2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, October 21 2003 I -atu .nvfl.h.AoIWard 3 lapai RECORD BREAKING DAYS h flfl say they11 be voice *tg THUBSOA FAUDAY S TRDA OCTOBER 23 OCTOSER 24 OCTOBER 25 Qam- Qam-bpm 9am - Spm 84EIRILLA I Lii I j ~ tsrs NO SECURITY DEPOSIT ON ALL '~ ra 4~ ~NEW 2003 400 Steeles Ave VEC 2ME LEA Milton, ON E1 L AS! i 29a4a LIIEA tee'v w..u' DflRA t ci 1111 q l' Pui i ý BREAKING L e.,Oo-d-- ý"ý concerns By JASON MISNER The Champion All four candidates running for Ward 3 councillor pledged to be publicly accessible and act as the voice of their constituents during an all-candidates meeting hosted by the Halton Federation of Agriculture Thursday night. Some 70 people jammed the Lions Hall in Campibeilville to listen to and participate in the meeting leading up to the November 10 election. The four candidates are Ken Keates and Cindy Lunau - incumbent Ward 3 council- lors - as well as Rick Matchett and Jan Mowbray. There are two Ward 3 spots on town council. Questions were asked by a three-person panel followed by inquiries from the audi- ence. The first question was what the candi- dates' philosophy would be in dealing with issues that affect the largely rural ward. A common response was making sure residents were consulted with first before voting on anything. The spending of Mohawk Racetrack slots revenue in Campbellville, the issue of sanding in the winter, the condition of Guelph Line bridge, well water quality and protecting rural interests were theres that resonated throughout the meeting. On the issue of preserving the quality of well water: • "If we destroy the water, that resource will not be there for future generations," said Ms Mowbray, noting she reuses left- over kettle water as a means to conserve. • "It's our most valuable asset. I'm all for peer reviews of plans (to take water from the ground)," said Mr. Keates. On the issue of dealing wit concerns from residents moving into the rural areas, like about noise from agricultural opera- tions: • "When you choose to live out here, you choose the environment you're moving to," said Mr. Matchett. • "By maintaining land-use policies with large tracts, we will find less confrontation (in the rural areas)," said Ms Lunau. Things got a little tense when a member of the audience demanded to know if the candidates would oppose Mohawk's devel- opment proposal of a 10-storey 196-room hotel and golf course. All four said they couldn't say yes or no to the proposal until they've received all of the necessary information. Residents were generally impressed by the candidates' comments, but at least one felt an issue remained outstanding follow- ing the meeting. Linda MacLeod said she was "pleased with what I heard," but she wanted to know if the candidates had any ideas about addressing eco-tourism in the rural areas, like through biking and hiking. 'I didn't hear that," she said. Jason Misner can be reached at jmis- ner@miltoncanadianchampion.com. L 1 %lm ---------- . . . . . .