Patterson as Mayor - Success or Failure?

I encourage voters to take a hard look at Cal Patterson's campaign website before they cast their vote in this election. www.calpatterson.com I did, and I was shocked at some of the things that Patterson claims he has done over the years, and how he tries to take credit for everything good, but fails to mention all the bad he has done as Mayor of Wasaga Beach. Yes I know why would any candidate put anything negative on their campaign website.

Let's start off with his Photo Gallery. http://www.calpatterson.com/index.php?action=display&cat=2
If you scroll through the pictures you will notice that most of the pictures have nothing to do with him being Mayor of Wasaga Beach, but as Warden of Simcoe County.

Now let's move over to his posted list of accomplishments: http://www.calpatterson.com/index.php?action=display&cat=11
What I find interesting is that he tries to take credit for everything that council as a whole has done. Remember he's only one vote on council. One of the kickers for me is this "Approved the development of a commercial node at the Stonebridge Plaza with the opening of Wal-Mart, Boston Pizza, Swiss Chalet, etc. and a commercial node at Mosley and 45th street with the opening of the Superstore, Canadian Tire, retail and banking centre, and the Medical Centre".

He and council back before Stonebridge was developed, were kept in the dark as to what was being done with that land. I remember the uproar from residents when the trees were being removed from the land, and the town knew nothing about what was being done with that area. Patterson even went as far as taking full credit for bringing Wal-Mart to town, when in fact it was the owners of Stonebridge who worked very hard to convince Wal-Mart to open in Wasaga Beach. During the past 2 elections, who's been a major donor to the election campaign of Cal Patterson? that's right it's been the developers of Stonebridge, and the project on 45th street.

Patterson likes to bring up that it was him and him alone who's been able to attract doctors to the community. The fact is that the town offers to set-up doctors in the community by paying for their office space, and enticing them with money to relocate to Wasaga Beach. The taxpayers are the one's who are paying for this, and it's all of council who vote on this, and most matters that require the spending of tax payers money.

Most of the other items he's listed on his accomplishment page is not a result of Patterson's efforts, but that of town staff, and other members of council. While we are on the topic of accomplishments, we should address his failures which are many, but the biggest one is what has taken place at Beach area 1 and 2 since the fire back in 2007. We all know what happens when you team up with the Levy's who also were big donors to Patterson's election campaigns, and his causes around town and the county. It's one of Patterson's biggest failures as Mayor of Wasaga Beach. Business owners, average residents, students who were not paid, suppliers, all got screwed by the Levy's, but he won't admit it was his policies that allowed this to happen. His defense is that he's only one vote on council. Funny how he uses that line when things go wrong, but does not use that same line when good takes place in Wasaga Beach.

In the area of "Visions and Goals" http://www.calpatterson.com/index.php?action=display&cat=12
What really stood out for me was that he talks about how he's helped other families deal with Cancer. I know, and I give him credit for the fact that he donates his time to drive those needing chemo, or radiation treatment to Barrie. What most people don't know is that a once close friend of Patterson who I won't name out of respect for the family, had his wife dying of Cancer, and she needed assistance in getting back and forth for her treatments. At first Patterson would donate his time in helping this family out. All of that changed in 2010 when Patterson found out that the husband was supporting me in my bid to become Mayor. Patterson stopped talking to the family, he stopped driving the wife for her treatments, and all of this because the husband did not agree with Patterson's politics. Patterson put his political career and his need for power ahead of the needs of a family dealing with Cancer.

The bottom line is that the town needs a fresh start, it's needs new blood, and a new vision. It needs a leader who's not hated at Queens Park, who won't put his own political career ahead of the needs and wants of a town that's dying from the lack of proper development at our beach front. Anybody can claim that adding a skate park here, or making our roads wider, is an accomplishment that they are responsible for, but true leadership is actually leading, and not catering to the people or companies that donate their money to your election campaigns, or the causes that you as Mayor support.

When you vote, vote for the candidate you feel can make a difference in the next 4 years. But please vote.

Until next time!

Wasaga Beach Industrial Park? Do we even have one?

Let me first start off by saying that this blog post relates to speculation, and at the time of this posting I don't have solid proof, but rest assured it's being investigated.

How many voters in Wasaga Beach even know that the town has land which is slated as light industrial? How many voters know that while the town owns the land, they don't control the land?

Mario Cortelluchi the owner of Zancor Homes, controls the land which is owned by the town, and Mr. Cortelluchi is entitled to any and all monies from the sale of this land. Say what!!! The taxpayers own the land, and a developer is entitled to the proceeds of the sale of the land!

So after a bit of digging, I was able to find out that the water and sewer lines were installed by Zancor and it ran over budget by close to 1.6 million dollars. The town for whatever reason did not want to pay for it, so it seems that a deal was struck whereby Zancor would receive any monies from the sale by the town of such land.

To me it sounds like a great deal for Zancor, and a bad deal for the town, and the taxpayers. So here are a few more questions.

1.) Who approved this deal?
2.) Where are the minutes from a council meeting where the deal was approved? (I could not find it)
3.) Cortelluchi has donated money to each of Patterson's campaigns for the past several elections, and is this not a conflict of interest?
4.) Cortelluchi has also donated money to Carly's Angles, which is a good thing, but as this is a charity which is ran by the Patterson family, is this not also a conflict of interest?

This all goes back to one of my previous posts about how the developers in town are in the back pocket of the Mayor. Yes I know that developers have always donated to election campaigns, and will continue to do so until the laws are changed. But why is it that these same developers always seem to get great deals from the town?

Yes it's time for a change at town hall, and we need a leader who has promised not to accept donations from developers. We need a leader who won't be making back room deals, and who's transparent and accountable to the taxpayers.

So in closing if anybody has the answers to my questions above please feel free to post your comments, and I will NOT block any comments either positive or negative.

Until next time!

What Makes a Good Mayor?

With voters going to the polls next month all across Ontario to elect their members of council and mayors, one needs to ask themselves "What makes a good mayor?"

In Wasaga Beach you have 3 people running for Mayor. Current Mayor, Cal Patterson is seeking another term, Deputy Mayor, David Foster, is looking to move up to the big chair, and newcomer, Brian Smith is seeking to lead the town for the next 4 years.



Cal Patterson pictured above has been a fixture on town council for nearly 25 years. He started off by serving as a member of council for a few terms, then moved up to Deputy Mayor, and is now seeking his 4th term as Mayor. Politics can be a very funny business, as it sets up "political camps" and placed residents against one another so their candidate can get elected. Being Mayor, means he has a record to defend, and Patterson's record has gotten worse over the years, and Wasaga Beach has suffered because of his lack of leadership in attracting tourists to the town. Since the fire that destroyed most of beach area 1 back in 2007, we've only heard promise after promise being broken by this Mayor. He put his faith in the Levy brothers, and everyone knows how that worked out for the town. Does Cal Patterson know how to play the political game? the answer is a big yes, but does Cal Patterson know how to be a good and effective mayor? the answer is a big no.



Current Deputy Mayor, David Foster is seeking to step up to the big chair and become Mayor of Wasaga Beach. Foster like Patterson has served on council for many years. For Foster unlike Patterson, politics is just a part-time gig for him. He's currently employed with Scotiabank in Wasaga Beach. Foster is actively involved in the community and does a great job in managing his time between attending council meetings and county council meetings, while still having a full time job. Patterson on the other hand is retired and can devote his time to being both Mayor and Warden of Simcoe County. While I do like Foster, I find he's not done much during his time on council both as Deputy Mayor and just a regular member of council. Could it be that he's just one voice with little to no power? or could it be that he just does not have any good ideas, which he could use to rally the other council members to back his vision? To me his neither here or there, and if he does become Mayor of Wasaga Beach would he be able to rally the other members of council to back his ideas?



The 3rd candidate seeking to become Mayor of Wasaga Beach is Brian Smith. Some have said that Smith should first serve his time seeking a position on council before taking a crack at the big chair. I've never understood why people would make such a comment like that. It could be that they support another candidate?, maybe they are scared that an outsider could bring about real change? or maybe they just don't understand how our political system works. All I know about Smith is that he's a very successful business person, and a great family man. Some voters seem to think that being successful in business is not the same as being Mayor. I disagree with that statement, as a mayor of any town or city is considered the "Chairman of the Board" and for a town or city to be successful it needs to be run like a business. Does Wasaga Beach not have a budget they need to follow? Yes they do, just like a business. I find Smith's plan for Wasaga Beach to be a very sensible plan, and one that could work to bring Wasaga Beach back to where it once was before.

In closing voters this time around have 3 very different choices on who they want as their next Mayor. the key is to make sure that everyone who can vote, does vote.

Until next time!

Just to be very clear!

Some people have been very critical and have resorted to insulting myself, and my views on this election. I just want to be very clear with the hundreds of readers who take the time to read my blog postings. I have no intention of running for public office in this election, I feel I can be more vocal as just a regular voter, instead of being a candidate for public office. Now some will continue to insult me and say that "I lost the election to Patterson", He cleaned my clock", I'm a sore loser", and so on and so on. In 2010 nobody had the guts to run against Patterson. I was asked by several well known citizens to throw my hat in the ring so Patterson would be forced to spend money on his campaign, and also so Patterson would not be acclaimed.

My issues with Mayor Cal Patterson has to do with his politics, and not him as a person. unlike Patterson I never attacked him on a personal level like he did to me in 2010 with the 1 hour radio spot he purchased on 97.7the beach. Patterson lacks the vision to move this town forward, as he's had since 2007 when the fire destroyed beach area 1 to do something and has failed. He first got cozy with the Levy brothers, then backed away when they went bankrupt. He failed as a secure creditor in blocking SF Partners who had close ties with the Levy brothers being appointed as the receiver for the bankrupt properties along beach area 1 and other parts around town. SF Partners also hired Dov Levy to manage the properties on their behalf. Nothing like letting the hen back into the hen house.

Some say why do I just go after Patterson and not anybody else? The answer is quite simple, he's the Mayor, he sets the vision for the town, he's the voice and face of the town, and he's the one who has to be held accountable for his actions, and that of the town staff. yes there are other members on council who have questionable connections with developers, but they are not the Mayor.

Some have said because of my public opinions towards Patterson they intend to vote for him because of me. Well we live in a democratic society, and every voter has the freedom to vote for whoever they like, as long as they vote. On the topic of voting, in the last election we had a 27% voter turnout which was the lowest in all of Simcoe County. Now with internet, and telephone voting being added in 2014 and the chance of part-time residents being able to vote, predictions have the voting turnout as high as 65% which would be amazing if it really does happen.

In a 3 way race for Mayor past voting patterns have shown that the Mayor would lose the election by 300-400 votes. This is a result of vote splitting, and the fact that both Foster and Patterson got the same amount of votes in 2010. When you add Brian Smith into the mix, Patterson will lose the election.

So I will again say to those who don't like my blog, and don't like my posts on the Wasaga Beach Election page. Don't read it, and if it really bugs you, block me so you won't have to read what I write. Resorting to insults and name calling just shows how shallow you are not me.

Look who the Developers own!!

In the 2010 Municipal Election, the developers and companies who get awarded contracts by the town donated to most of the candidates who were elected or re-elected.

Of interest is who donated to Mayor Cal Patterson's campaign, and how much Patterson spent on his campaign. Another interesting fact is who audited Patterson's financial statements, it was Ron Anderson and fellow member of council.

Here's a link to the financial statements of each person who ran in 2010, which had to be filed with the Ministry as part of the election process.

http://www.wasagabeach.com/election.index.gk

Could this explain why certain members of our current council vote the way they do on issues facing the town? Patterson is in the pockets of developers, and companies that do business with the town. Is this the type of Mayor the town wants and needs? Who owns the town, the developers, or the residents?

Voters need to be informed, voters need to know all the facts surrounding each person running for office. Ask the hard questions and if you don't like the answer ask again.

First All-Candidates Meeting was a Success.

The first all-candidates meeting took place on May 21st, 2014, and the turnout was over 100 people. Great speeches by all the candidates, and it's quite clear that even the current members of council who are running what some sort of change.

We all have to remember that if you are a member of council you have just 1 vote. The Mayor is the face and voice of the town, and the leader of council. While some people think it's way to early to start thinking or caring about the municipal election, I strongly disagree, as it's never too early to start the debate, and exchange ideas on how to make Wasaga Beach a better town for it's residents and visitors.

Some have said that these "new" people have no chance in getting elected, and their ideas are all pipe dreams. Again if you are happy with how the town is being run, then vote for the same, and trust me you will get the same. Since the 2010 election how much has really changed? How much from the platforms of all the candidates who were either elected or re-elected has been put into place? All of the current members of council have promised that we would have the beach front developed before the 2014 election, and where are we today? Some have said that we would have an industrial park near highway 26 for light manufacturing developed by 2014, and where are we today?

I strongly encourage each voter to take the time to get to know ALL of the candidates who are running for office, get to know their platforms, and where they stand on all the major issues, and if they are either elected or re-elected hold them accountable.

Finally get out and vote! With a 27% voter turnout in the last election, people can't complain if they did not vote.

We need a High School Now!!!

While we are in the mist of a Provincial election we need to bring to the forefront the issue of a high school in Wasaga Beach. We bus each day during the school year over 800 students to the high schools in Elmvale, Stayner, and Collingwood.

The current school trustee for Wasaga Beach has no interest in helping the town get a high school. If you think municipal politics is a blood sport, you have never attended a school trustee meeting. I've attended several of these meetings, and I can tell you that the vast majority of the trustees only care for the students in their home towns. The Wasaga Beach school trustee lives in Midland I believe, and she supports the schools in her area.

The process in deciding where a new school gets built is quite simple. Each year school boards prepare both operational and capital budgets which get sent to the Ministry for approval. The school trustee's with the assistance of board staff prepare case studies, and business plans for capital budget requests, they then vote on these, and then submit the approved plans to the Ministry for funding.

Not once has the trustee's submitted to the Ministry a business plan as to why a new high school should be built in Wasaga Beach. They have submitted plans for the renovation of the high school in Elmvale, but nothing for Wasaga Beach. I will give credit to our current Mayor, Cal Patterson as he stood in a board meeting back in 2010 with a business plan prepared by the town, at the town's expense, and it was not even voted on by the school trustee's. The town even went a step further and were willing to donate the land for the new high school to be built on, and still the board rejected the plan outright.

Back in 2007, over 5000 residents signed a petition which was presented to MPP, Jim Wilson who promised that he would bring up the matter in the house, but he never did. Wilson has been a strong supporter of renovating the high school in Elmvale, but he won't stand with the residents of Wasaga Beach, which is his town as well.

I really hope for the sake of our students that we get a strong candidate as school trustee, who will fight for a high school in Wasaga Beach. When you vote for a school trustee make sure that he or she stands with the residents and promises to do their best to finally get us a high school. 

First All Candidates Meeting

A municipal all-candidates meeting will take place in Wasaga Beach on Wednesday, May 21.

The meeting, hosted by the Wasaga Beach Women’s Business Association and Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Country Life Resort, 85 Theme Park Drive. 

Candidates will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and express their views on business in the beach. Each candidate will have a table on which to display literature and people are encouraged to stay for one-on-one discussions with candidates after the introductions. There will not be an open mic for questions and answers.

List of Candidates so far.

Here's a list of the Candidates as published on the town's website. If you have an issue you would like to talk to a candidate, I would suggest contacting them to find out where they stand.

Mayo r
Cal Patterson
1819 River Road West
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2X5
Telephone: 705-429-4247
Email: cal@calpatterson.com

 

David Foster
420 Golf Course Rd
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1S5
705-441-2211 (bus)
705-429-6263 (home)
Email: wasagadave@rogers.com
 

Brian Smith
230 Kirby Lane PO Box 580
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1A5
705-422-0963 (bus)
Email: brian@briansmithformayor.com
 

 

Deputy Mayor 
Nina Bifolchi
263 Deerbrook Drive
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2N1
Tel: 705-352-6571
email: ninabifolchi@gmail.com

Gary Cerantola
143 Silver Birch Avenue
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1P7
705-888-7652

email: contact@wasagabeachelection.com

Councillor
George Watson
599 Mosely Street
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2J2
Tel: 705-309-7653

email: george10902@sympatico.ca

 

Morley Bercovitch
P.O. Box 523 Stn. Main
Wasaga Beach, L9Z 1A5
Phone: 705-429-5866

Email: mjberc@sympatico.ca

 

Richard White
71 Arnill Crescent
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2A6
705-446-7939
email: RichardWhiteforWasaga@outlook.com

Twitter@richard4wasaga

 

Barry Adams

70 Meadowlark Blvd
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 3B3
705-241-7529
email: barryadams4wasagacouncil@rogers.com 

twitter:@badams4council

 

Brian Schryver

123 58th Street South
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2Z1
705-352-0158
email: schryver@live.ca

School Board Trustee – English Language Public

School Board Trustee – English Language Separate

Michael Foreman
20 Briarwood Place
Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2N9
Tel: 705-794-3350
email: mike.foreman@hotmail.com

School Board Trustee – French Language Public

Guy Belcourt
1 Therrien Court
Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1P7
705-549-3877

email: guybelcourt@yahoo.co

 

School Board Trustee – French Language Separate

Welcome one and all.

Welcome to the one blog that will give you all the latest news about the upcoming municipal election in Wasaga Beach. I encourage everyone to please post comments, and suggestions on how you really feel about the candidates. Try and keep it clean or your comment will be removed.

Over the next little while I will be posting a profile of each candidate. Questions will be sent out to the candidates on how they feel about the issues. If a candidate does not want to respond, have no fear I will do my own profile based on information from their website, or hand-outs.

In the meantime if you have a post you want to have uploaded to the site, please feel free to email me at: voteforsteve@gmail.com

You can also vote for the candidate of your choice for Mayor and Deputy Mayor on the right hand side. Once we have more candidates for Council, I will post another poll.

Until next time!