Downtown a hot topic in Penetanguishene

Council candidates share views before packed house
Nicole Million Simcoe.com Oct 08, 2010
PENETANGUISHENE – Downtown revitalization, high taxes, economic development and saving the high school were among the chief concerns during an all-candidates meeting in Penetanguishene on Oct. 6.
More than 200 people packed the Brian Orser Hall at the arena as 21 candidate shared their thoughts on the town’s future.
“Many of the candidates have spoken on the downtown core, and I feel very passionate about it,” said Anne Murphy, who is running for re-election in Ward 2, citing the town’s facade improvement program as a key initiative to improving the look of the downtown.
Ward 1 candidate Helen Luzius, meanwhile, criticized what she called the town’s economic reliance on homeowners to foot the bill for the municipality.
“We need to do more to encourage commercial and industrial growth,” she said. “If we can bring in the economic growth, give businesses the tools to do what they need to do, and encourage new industry and commerce, it will … give us the money we need to fund our infrastructure issue and also make our downtown a vibrant community.”
When asked how he would deal with high residential tax rates, Ward 2 candidate Jamie Robitaille agreed it is important to get the burden off homeowners by attracting more business and industry.
“It’s tough right now on residential homeowners because we’re just getting burdened with everything and it’s not real fair,” he said. “We have to bring more to this town. We have lots to offer, and we need to show people what we have and how we can benefit their business.
Ward 1 candidate Debbie Levy said the burden on residents is due to the town’s lack of an industrial base.
“We all talk about bringing back industry to Penetanguishene, but, unfortunately, we really can’t bring it back – not heavy industry, at least,” she said, adding the town’s industrial park sits atop a wellhead protection area. “We can’t keep talking about industry. We’ve been talking about it for 20 years and getting nowhere.”
Levy said what needs to be done is to rezone the industrial park as a business park, which would open up more opportunities.
“We could open up very light manufacturing, commercial, we could have massage therapists – the good kind, mind you – doctors, dentists and, if the plans for the downtown core work out, it could be very much to our benefit to have some of the service industry move to that area.”
Also under the category of growth and economic development, several candidates mentioned the importance of securing provincial designation as a joint urban growth node with Midland.
“That’s a huge issue we need to work vehemently to get them to change their mind,” said Ward 2 hopeful Christopher Burns, adding he also want to see the downtown revitalized. “Tourists aren’t in the suburbs. They’re downtown spending money in our businesses. We need sustainable growth, smart growth, and we need to get people coming here and spending their money.”
Incumbent mayor Anita Dubeau agreed in order for the town to move into the future, it needs that growth node designation.
“The fear is that we will not qualify for infrastructure dollars. That is extremely important for a small community like ours. If we don’t get that designation, I am afraid of what may happen 20 years from now” she said, adding a vibrant downtown core is also vital to the town’s success. “We must continue to preserve our small-town quaintness. We also need to have a buy-in from our downtown core. We have brought programs forward to help with revitalization, but we certainly need more efforts in that direction.”
Ward 2 candidate Dennis McEntee suggested only a change on council can help the town address its problems.
“This town really needs to have a good hard look at itself and ask what we really want to be. If we think we have a problem attracting doctors, we have just as big a problem attracting industry,” he stated. “We are not the only municipality that is trying to attract industry. We need to seize on the opportunities we have. We have unlimited potential to build a town as a prime tourist destination.”
McEntee pointed to Collingwood as an example of a small municipality that has capitalized on its surroundings in order to become a top tourist destination.
“They were a shipbuilding town. If you drive through Collingwood, they’ve paved those streets with gold. We could be the Collingwood of Georgian Bay. We could be the Niagara-on-the-Lake of Southern Georgian Bay, and we’re sitting watching the town slowly slide backwards.”
Despite the Simcoe County District School Board’s decision this past spring to keep Penetanguishene Secondary School open, many residents are concerned the risk of closure still exists. Those worries prompted several comments and questions about what candidates would do to help save the school.
“Keeping PSS here ties deeply into some of the issues that I, as a 33-year-old woman in this town, am facing. I have very few peers my age in the area, and I think starting at the younger generation is a way to bring my peers and other people in their 30s and 40s back to this area,” said Ward 1 candidate Erin Chapelle.
“A lot of people leave here and don’t come back until they’re ready to retire. They haven’t been given that civic pride that asks them to come home and bring their skills from university here.”
She said on top of lobbying and advocating through council, it’s important to get into the school and ask students what they need.
“They are the voice. They are the reason we lobbied for it. They’re stakeholders and have every reason to be involved in the choice to keep PSS here,” she said. “Keeping civic pride in that age group is the first step in keeping the school here.”