Municipal election check-in: Clearview

With the close of nominations for municipal election on July 27, we checked in with those not already elected to introduce readers to any new names and faces. This week we cover the Clearview candidate, next week we will bring forward the Mulmur candidates and next month, we will be getting into more comprehensive coverage, delving into platforms and election issues with all candidates. 

Clearview – Ward 1

Al Bell 

All Bell, 66, is a lifelong resident of Nottawa. He currently works in sales and leasing at Mike Jackson GM after a 47-year career at Foley’s Furniture.

He served one term of council from 2003-2006 and was chair of the committee of adjustment from 2006-2010 and is past president Collingwood Kinsmen Club.

Bell’s hobbies include golf, skiing, reading and travelling. 

He narrowly lost to Doug Measures in the last election.

Ed Christie

A 42-year-Nottawa resident, Ed Christie is best known as the founding proprietor of Christie’s Clothing in Collingwood. 

This is his first run for public office in Clearview Township but he once served one term on council in Collingwood, where he has been a member and chair of the BIA, Rotary Club, Heritage Committee, sign committee and as a councillor sat on the hospital board, NVCA and was involved of the early stage of trail development. 

Christie is married with two children and four grandchildren. 

Born and raised in Collingwood, Christie went to the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph after graduating from Collingwood Collegiate Institute. He bought a menswear shop in 1976 and broadened it to carry fashion for men and women. He is now retired from Christie’s Clothing and his son and daughter run the business. He says he is ready to give back to Clearview as councillor for Ward 1. 

He enjoys cycling, walking, and skiing at Osler Bluff Ski Club, where he is a member. 

Phyllis Dineen

Phyllis Dineen moved to Clearview with her parents, Orin and Barbara Ryerse, and five siblings in the Summer of 69 (like the Brian Adams song), back it was still known as Nottawasaga Township.

She and her husband Kevan bought their first home in Collingwood in 1976 but moved back to Clearview to raise their two sons, Dan and David, who attended Nottawa Central Public School, just like their mom. She has two grandchildren, John and Emma.

Dineen is now retired from working at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, and is a licensed real estate professional.

Like any resident, parent and grandparent, she said she wants a safe, happy community that invokes pride in the township.

“I bring a willingness to listen and learn with honesty, integrity and a little common sense added in for good measure,” said Dineen. “Recent years have seen the Small Halls celebrated, a new Library being built and more organized recreational possibilities for our families. I am so proud of the young adults of the township and their renewed interest and devotion to these endeavours. If elected I look forward to working with my fellow elected officials to maintain the wonderful place in which we live.”

Clearview – Ward 2 

Donna Baylis 

Donna Baylis, 54, has lived in this area for most of her life, attending Banting Memorial high school in Alliston.  She spent some time in Toronto, and with my partner Steve, moved to Dunedin in 1992, when her daughter Dariel was born. 

Baylis has worked for much of her career in the financial services industry.

She was active in the fight to stop the mega quarry, is a Dunedin Hall volunteer and organizes the Creemore community Christmas dinner.

Baylis ran for council in 2014, losing out to Kevin Elwood, who is not running this time around. 

Doug McKechnie 

Doug McKechnie was born and raised in Nottawa and has lived in Clearview most of his life, his family going back several generations. His wife has lived here for over 25 years after emigrating from Scotland. Together, they have two sons.

After studying aviation at Seneca College McKechnie began his career as a pilot at Collingwood Regional Airport. He moved on to Air Canada in 1979 and recently retired after 38 years. He was also a paramedic based out of Collingwood for a number of years in the 1980s and 1990s.

He has been a member of numerous service clubs (Rotary, Kinsmen, Optimist) and the past year years he was a member of the Collingwood Regional Airport Services Board, until its recent dissolution. “This introduced me to local politics and has given me an insight to the tremendous development opportunities proposed for the airport,” said McKechnie. “As a pilot and a training instructor on the Boeing 787 aircraft, I was called as an expert witness at the Environmental Review Tribunal during our fight against the wind turbines. I spent over 40 hours preparing my testimony and attended every day of the hearings. I was cross-examined by the wind turbine’s proponent and government lawyers and like to think that I played an important role in our victory.”

Clearview – Ward 3 

John Broderick 

John Broderick was raised on Broderick Farms, in neighbouring Osprey Township, and moved to Collingwood in 1974. John and his wife Rhonda married in 1979, the same year they founded J&R Cycle. They moved the shop and their home to its current location in Ward 3 at the north end of Clearview Township in 1982. It has been a joy and a privilege for the couple to run a business and raise their three children (Lorelei, Rachael, and Brandy) in Clearview Township for the past 36 years.

John and Rhonda are active volunteers, being board members for several Snowmobile, Motorcycle and ATV clubs over the past 30 years. They have been instrumental in organizing a multitude of rides and charity events including J&R Cycle’s ‘Feed a Friend’ ride, which ran for 20 years.

Always involved in tourism and recreation Broderick became president of the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV), in 2001 and served three consecutive two-year terms. In this capacity Broderick dealt with not only the clubs of Ontario, but also Municipal, Provincial and Federal governments and organizations. As OFATV President John was instrumental in helping make bill 11 and regulation 316-03 realities. This legislation had a dramatic and positive impact on the development of legitimate ATV recreation and tourism in Ontario. 

Broderick ran in the last election, narrowly losing to Robert Walker. 

Maqsood Dogar

Maqsood Dogar moved from Mississauga to Stayner in 2004 and has been living here for 14 years. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2000, as well as George Brown college for business information systems in 1996. He has been managing Stayner’s Hasty Market for the past eight years after having managed Mac’s from 2004-2008. He has been married to his wife for 19 years and has four loving children. Dogar is a very energetic person. His knowledge makes him a perfect candidate for the role of a councillor because he may be young but he is also wise. With Clearview Township expanding and more houses being built around Stayner, his goal is to connect Stayner and Collingwood to Barrie and Toronto via Go train and to work to support the development of local healthcare facilities.

Clearview – Ward 4

Acclaimed Robert Walker

Clearview – Ward 5

Incumbent – Thom Paterson

Anthony Sist

Anthony Sist was born in Toronto and has over his 56 years, gradually felt the pull northward.  Born to Italian immigrants he learned early on that you had to work hard for what you wanted in life. He began as a carpenter’s apprentice at the tender age of 12 and stayed true to his calling, creating a thriving company, building people’s homes for the next 43 years.  

As anyone over the age of 50 knows, life flies by quickly while you’re busy making a life, but Anthony found time to coach baseball as well as get involved in hockey for himself and with the community kids.  Anthony has always taken an interest in bettering the community he lives in by volunteering his time and skills to anyone who needs them.  Two years ago their kids all flew the coop and Anthony retired.  Feeling the pull north again, he and his wife Sona, moved to the quaint village of Creemore, where they now have a busy life renovating their home and raising their fur kids, Jaksun and Lion. When asked why he would want to spend his retirement years in council, he stated “running for council member of ward 5 in Clearview township to better my new community seems to be the next adventure to add to my happy life.”  

Clearview – Ward 6

Acclaimed Connie Leishman

Clearview – Ward 7

Incumbent – Deb Bronee

John Lamers

John Lamers was born and raised in New Lowell and has lived here his entire life.

His parents were part of the original families (Lamers and Verstraten) that emigrated from Holland after the war, to settle here in the New Lowell area.

John and his wife Donna been involved in the community over the years. Lamers has served on many committees and was a volunteer firefighter at Station 3, retiring after 25 years of service.

He believes Ward 7 has many opportunities in the coming years, for growth.

“I want people to feel that they can talk to me & I will listen. I will work together with people in my community and as well as with council. I want to ensure that Ward 7 has a voice,” said Lamers. “I do believe that Clearview is on the right track and I just want to be part of its future voice. Born here, raised here, went to school here, married here, work here, raised my family here, volunteered here and I will watch my grandchildren grow here, and plan to retire here.”