Westlake-Gladstone Sees A Boom in Candidates After Troubling Term

An estimated 300-400 residents packed Stride Hall to see fourteen candidates vie for the six positions on Council, as well as two others for the position of Mayor. The election forum was organised by the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and to accommodate the number of participants saw a format that allowed each candidate to give an opening statement as well as answer one question from the public.

Questions were collected from the public as they entered the hall and were all entered into a draw bag from which the moderator drew a random question for each candidate. Questions were vetted before being asked and some were deemed unsuitable, which prompted some complaints from the assembled crowd. The moderator made it very clear that no questions would be asked directly regarding any actions of the previous council, whether confirmed or rumoured, and that questions should be regarding the candidate’s plans moving forward.

Those actions include nearly $500,000 in municipal funds that went missing, attributed to cyber fraud, the approval of a hog finishing operation despite substantial opposition, and alleged conflict of interest regarding a land sale. At least some of the evidence was credible enough that the province has called for a special audit of the municipality, though they also caution not to make any slanderous accusations regarding the missing money.

Mention of the audit at least was on the table, with multiple candidates indicating they would welcome the audit and provide no barriers to its execution. The other hot-button issue was a return to the ward system. When the Town of Gladstone amalgamated with the Municipalities of Westbourne and Lakeview to form the new Municipality of Westlake-Gladstone, the ward system, which ensures representation from all parts of the municipality, was abandoned. That, residents suggested, resulted in disproportionate representation from the Town of Gladstone, further resulting in decisions that didn’t benefit the rest of the municipality. Several candidates indicated their support for a return to the ward system, and for some it was the only thing they spoke about during the forum.

While the forum was not necessarily contentious, it is safe to say that some pointed comments were made by several candidates regarding the current situation, whether it was to stress their position on the audit and open communications, or whether it was from current Council members running for reelection who defended their choices. With few opportunities to speak, some candidates felt it was difficult to fully express their position, however others took up less than 30 seconds of their allowed 3-minute introduction and hung their candidacy on a single issue.

The 2022 Municipal election will be held on October 26.