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With the Greenbelt as their backyard, the environment is top of mind for voters in York-Simcoe

Thestar.com
May 31, 2018
Noor Javed

The residents of York-Simcoe say they are used to being ignored.

With the booming and populous cities of Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill to the south, York-Simcoe seems sometimes to be lost in the shadows.

The Tory flip-flop on opening up the Greenbelt for development was felt in the riding of York-Simcoe. “The people in the town of Georgina and Lake Simcoe are very strong supporters of protecting the lake, and surrounding forests, wetlands, and farmlands,” says one resident.

“We’re almost like the poor cousin of York Region,” said resident Megan Houston, who lives in Jackson’s Point in Georgina. “I find that north York Region has a tendency to be forgotten about in a lot of ways ... when it comes to funding for education, funding for public transportation and infrastructure projects,” she said.

So when Caroline Mulroney, daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, announced her bid for the Tory leadership and the Progressive Conservative seat in the riding back in February, residents said they hoped her high profile would bring some attention to the issues that matter in this GTA community.

The riding comprises the municipalities of Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Innisfil and Bradford, an area dotted with subdivisions, farmland and cottages along Lake Simcoe. Top of mind for many residents are the protection of the environment, infrastructure and the improvement of social programs for low-income residents.

“This a very mixed riding: lots of small businesses, lots of farmers,” said Houston. “Then there is Lake Simcoe, which is ecologically important to our community [and] a tourism driver,” she said. “And as more people move up from the city, there is a need for more infrastructure and more support in arts and culture,” she said.

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But notwithstanding Mulroney’s celebrity, this typically blue riding appears, like much of the province, far from decided. Both residents and candidates say the race could be close -- as the Liberal and NDP candidates have held municipal positions for years and are well known in the community.

“Everybody seems to be of mixed opinions. I’m actually not sure how the riding is going to go this year,” said Houston. “If you had asked me two years ago ... I wouldn’t have said anything other but blue,” she said.

Loralea Carruthers, who served as the chair of the York Region District School Board, was at the helm when the board faced issues of racism and unrest among staff. As a trustee for 15 years representing East Gwillimbury, Carruthers has been credited by many for her leadership in bringing the board out of crisis.

Carruthers also ran in the 2014 election, and narrowly lost to long-time Tory incumbent Julia Munro

Dave Szollosy, the NDP candidate, has been a three-term councillor in the Town of Georgina and is known as a long-time activist.

Mulroney, whose family owns a home in the riding, is a regular at community events, say residents. She received an endorsement from Munro, which Houston said was “important to many long-term Conservative supporters.”

Jack Gibbons, who has long been working to save the provincially significant wetlands in Georgina, said many in the riding are carefully considering not only the candidates’ experience and qualities, but also their positions on policy, particularly on the environment.

“The big issue for many is which party will save the North Gwillimbury Forest, and which party will take up measures to protect Lake Simcoe and protect the water quality of the Lake,” said Gibbons. “All the politicians say they love Lake Simcoe, but not all of them are willing to do the actual things that are necessary to protect the lake and watershed,” he said.

Gibbons says the Tory flip-flop on opening up the Greenbelt for development was acutely felt in the riding. “The people in the town of Georgina and Lake Simcoe are very strong supporters of protecting the lake, and surrounding forests, wetlands, and farmlands. There is overwhelming support for it,” he said.

Mulroney says residents in the area are concerned “that life is getting increasingly unaffordable under Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals. People want affordable hydro, better infrastructure, good paying jobs, and accessible health care,” she said.

Carruthers, meanwhile, is pushing for new infrastructure. She wants to see a Hwy. 400 to Hwy. 404 link, which would run across the Bradford. “This community really needs that,” she said.

Szollosy says that many residents also want to see the closure of the Thane smelter, which residents fear has polluted the adjacent wetlands and seeped into the groundwater. He says that the riding needs an “activist” who can “advocate” for the riding.

Robin Mae Legault, a resident of Keswick, who voted in the early polls last week, said as a resident in low-income housing, she chose the party she felt would enhance social and subsidized programs like pharmacare and dental care.

At the end of the day, she says it’s important people get informed: “It’s so important for people to vote, and to know what they are voting for. Do research on each platform, and know what you’re voting for. People just don’t know.”