Seguin: Ward 1 Map

Ever wonder what Seguin ward you live in? I know a lot of people I speak to don't know what ward they're in, who their councillor is (or even the township's name in which they vacation).

Well, now you can walk, run, bike, or drive down to Seguin Township office and get a map printed which shows you.

click for larger image.

I know this scanned map looks like some modern art experiment, but it's the best I could do with my limited Photoshopping ways.

This map will help me to campaign more accurately - not trouble the innocent voters of other wards. All candidates should know that Seguin township office will create a ward map for you. I recommend it highly.

Seguin Quotes: August 3rd - 8th

Reptile Museum Road

The 'Seguin Quotes' series reveals the considered thoughts and beliefs of the people of Ward 1.

It was nice to get back on the road, campaigning this week after building the sauna complex in Burk's Falls. One of the good things about running for office is it's a great excuse to walk up to a stranger's home or cottage and get to know them. Every opened door is a new adventure and most often a pleasant surprise.

I was most fortunate earlier today to meet Phil Brook at the end of his cottage driveway on Rankin Lake's Haystead Bay. I stepped inside the cottage for a chat and the thundershowers started soon after. Over the next few hours I enjoyed the fine Brook family hospitality and learned a lot about Seguin history. Phil, a Foley councillor in the 80s, helped to create the Parry Sound airport and establish Matheson Park on Little Otter Lake. I should be so lucky to claim such a legacy of accomplishment.

Haystead Bay Road

But now to Seguin Quotes, my ongoing collection of quotes from your neighbours who answer the question...

"What's the one thing you would change about Seguin Township?"

"We need to consider the problem of the McKaig entrance to 69 because people use it as a [69] highway off-ramp - they're going too fast. This area has a public beach, a baseball diamond and ambulance/fire station. We have a kilometre here where there's going to be an accident if no measures are put in place to prevent it. We need to deal with the increased volume and speed of traffic on Horseshoe Lake road". - Dawn Major, McKaid Road.

"If there are by-law differences between former townships, Seguin should now have a single standard. for example, boathouses with upper structures" - Philip Weingarden, Horseshoe Lake Road.

"Is there an imbalance in the taxes paid between a single unit cottager and a resort which has multiple units making demands on the lake? If so, the taxes paid should be more equitable" - Philip Weingarden, Horseshoe Lake Road.

View of Lioness Lake.

"Seguin needs to pass a clean yards by-law" - Lucy Scrratore, Downes Road FR.

"The Ferris Road hill should be maintained by Seguin's 5 ton snowplows in winter. There's no reason why it can't be done. I've done it for the last three years" - Kerry Loucks, Ferris Road.

"Due to the increase in traffic Ferris' single lane road is dangerous because of a number of blind spots and is going to result in a fatality. And it shouldn't be that way"- Kerry Loucks, Ferris Road.

The blind, one lane railway crossing on Ferris Road.

"Ferris road needs to be developed for year-round access. It needs to be widened. The hill needs to be re-engineered. Our taxes are not cheap considering we don't have year-round [road] access" - Philip and Cheryl Mack, The Farm Road FR.

"We really appreciate Seguin Township for taking the initiative for publishing the [new] Sustainability Guide" - Barry, Francis, and Cooper Ross, The Farm Road FR.

Little Otter Lake Road.

"The Little Otter Lake residents are concerned with the grade of The Big Hill [on Ferris Road]. Emergency vehicles may not be able to use it during inclement weather. I understand that it's the worst grade of hill in Seguin Township. It wouldn't pass the current standard" - Dianna Cromwell, Little Otter Lake Road.

"The Transfer Station at Brooks Road is viewed by other municipalities to make improvements on their own facilities" - Dianna Cromwell, Little Otter Lake Road.

"From a safety factor of the year-round residents, there's a risk that safety vehicles may not be able to access the road above The Big Hill. The hill needs to start back further to eliminate the steepness of the grade" - Stuart Kennedy, Little Otter Lake Road.

Campaign Signs 101

This one's for the kids who want to grow up to be politicians.

After you pay your $100 nomination fee at the township office (or maybe Toronto City Hall), you can just wander around and put your home-made election signs up anywhere you want!

Here's how...

First dig a hole in the side of the road.


Next, put your sign in the hole - make sure it's
straight up and down.


Then give the sign a good whack with a big hammer.


Finally, put some rocks around it in case it wants to fall over.

That's it for today's lesson from the campaign trail.

And remember - when some backwoods voter draws a shotgun on you for ignoring the 'No Trespassing' signs, just wave your brochure and plead, "Don't shoot! I'm a politician!"

Signs on Hwy 518

Pocock picket signs on Hwy 518 east if Hwy 400.

Yesterday morning I hammered some of my picket signs into the gravel shoulder of Hwy 518 just east of Hwy 400. A passing MTO employee stopped to suggest I speak to MTO staff to confirm the signs wouldn't be considered a distraction.

I spoke with the MTO's sign expert, Valerie, in Huntsville by phone this morning. I got the A-OK to put the signs in (election signs have a special exception) if they are spaced 32 feet apart instead of 16 feet apart as they are in the photo above.

Below is my e-mail to Valerie regarding this change.

Hi Valerie,

Thank you for your direction this morning regarding my campaign signs
on highway 518.

Please find the attached photo of five signs currently installed on
518 spaced at sixteen foot intervals. With your advice, I will change
the spacing of signs to 32 foot intervals.

I'm off to do the changes right away. My plan is to place signs in
this fashion on either side of 518. Please let me know if you have
any further concern. I will make changes according to your
instruction immediately.

Thank you very, very much for kind consideration.

Bill Pocock

UPDATE:

I just received an e-mail from Valerie with a different finding.

According to the legislation to which provincial highways apply...

Under Section 7.4, it states that temporary signs (for example, election
signs) must not exceed one sign facing in each direction of travel on
any 2 km section of a provincial highway.

So, Saturday morning I'm off again to Hwy 518 to pull pickets again and, well, space them out a bit.

Hammerin' Signs

Campaign signs have hit the trail!

In the last few days I've hammered in a good number of wooden picket signs and some larger wooden slab signs.

The sign manufacturing which began the previous winter (see sign history here) with cutting down some dead poplar trees is now complete. I spray painted the lettering onto the milled wood using cut out letters from cereal and pizza boxes. Yes, I hope to make this the most economical election campaign ever.

Large letters used to make the horizontal slab signs.

The well-used template to paint the picket signs.

I've mostly placed the signs on municipal land. I don't want to bother people, asking to place a sign on their lawn.

A large slab sign installed. Later I outlined the faint
website address with green felt marker for better viewing.

Instead of scattering the signs far and wide, I'm concentrating them in groups because I like the visual impact.

These pickets lined up along the road are tempting targets
for bat-wielding road warriors. I hope they aren't used
for target practice - but I'd understand.

Doe and Fawn

I'm back from a month of building a waterfront sauna in Burk's Falls and ready for more Seguin politics.

I use a chalk line on a cedar shake

roof high above Three Mile Lake near Burk's Falls.

But first, I've got to feed a couple of deer - then politics.

A doe and fawn stop for a visit.

My Campaign Platform

I am a populist.

I believe in the wisdom of the people I seek to represent.

Therefore, my political campaign platform is built on the wishes of the Ward 1 voters contained in my Seguin Quotes website section.

My Promise: If elected, I will work for four years to resolve the issues presented to me by the voters as described in my Seguin Quotes. Those with the most consensus will go closer to the top of the list of To Dos. Also, matters which are more pressing, say, dealing with public safety would be dealt with before road drainage issues. But, with your name attached to a Seguin Quote, I take your words very seriously and you will hear from me personally during the course of my term on the subject of your interest.

If elected, I promise to document in text and photographs my efforts to address the issues presented to me during the campaign, actions taken, response from responsible parties, and, hopefully, positive outcomes. Because problems presented to me may place one neighbour against another, there may often be no 'right' outcome. However, I promise to address the issue and seek compromise and understanding between parties to the best of my ability.

This is the simpliest, and best idea I can think of in terms of representing a ward as councillor. It just makes sense to me. If you have any ideas of how my platform can be improved in helping people with their township problems, please e-mail me and I'll give it full consideration and maybe take it on board.

So, my platform is to give the people what they want - to the best of my ability. That's total accountability, folks.

The important thing for me to do is listen, understand, then take action. This blog will record how and why I succeed or fail.

This is my election promise. Straight and simple.