• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Jarratt rally an upbeat start for Agnew campaign

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In Agriculture
Sep 9th, 2018
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Oro-Medonte mayoral candidate Sandy Agnew and supporter Susan Woods share a joke at a campaign rally yesterday. -AWARE Simcoe photo

Oro-Medonte mayoral candidate Sandy Agnew and supporter Susan Woods share a joke at a campaign rally yesterday. -AWARE Simcoe photo

By Kate Harries AWARE News Network

Around 50 people turned out for a good-humoured and optimistic rally to launch Sandy Agnew’s campaign for the mayoralty of Oro-Medonte.

A member of council for four years – 2006-2010 – Agnew has spent the last eight years working at the local, county and provincial levels to promote sound planning and development that only gets approved if it delivers a net benefit to residents, as well as support for the farming community.

“Farmland is far more than just land waiting to be developed,” he told the crowd.

Two others are running for the position of O-M mayor: incumbent Harry Hughes, and councillor John Crawford.

 

 

 

 

A life-long environmentalist committed to the protection of water, Agnew has worked with many groups. He is a founding member of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition. He has been a member of the boards of AWARE Simcoe and AWARE Oro-Medonte. He was a member of the Zero Waste Ontario committee that held conferences in 2014 and 2017 at Lakehead University in Orillia. He and his partner Lynne are active members of the Oro-Medonte Horticultural Society. More information can be found at agnew4ommayor.ca.

Agnew is also a strong advocate of government openness and accountability. He promised to ensure there is meaningful involvement of residents and community organizations in the decision-making process – both at the local and county levels.

Several people who have taken positions with his campaign spoke to Agnew’s integrity and sense of purpose. Among them were Paul Sanderson (who sounded the alarm in 2016 over the township’s paving over a wetland to make a parking lot – the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority ordered the work reversed); former O-M resident Susan Woods, who has returned to support Agnew; Bernard Pope, prominent member of several agricultural organizations; and retired OPP inspector Irena Lawrenson.

One of those to have sent in a testimonial is David Crombie, former Toronto mayor and federal Progressive Conservative cabinet member, now chair of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council.

“I know Sandy Agnew through his work as chair of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition,” Crombie says. “Clearly a man of principle, Sandy’s grasp of the issues of the day, particularly those concerning water, farmland and natural heritage impressed us all. I know he will provide excellent leadership and stewardship as mayor of Oro-Medonte Township. You can depend on him.”

2 Responses to “Jarratt rally an upbeat start for Agnew campaign”

  1. Don Morgan says:

    As Chair of AWARE Simcoe, I have to give Sandy a thumbs up for his integrity. His leadership as mayor of Oro-Medonte and particularly at County Council will give a voice to positive governance. Governance which is people oriented.

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