This was an election where the good guys won. A little Mayor from a little town stood up tall against developers from somewhere different. Mayor Marolyn Morrison was all set to retire. She was ready to hand over the reigns and enjoy spending time with John and go visit the grand kids every once in a while. But given that the only person running against her was being happily pushed along and led by the hand by people with less than honorable intentions, Mayor Morrison felt that she had an obligation to give people a choice.
In recent years there has been an anti-incumbent trend. The most popular thing to say is something along the lines of "now is the time for change." The beautiful thing about Caledon is that the people voted strongly in favor of not changing, mainly because it wouldn't have made any sense to sell the town. That's what we would have been doing.
Even if Annette Groves isn't in the pocket of developers she certainly has their best interests at heart. This is the paradox that is Ms. Groves. On the one hand, she is extremely likable and well spoken. On the other, she is supremely naive. At best, she would have been Bolton's Mayor.
In listening to Annie speak you'd swear she had a few good points, until you stopped to think about them. Losing this election is the best thing that could have ever happened to Annette Groves because along with it hopefully she will lose her backers and maybe a loose cannon or two.
We have not seen the last of Annette, and I hope that we haven't be because I really do like her. But the lady needs a reality check or two. From what I have been told she wasn't always like this and perhaps this is an opportunity for her to go back to her roots.
Perhaps some time out in the real world will teach her the difference between good business and borderline insider trading tendencies. Just because something makes good math sense doesn't make it practicing in good faith.
Then there is Allan Thompson, the hardest working politician I have ever met. He was up against a self-serving farmer looking to protect little more than his own homestead and a school board trustee veteran who was hoping to get elected by hosting tea parties.
The only reason he lost Valleywood is because these are people that needed a scapegoat after the 410. Well you can't blame these people too much because some men got in a room and decided to drop in a subdivision in the middle of nowhere, with only one exit in or out and highway cutting through half of it.
I used to say, I have no pity for these folks but the truth is that the development is 17 years old, not 10, which means that at least the folks in phase one had no idea about Hwy 410 before they bought there. So, if you can't give it to Dalton yet, at least you can try to give it to Allan. Good thing he has broad shoulders.
