars for services that are important to Big Basswood Lake residents is critical.  This includes a transparent and open annual consultation process with the constituents of Huron Shores.  Each member of the next council should also carefully consider the impact of the upcoming MPAC market value reassessment, currently scheduled for 2024. Council must ensure that the mil rate is reduced to keep property taxes in line with a carefully planned and executed municipal budget.
   
   
5. Active support of the environmental stewardship of Big Basswood Lake and it’s watershed.Examples include septic inspections and active municipal involvement in policing lakeside trailer parks, as previously noted.

Need More Details on Voting?

If you are you a first-time voter in Huron Shores municipal elections and have questions regarding voter registration and/or voting online, contact BBLA chairman Larry Allcorn (lallcorn@bell.net) and we try to connect you with additional resources.

The Candidates and Ward Leaders

Since the Municipality of Huron Shores is still operating under a modified ward system (6 councilors to be elected within 4 Wards) and all of the properties on Big Basswood Lake are within either Ward 1 or Ward 2, you will be asked to vote as follows:

Cast one vote for Mayor from the following 2 candidates:

• Matt Seabrook
• George Bilodeau (Incumbent)

Also, if your property is in Ward 1 (far west end of Big Basswood Lake):

Vote for one of the following counsellors running in Ward 1:

• Roger Mulligan
• Darlene Walsh (Incumbent)

And one of the following counsellors running in Ward 1 and 2

• David Ratz
• Blair MacKinnon (Incumbent)

Similarly, if your property is in Ward 2: (encompassing all but the far west end of Big Basswood Lake)

Vote for one of the following counsellors running in Ward 2:

• Peter Falk (Big Basswood Lake resident)
• Boe Eldner

And one of the following counsellors running in Ward 1 and 2

• Roger Mulligan
• Darlene Walsh (Incumbent)

As mentioned at the outset, we believe that it is important to vote for a progressive council which will take action in the best interest of ratepayers on Big Basswood Lake.  Based on our experience in dealing with the municipality over the past term, and meeting and discussions with candidates, we believe that it is important to vote for change in this election. If you have any questions on the candidates or their platforms, we encourage you to contact them directly or to contact one of the BBLA board members for further thoughts on the candidate’s platforms.