2022 Candidate profiles: Mulmur Township
As part of our election coverage, The Creemore Echo has invited candidates in Mulmur Township to introduce themselves to readers, presented here by ward/position in alphabetical order:
Running for deputy mayor:
SHIRLEY BOXEM
My husband and I have been in Mulmur for over 17 years. We were interested in the area because Tom’s father was
born in Creemore. Only after we moved to Mulmur did we discover that his great grandfather was a blacksmith who lived in Stanton for a time before relocating to Creemore.
My work and commitment to our community started with Stop the Mega Quarry. I joined up after Foodstock to help with administration and I soon became an events manager. I participated in the creation of Food&WaterFirst and later became the Chair of NDACT. It was through this work that I gained a fuller appreciation of farmland and source water protection and the rural characteristics we love and want to protect.
My more recent position as the Executive Director of Headwaters Communities in Action (HCIA), which hosts several project areas, grew my business skills which have been essential in my work as a councillor.
Currently I volunteer as a Board Director with the Dufferin Community Foundation which connects caring community members to worthwhile causes that enrich the well-being of Dufferin County. My earlier career as a learning consultant has given me a lifetime learning attitude. Keep digging, invite conversations, and stick to the facts is my mantra. All of this has fuelled my passion for Mulmur.
It has been a pleasure and an honour to serve my community this past term. I look forward to the opportunity keep working hard for the people of Mulmur and to protect our rural and agricultural environment.
shirley.boxem@gmail.com
EARL HAWKINS
I am a lifetime Mulmur resident who operates a beef farm west of Mansfield with my wife Rhonda. We have four children and five grandchildren, all living in Mulmur. I am well aware of the issues unique to our region.
I have 25 years of experience on Mulmur council, including the past six years as Deputy Mayor for Mulmur Township. During my time on council I have participated on various boards and committees including Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, Mansfield Recreation Committee, Shelburne Fire Board, Rosemont Fire Board, Mulmur-Melancthon Fire Board, the Committee of Adjustment, the Planning Advisory Committee and the Honeywood Arena Board. My priorities have been and continue to be avoiding tax increases, implementing climate change initiatives, preserving water resources and the environment, protecting the beauty and rural character of Mulmur as well as conserving agricultural land.
I feel that council’s first priority should always be to work for Mulmur residents, and I will continue to strive towards that goal. Mulmur needs an experienced deputy mayor to be your voice!
For further information on my platform please contact me.
reshawkins@yahoo.ca
Running for council seats (3):
PATTY CLARK
My family and I have lived in Dufferin County for 33 years; 10 years in Orangeville and 23 years in Mulmur. We have thoroughly enjoyed the lifestyle that Mulmur offers, and I want to ensure that Mulmur continues to maintain the rural and agricultural integrity that we all enjoy.
My career for the past 40 years was as an Executive Director for both a provincial and a national organization in the health and fitness field. For the past 15 years with Active Aging Canada, I was successful in securing over $2.9 million in grant funding. I have developed strong skills in finance, leadership, project management, human resources, organization, and administration. Those skills have been of great benefit to me in my last four years as a Councillor for Mulmur.
I have also always worked in a ‘can do’ environment. If something needs to be done, then let’s figure out how we can do it, and not say we can’t because of a list of issues or problems.
I have recently retired from my full-time work and now have more time to enjoy other aspects of life. My husband and I live on a small hobby farm which keeps us busy. But I also enjoy hiking and biking in the area. Music and recreation have always been important aspects of my life. I have been a bagpiper with the Sandhill Pipes and Drums for 6 years and I enjoy many recreational activities, including badminton with the Alliston Badminton Club.
patty-clark@bellnet.ca
ANDREW CUNNINGHAM
It was an honour to have been appointed councillor of Mulmur Township in July. I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement over the past months.
I have been a resident of the Township of Mulmur since 2013, residing in the Mansfield Ridge subdivision. My wife Sarah and I have chosen this community to raise our three children.
I am proud to serve my community as a Firefighter with the Rosemont District Fire Department, since 2016. I am in a very fortunate, and unique, position where I have the opportunity to see the people of our community at their absolute best and, similarly, during times of great need.
I attended Laurentian University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and have worked for years in the field of Logistics. I bring forth a skill set that would prove beneficial to the role of councillor. Employing my knowledge of environmental sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and the implementation of community service amenities would be a great asset in projecting and implementing community growth within Mulmur.
I believe that growth is inevitable. When we are responsive to our community needs, we can embrace potential community development and enhancements with a progressive mindset, whilst being mindful of the impact such development/ enhancements will have on the environment.
There is a need to invest in our parklands for physical and mental wellbeing, just as residents have invested in Mulmur as a place to live and play. Similarly, we need to focus on completing the improvements to the North Dufferin Community Centre.
Any new and/or potential developments within our township should be prepared to accept that they must contribute to the ideal of healthy community initiatives for current and future residents.
An effort needs to be made to make the availability of high speed internet more accessible to the residents of Mulmur. By improving connectivity and reliability, residents will have access to health care, education, and the option to work from home.
I strive for inclusivity and acceptance for all. I believe that, as a community, we must empower our members and allow opportunities whereby they see themselves as active agents responsible for change.
acunningham75@hotmail.com
KIM LYON
I have resided in Mulmur for over 35 years. I moved here with my family when I was a teenager, grew up in these hills and went to high school in Shelburne, eventually raising my two children here. I am now blessed with three adorable grandchildren. My husband and I have been together for 38 years, living most of this time in Mulmur. We currently reside in Violet Hill, in the home I grew up in, along with our three small dogs, Teddy, Bear and Naked Lady (NL for short).
I am a Certified Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant (CPA, CGA) and have held numerous executive positions over the years, heading up various accounting departments over multiple jurisdictions. My most memorable position was when I worked my way up through the ranks of the accounting department, eventually earning my position as Director of Finance and Controlling for a multinational manufacturing company in Brampton, whereby I managed multiple accounting departments located across North America. From 2006 to 2009 I served various positions on the Huronia Chapter, Certified General Accountants Board. In 2018 I volunteered at the Alliston Humane Society, helping the dogs.
Most recently, my husband and I opened a tax and bookkeeping firm in Alliston. I am currently a Director of the Alliston Business Improvement Association and a member of Mulmur’s Committee of Adjustments. I thank you for your consideration. I appreciate your support.
klyon@kalsolutions
DARYL STANSFIELD
Daryl Stansfield is running for a councillor position within the Township of Mulmur. Stansfield and his family discovered Mulmur several years ago, drawn to its rugged beauty, proximity to services and shopping, and small-town community vibe. They spent years making plans to move to the area and settled near Violet Hill in 2021. Since the move, Stansfield has been busy immersing himself in the community and pristine natural beauty of the area. As someone who enjoys the outdoors, he has been pleased todiscover the Bruce Trail and Dufferin County Forest just minutes away from his home. With two children playing rep sports in Orangeville, Mansfield, and nearby Clearview, he has quickly become familiar with the back roads and hills of Mulmur in his travels.
As a small business owner, Daryl is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sugar Estate Media, a digital advertising company. His twenty-five years of experience in marketing includes managing digital teams and media budgets for global clients. He prides himself on building, maintaining and sustaining respectful working relationship and partnerships. Stansfield believes that these qualities would transfer seamlessly to the role of councillor. As someone who understands that effective communication and successfully managing a flow of information is crucial to the role of a Councillor, Daryl believes that he can bring this to the Township of Mulmur, while maintaining a collaborative working relationship with Council and community members.
Daryl Stansfield understands that a council member should represent the whole of the community and act on behalf of all community members and residents.
darylstansfield@yahoo.ca
TIMOTHY TRAFANANKO
I am a fully licensed Journeyman with Interprovincial, Trade Certification, and fully licensed and holder of Multi Gas/ Oil Certifications and O.D.P. Certification.
USA Certifications, EPA Universal Certification, Certified Mechanical Contractor State Of Florida, Qualified to work anywhere in North America, along with dual citizenship status.
I am a graduate of George Brown College, and have worked 25 years as a fully qualified Journeyman in this industry. My employment history during this period is specializing in HVAC systems.
My personal status here in Mulmur is family oriented, I have a wife and a four-year-old son, and also a father who is a senior citizen. I moved here in 2012, my family has owned property here in Mulmur since the 1980s.
I would like the opportunity to support the community as a councillor enabling them to draw on my technical knowledge and expertise to maximize sustainability within the community. I am here to support, improve and listen to the needs of the Mulmur community. A beautiful and pristine place to live and work for all its residents, families and constituents. I promise to do a quality job so I can give back to the community I live in.
tm.2othy@gmail.com
BARRY SMITH
Note: Although his name will appear on the ballot, Mulmur candidate Barry Smith has decided to withdraw from the race due to serious health issues.
