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Central park chair stands for deputy-mayor role

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In Collingwood
Jun 10th, 2014
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By Morgan Ian Adams, Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin

(editor’s note: Full disclosure — the writer has a personal relationship with the subject of this story, and is involved with him on one of the organizations mentioned.)

COLLINGWOOD — The former chair of the Central Park Steering Committee will be campaigning for the role of deputy-mayor.

Brian Saunderson announced Tuesday that he would be filing to run this October, challenging incumbent Rick Lloyd for the job; Saunderson intended to visit town hall Wednesday morning to submit his paperwork.

Saunderson, who is now a lawyer, represented Canada in the Olympics in the sport of rowing in 1988 and 1992, and won silver at the 1990 World Rowing Championships with Canada’s men’s eight.

“I plan to give the position of Deputy-mayor the dedication and energy needed to help turn Collingwood around and get our community moving forward in a sensible, strategic and sustainable way,” said Saunderson, 52. “We need a council that has vision, leadership and a cohesive plan to advance the interests of our community.

“Collingwood deserves a municipal government that is open, accessible and accountable to the people it represents.”

Educated at the University of Ottawa, and called to the Bar in 1996, Saunderson moved with his wife and three sons to Collingwood in 2001. He became involved with the Rotary Club and the United Way of South Georgian Bay, and currently is vice-president on the board of directors of E3 Community Services, an organization that works with developmentally-disabled individuals. He was also chair of the chair of fundraising and sponsorship for the 2012 Ontario Winter Games hosted in Collingwood, and exceeded the fundraising target for the Games by approximately $100,000.

Saunderson is also the founding commodore of the Collingwood Dragon Boat and Canoe Club.

In 2011, Saunderson was appointed to the Central Park Steering Committee and named co-chair. After council set aside the Central Park committee’s recommendation to build a multi-use facility in partnership with the Collingwood YMCA, and opted instead to construct two fabric membrane structures, Saunderson was part of the formation of a group that evolved into the Better Together Collingwood ratepayers’ group.

Saunderson said while he was disappointed with the outcome of the Central Park process, what ultimately intrigued him was the public process.

“We saw a huge amount of public interest and input,” said Saunderson, noting the website, public meetings, and numerous stakeholder sessions held in the lead-up to the presentation of the report to council. “What I took away from the experience was the public engagement… it was the part of the process I found engaging and rewarding.”

It was the work of Better Together Collingwood that put it — and Saunderson — at odds with the municipal council, especially after the group published the results of a survey conducted online that showed a high level of dissatisfaction with council among the survey’s respondents. A motion, put forward by Councillor Kevin Lloyd, called for Saunderson to come before council and explain the survey, as well as explain the mandate of the group and what his role was — as well as the group’s membership.

Lloyd eventually withdrew his motion.

Saunderson said the purpose of the group is also as a vehicle for public engagement and “getting people involved.”

Saunderson says he and his campaign team will be setting up a “Listening Tour” to better understand the critical issues of the residents.

“So far we know that the issues centre on jobs, financial sustainability, a community plan for the future and greater integrity in our local government,” he stated in a news release. “Putting Collingwood first is a two-way dialogue; we need to hear from our residents what their issues and priorities are to properly address those concerns and build a stronger community with a sense of pride and cohesion.”

Saunderson said the ‘tour’ will be designed as a series of ‘town hall’ meetings in small settings.

“We want to get feedback and input about what people see as concerns and issues… it’s a dialogue (with) residents, and we haven’t seen a lot of that.”

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