Ward 1 councillor prepares to be sworn in

Phyllis Dineen will replace the late Ed Christie as Clearview Township’s council representative for Ward 1.
Christie died suddenly of acute leukemia one year into his first term on council.
Dineen will be sworn in at the March 2 council meeting.
“He made an indelible mark in the year he was there and I am just going to do my best to continue on,” she said.
The long-time Nottawa resident made her first run for council in 2018, and came in second to Christie. She was nominated as his replacement by Councillor Doug McKechnie at the Jan. 27 meeting.
She said the way she got the job is tough so she has a somewhat reserved feeling of excitement.
“I am a little less idealistic,” said Dineen of how she is approaching the role one year after the campaign period. “I’ve thought about it a lot more since and I still have no real aspirations, I am just looking forward to being part of the New Official Plan planning process and looking forward to making informed decisions for the benefit of my ward and the whole of Clearview.”
Dineen has been attending meetings to familiarize herself with the process of municipal government, but acknowledges there is much to learn.
She is retired from a 22-year career at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, where she worked in many clerical roles.
Dineen enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren, John and Emma, who are third-generation students at Nottawa Central Public School. She and husband Kevan raised their two sons, Dan and David, in Nottawa.
Her mother Barbara Ryerse still lives in the family home and all but one of her five siblings still live locally.