Veteran Cookstown councillor running for deputy mayor

Time right to seek higher public office, Dollin decides

By Bruce Hain Innisfil Journal

The municipal election race — still nine months distant — has already taken a significant twist.

Lynn Dollin, 20-year councillor for Ward 7, has announced her intention to seek the deputy mayor’s seat Monday, Oct. 27.

Dollin said the time is right to seek higher office and help represent Innisfil at Simcoe County Council.

Dollin said the sale of her Cookstown retail business will allow her more time to focus on the town-wide position.

“That frees me up a lot,” she said. “I know it’s early to declare but I’ve made up my mind and I don’t like being elusive when people ask what I’m going to do.”

Dollin said she also declared early to give potential Ward 7 candidates time to weigh their options now that the ward no longer has an incumbent to challenge.

“I just want (the new councillor) to be someone who is going to be passionate,” she said.

Dollin emphasized her decision is no reflection on current Deputy Mayor Dan Davidson.

“I have a great deal of respect for Dan,” she said. “Out of respect I let him know what I would be doing ahead of time. I’m running for something not against someone.”

As deputy mayor Dollin would have to cover more ground and looks forward to meeting more voters in the sprawling municipality.

“My big push is to make sure we don’t ignore the basic core services like roads, sidewalks and water,” she said.

Dollin’s decision not to run for higher office four years ago set the stage for rookie councillor Dan Davidson to challenge Bill Van Berkel for the vacant deputy mayor’s chair. Davidson, the owner of a restaurant on Big Bay Point, defeated the more politically experienced Van Berkel by more than 900 votes. Now, Davidson, who has not yet declared his electoral intentions, may square off against his current council colleague.

“Anyone has the right to put their name in,” Davidson told the Journal. “I knew she was doing that. She’s (Dollin) has had trouble with all the changes at council in the past four years. I can see they want to get rid of me.”

Davidson added he’s in no rush to make a decision about his candidacy.

“I probably am going to run,” he says. “I’m going to wait and see who else might jump into the race.”

He believes there’s a movement among some of his colleagues to “take council backwards. I try to think outside the box.”

Davidson said, “I want to continue and see Innisfil 2020 come to fruition.”

“It will be an interesting year,” Davidson promises.

So far, Rob Nicol, who ran in 2010 is the only candidate for Ward 7, which is now up for grabs.

Nicol says he didn’t initially intend to challenge Dollin four years ago, but municipal boundary changes placed him in her district.

“I applaud her decision to run for deputy mayor,” Nicol says. “I’m very happy for her.”

While he had no inkling Dollin was intending to run for higher office, Nicol filed his papers early in January because, “I wanted to let people know I’m dedicated to (representing Ward 7). I want to make sure the whole ward is represented.”

A sales manager for Moosehead Brewery for 10 years, Nicol’s territory extends north from Hwy. 9 to Parry Sound, a geographic benefit he says he considered while contemplating running again.

In 2010, Nicol lost to Dollin by about 700 votes.

“I got a third of the vote last time,” Nicol says, acknowledging Dollin enjoyed substantial name recognition at the polls.

Nicol brings strong volunteer credentials to the plate.

He is president of the Shore Acres Ratepayers Association and has also served as chairperson of Gilford’s Community Hall board of directors. Municipally, he is serving as vice chairperson of the Town of Innisfil’s lot maintenance and sign by-law committee.

“We re-wrote and updated a lot of the Town’s bylaws over the last term of council,” he says.

Dollin is the chairperson of the Drinking Water Source Protection Committee in central Ontario, a 22-member organization charged with the task of ensuring municipal water sources are protected from overuse and contamination.

Dollin has also been elected to represent the interests of the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM) at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

— with files from Rick Vanderlinde