Withdrawal symptoms

It will disappoint a lot of people who were excited to see Bryan Chabot's name on the ballot for council, but the 16-year resident of Hinton is withdrawing from the race. 

I had a chance to sit down with Chabot today and I can tell you nobody is likely more disappointed than him. When I first chatted with him on nomination day he was full of excitement to get involved, so this must have been a hard decision. But situations can change pretty quick and I commend him for taking a serious look at his ability to fulfill his duties and then acting fast to let the public know about the decision.

Splish splash

To start, has anyone taken a look at my profile pic with this blog? Why so serious? I think I may have to seriously reevaluate that photo.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, which is my thoughts surrounding the need for a new pool sooner than later. More background information is in a column I penned that is in the Sept. 26 Hinton Voice on Page 9 ... you can link to it here.

Essentially, we have an old pool. It's not really old, but it's old. It's just past 30 years old ... which isn't as old as me. The difference is the pool was built was a projected life span of 25 - 40 years, while I insist that I was built to last. Our pool isn't awful, but it's definitely not great.

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me

Nomination day has come and gone and there were two mayoral candidates – Coun. Bill Bulger and Better Hinton co-founder Rob Mackin - who submitted their paperwork. That wasn't a surprise to anybody who's been following the lead up.

There have been some online posts that already suggest the mayoral race is over, lamenting the fact that Coun. Dale Currie reversed his initial decision to run for mayor and instead run for council.

Women and Council

There's been some chatter online about whether Hinton has seen a woman mayor in the past. 

I went to the council chambers, where there is a plaque listing every councillor and mayor since Hinton's current inception as a Town in 1958 – after the amalgamation of Hinton and the Village of Drinnan in 1957 - and all the administrators between that time and when the New Town of Hinton was incorporated on Nov. 1, 1956.

Community growth ... some numbers you should know

There has been growing discussion over the past 10 months about a lack of “growth” in Hinton. If it's population we are looking at, then the numbers do speak to a flatline and regression since 1996. Hinton experienced explosive growth that saw our population double from 4,307 in 1966 to 8,629 in 1986 and then jump to 9,961 over the next decade. All the following population numbers are according to the Stats Canada census from the years listed:

Daytime friends and nightime lovers

I have been unofficially lobbying, half-heartedly and half-jokingly, for the past nine some-odd years to have regular Town council meetings moved from the evening to the mornings, similar to the standing committee meetings.In a lifetime of community journalism that involves countless evening assignments and goofy hours, having the Town of Hinton move their regular council meetings to the daytime meant that, at the very least, there would be 22 more nights and around 60 more hours a year where I wouldn't have to work.

Blogs - they’re like columns, but on the intrawebs

“There is nothing that’s more important in a democracy than a well-informed electorate. When there’s no information or, much worse, wrong information, it can lead to calamitous decisions and clobber any attempts at vigorous debate.”

MacKenzie McHale, The Newsroom 

Season One, Episode One

The quote to open this post comes from a show that captured my imagination earlier this summer about my chosen profession and has acted as a call to arms for the way I want us – The Voice – to cover this upcoming municipal election.

I simply love The Newsroom. The cadence of the dialogue is remarkable. Its examination, not only of current events, but also of the way those events are conveyed to the public by the media, is of obvious interest to me. The show has served as a booster shot of journalistic idealism and focus.

There are issues, policies, myths and philosophies that need to be flushed out leading up to this municipal election. You can’t cover them all in one newspaper per week and you certainly cannot provide all the required context and perspective within that medium. Also, there are limits to how much you can add one’s personal insights or opinions in the newspaper.