How mayoral candidates in Three Rivers plan to unite the newly-created town

The five people campaigningto be mayor of the new town of Three Rivers have a unique issue to deal with.How does a communitypull togetherwhen a good portion of its residents didn't want to be part of thenew, amalgamatedtown in the first place?

The new municipality of Three Rivers amalgamatedseven smaller municipalities along with some unincorporated areas. It encompasses the boundaries of the Montague, Georgetown and Cardigan fire departments.

For the mayoral candidatewho sat on the steering committee to get the Three Rivers amalgamation started, the task ahead will be tough, but worth it.

"The first step I believe is to listen to each other, to talk to the councillors, hear the things that are important to them, that they see as what needs to be done, what needs to be changed in our community," said former Brudenellchair Peggy Coffin, adding they need to stop calling themselves by their oldcommunity names.

"Then start thinking of priorities, where do we begin, help councillors get involved in the things that are important to them, globally, rather than what's important in their own community. Because we have many, many similarities and many similar problems."

Experience needed say some

The two candidatesfrom Montague who have served on council there for years think experience will be the key to lead the new town through this transition.

"To have 13members on your council is going to be difficult, complicated, complex and confusing for the first year for sure," said Richard Collins, who wasmayor of Montague from 2009 until amalgamation.

"First of all your team your mayor and your 12councillors have to sit down and have a lot of discussion about how this is going to come about and we have to have agreement as a team, and not only the team of the mayor and council, but the team of administration."

JimBagnall has served the community both as a councillor and MLA. He has a similar plan.

"We've got 12councillors. The biggest part is to get them all together. I'd like to sit down with each councillor and find out their concerns for their area, what they'd like to see happen to their area. And after meeting with all 12councillors to meet and bring it together so we can work on all the issues together."

'Listen to that anger'

For Ed MacAulay, former councillor for Cardigan and social worker by day, helping people to own that past and move on is his first plan of action.

"You have to listen to that anger. You have to allowpeople to have an opportunity to get that out," said MacAulay.

"You also have to allow people an opportunity to mullover what the possibilities are. And as long as they feel that they have an input and that's the role of the mayor andcouncil is to ensure that that input is being received and being shared at council level."

MacAulay also suggested a regular newsletterbe sent out so people know what council is working on and what issues are being dealt with, to help build trust in the council.

A new face

The only candidate without previous political experience, is selling that askey to make this new town a community.

"I think to bring this all together after all the animosity and how we got to this point I think we need somebody from the outside. I think we need somebody who hasn't been part of that process," said Anne VanDonkersgoed, an avid volunteer in her community ofValleyfield.

"Yes I am new to politics, but I'm not new to caring about people and I'm not new to looking out for my community, this is just doing it in a different way."

Former chair of CardiganDaleneStewartwas also running for mayor, but pulled out of the race Tuesday afternoon.

The new mayor will be chosenNov.5.

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