About 120 Canora residents took the opportunity to listen to the nominees who are seeking the seven seats on town council during an all-candidates forum held last week.
All but two of the 13 candidates attended the forum hosted by the Canora Courier and held at the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre on October 11.
Unable to attend were councilors Cory O’Dell and James Trofimenkoff. O’Dell said he had an urgent family matter and Trofimenkoff had to deal with family medical appointments. Trofimenkoff had submitted a letter which was read by Lorne Kopelchuk, the moderator.
Attending were: Mayor Gina Rakochy and her opponent former mayor Glen Leson, incumbent councillors Bradley Gabora, Sylvester Hrynkiw and Gerald Wolkowski, and nominees Sheldon Derkatch, Robert Dorush, Michael Fetchuk, Brent Pelechaty, Eric Sweeney and Kerry Trask.
Councillor Matthew Nehaj is not seeking re-election.
As outlined by Kopelchuk, each nominee was provided time at the beginning to address the audience and then the last hour was spent on a question-and-answer session with questions having been written out and submitted to a reviewing panel.
Among the most common issues raised by the questions submitted and by the nominees themselves involved streets, health care facilities and medical staff, the golf park development and a need for attracting new businesses.
Mayor Gina Rakochy, a risk and compliance officer, said that having been on council for 16 years, she had to decide if she still had the same passion for the work as she had at the beginning when she had assumed there would have been a magic wand, unlimited budget and a superhero cape to wear.
“One can never lose sight on why you’ve been elected,” Rakochy said, adding that this council will never again see $700,000 in tax arrears and $100,000 in water arrears because of council’s efficient system to manage such arrears.
She said that much of the town’s 100-year-old infrastructure needs maintenance which requires tax dollars.
“We need to keep in mind that Canora has been called the best place to live,” she said, citing three pillars of a good community: education, health care and recreation. She said she had been proud to work with the school division for shared services regarding the library and of the collaborative emergency care system at the hospital. She said that doctors will have to be recruited and mentioned the community’s recreation facilities which are for the whole family.
Rakochy spoke favourably of the Communities in Bloom program and the community’s walking trails and said she would like to work to encourage developers of a seniors’ development.
“I’ve just started, people.”
Former mayor Glen Leson, a retired funeral director, outlined his previous involvement with town council as an alderman and mayor and said he had been a member of the chamber of commerce and the rescue unit and had worked as the EMO co-ordinator. He said he has served on provincial boards and he and his family have long been involved in the community.
Discussing health care, he said the system from Nova Scotia had been taken and applied to Saskatchewan but because the two provinces have differences, elements of the system do not function as well as had been hoped.
Calling Canora primarily a retirement community, he said a strong health care is needed and was critical of the ambulance service when vehicles are sent to Preeceville. He said maintenance in the hospital is “sorely lacking.”
From a maintenance standpoint “we can do better, and have done better” in the past, Leson said.
Kerry Trask, a facility manager, characterized Canora as a warm and inviting community, but said that town council needs new blood and new ideas.
“When Yorkton is too expensive, we want Canora to stand out as ‘the’ place to live,” Trask said, calling for incentives to attract new residents and new businesses. He said he wanted to work with council to help make Canora “a place new people would like to call home.”
After explaining that he has lived his entire life in Canora where he raised a family and volunteered as an RCMP auxiliary officer and member of the fire department, Sheldon Derkatch, a front end attendant, said that he is a “forward thinking, honest, approachable person” which is what is desirable for a council member.
Derkatch raised the issue of roads, the fire department and attempts to beautify the town and said elected representatives must be held accountable.
Brent Pelechaty, a sales representative and farmer, outlined his involvement in hockey, baseball and the snowmobile club and called himself “community minded, progressive and responsible.”
Saying his education in business administration and marketing helps qualify him for a council seat, he said his family loves where they live and he wants to be a “new voice to create solutions” while spending tax dollars wisely.
“I want Canora to continue to progress,” he said, adding that he said he is a farmer with leadership roles and the town needs leadership.
“Leaders don’t ask why, they solve problems,” he said. “I know when to listen and when to follow.
“A good council must anticipate,” he said, urging voters to consider him for a “stronger, safer, greener Canora.”
Micheal Fetchuk, an operator who has lived in Canora for eight years, said that listening to concerns of residents had inspired him to seek a seat on council. As problems and concerns, he listed the infrastructure; hospitals and health care, including doctors; businesses and business incentives; community events, and mischief and petty crimes.
Fetchuk questioned how those aged between 13 and 16 years can be kept occupied and of other challenges. He said he was an optimist who wants to seek solutions.
Canora can make great strides, he said, terming himself as “a new choice for town council.”
Incumbent Councillor Gerald Wolkowski, self-employed, who has been serving for about 15 months, said he is enjoying the work.
“There is lots to learn and lots to know,” Wolkowski said, explaining that he had served 22 years on an RM council, including 12 as its reeve.
“This is a great town here; we should be moving forward,” he said, mentioning that he would like to see more businesses in the community. He said his main objectives are the health care system; senior housing; safety for seniors including sidewalks, and a taxi service.
“I would like to see us love, live and enjoy Canora,” he said. There are many things we can do.”
Sylvester Hrynkiw, an incumbent councillor who is retired, said that in his five terms on council he has served with two mayors, 16 councillors and three administrators. During that time he has served on several committees including protective services, general government negotiations, homecoming, leisure services and economic development.
Born in Canora, Hrynkiw said he had worked with the CNR from 1973 until his retirement in 2011 and has been involved in business and farming in the area since 1978.
“We look at running the town as a business,” he said, adding that he was pleased that the council had cleared up $700,000 in tax arrears, some of which were on the books for more than 20 years, and said guidelines have been established so that such arrears cannot happen again.
Hrynkiw said that there had been no tax increases for the first six or seven years he had served on council, and that minimal increases had been levied in order to keep up with inflation. He said he was pleased that council chose to purchase equipment rather than contract certain work out and mentioned the community’s paving program.
Eric Sweeney, a store man and shipper-receiver, explained how as an employee in Yorkton, his family was looking for a home and Canora had “felt right.”
“We chose to live here,” he said, adding that Canora has lots to offer, but improvements can be made. He mentioned the infrastructure, saying that one should look after the assets while they are assets and not liabilities, and raised the subject of the possibility of a light industrial development.
“It’s important to look after seniors,” he said, terming the community as one of the best places to retire.
“But now we have young families, and we need to take care of the youth,” he said, adding that he is critical of the habit of doing something because it has always been done that way.
“Maybe there’s another way,” he said, calling residents to progress with the times. “Is there a better way? Let’s look.”
Robert Dorush, a collision estimator-manager, who was born and raised in Canora and now works in Yorkton, said that he does not do “conventional wisdom.”
Solutions to problems is leadership, Dorush said, mentioning the subdivision which cost $1.1 million and is still an empty field of dreams which had been built, but no one came.
He said he wished to stimulate growth, probably through a tax incentive and has many ideas which can be explored. If elected, he said he would definitely try to find answers and would try to fill the subdivision.
Leadership is needed for a safe and healthy community, he said, criticizing the medical system which he said has been “watered down.”
It is time to change; time to make Canora great again, he said.
Incumbent Councillor Brad Gabora, semi-retired and a golf course groundskeeper, said he has called Canora home for 50 years, including the 37 that he had worked for the federal government.
Working on town council, with its decisions and having to make priorities, is a tough job, Gabora said, adding that all members of council “work hard to make a community for everyone.”
He promised to continue to work for the community, building on what the community has and build that which it still does not have. He promised to work hard and wished continued success for the community.
Councillor James Trofimenkoff, an administrative associate, who was not able to attend submitted a letter that was read by the moderator which said that he has been a resident since the seventh grade and outlined his many community activities including being president of the staff club and co-chair of the employee safety committee with the Co-op.
He has been involved with the credit union, Canora Flames, the slo-pitch club, the curling club, recreational hockey and has served as an official for minor hockey. As a member of town council for seven years, he has served on many committees and his priorities are to maintain recreational facilities, health care and continue with the town’s employee recruitment and training.
Incumbent Councilor Cory O’Dell, who is self-employed, was not able to attend the forum.
In the question-and-answer session, Hrynkiw replied to a question regarding the need for a garbage truck when Ottenbreit has the contract for the service, by saying that the truck is needed for backup and for the business area.
Asked if it is fair for residents in older homes to help pay for improvements in other areas, Rakochy said that although it is hard to tax older residents, council follows a formula devised by SAMA (Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency) and explained how the tax cap which had been a temporary measure, was removed so that now all ratepayers pay taxes according to the fair assessment.
Leson, who said council wrestles with taxes, indicated that the community’s water mains need to be replaced.
When the incumbents were asked what they have done to bring new businesses to Canora, Hrynkiw talked about the new businesses that had recently opened, including a flower shop and grain holding facilities and said that council offers tax incentives over three years for new businesses. Rakochy mentioned the work of the community development officer and tax incentives and said that the key to entice new business is to support them; to shop local.
To a question critical of the streets said to be “in bad need of repair,” Leson agreed that many have deteriorated. Some can be salvaged by patching and some need to be replaced, he said. Rakochy admitted that the “highways suck” but council is attempting to get the department to rectify the situation.
“We are the thorn,” she said, explaining that council has a program of paving every three years, while replacing water mains on a yearly basis. “We have a plan.”
When asked if the nominees were seeking election for “the right reasons” or because of “a beef,” everyone responding denied having a beef.
“To ensure taxes are spent wisely,” Pelechaty said.
“I don’t want to see people get hurt due to a lack of protections,” Derkatch said.
“New people mean new ideas,” Trask said, adding that when it is “the same old boys’ club,” a community dies.
“I’d like to see a safe, vibrant place,” Fetchuk said.
“I pledge to make ‘Canora first’ decisions,” Leson said.
Asked if they could, what changes would incumbents make, Rakochy said “none.”
“We spent lots of time soul searching and made no flip decisions. It’s tough at the table. We take our decisions very seriously and I stand behind them all.
Reinforcing Rakochy’s stance, Gabora said he does not think he would take back anything in the past two years, and said he was pleased to have seen the hospital obtain its clinic, and the improvements to the pool.
“We’re doing something right and I’d like to continue,” Gabora said.
Asked what council can do about empty commercial buildings, Rakochy said she’d like to see them filled. “We’ll continue putting out feelers,” she said, urging anyone with ideas to bring them forward.
“We support and encourage businesses, she said. “Those that left did not leave because of a lack of support from town council.”
Leson said that the community needs a veterinarian and council should look at establishing eclectic specialized services.
Asked about attracting buyers of the golf subdivision, Leson said he favoured an aggressive approach to developers to build on speculation.
Regarding fluoride in the water, Hrynkiw said that the amount put in the Canora water supply is less than the fluoride that occurs naturally in the Regina water supply. Dorush said he would like to see a plebiscite on the matter, to which Leson agreed.
Regarding council meetings, Rakochy assured the audience that council meetings are open meetings, only if council must discuss certain matters, those discussions are closed, but the meeting is open again prior to the vote being taken.
In summation, Rakochy said she wants Canora to remain a community that all residents are proud to call home. Leson said that paving once in three years is not enough and that he would like to be mayor again. Dorush said a fresh face will have fresh ideas; Sweeney said that if elected he would be open and have Canora in mind, not himself.
“I want to be part of the solution,” Fetchuk said, while Pelechaty said that decisions town council will make will have long-term consequences.
“We need to refresh some people on council,” Derkatch said.
