This article was first published by TimminsToday, a Village Media publication.
BLACK RIVER-MATHESON - As council members settle into their new roles, the province is watching to make sure it stays on the right path.
On Tuesday (Aug. 27), over 50 people packed into the small upstairs room at Black River-Matheson's arena to watch the seven new members take their oath of office. In the audience were Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof, and Kathy Horgan, the provincial appointee who's performed the duties of council since the spring.
“We have not taken action in a community the likes of which we did here in a very, very long time in the province. But let me assure you that we’re here to help, but also to watch and to make sure that we continue on in a positive path and to assure the community we will not hesitate to step in again if things don’t proceed in the way in which the community deserves,” Calandra told the crowd.
It's been a tumultuous time in Matheson.
The Northern Ontario community of about 2,500 people is situated at the Highway 101 and Highway 11 intersection.
In April, Calandra declared all the council seats vacant and a byelection was held on Aug. 12.
A rarely used section of the Municipal Act made it all possible.
It allows the municipal affairs minister to oust a sitting municipal council if a meeting isn't held for 60 days because of a lack of quorum.
Over the winter, Dave Dyment, Louise Gadoury and Steve Campsall started boycotting meetings.
SEE: Three Matheson councillors boycotting meetings to try and force byelection
Leading up to the boycott, three of the seven council members from the 2022 election had stepped down. The township was in the middle of a lengthy lockout-turned-strike for unionized public works staff, and residents were organizing to create a ratepayers' association to address ongoing issues.
The three members who staged the boycott were re-elected, with Dyment moving from a councillor to the mayor's seat. The other members are Bree Allen, Dan Charbonneau, Scott McCutcheon, and Alain Bouchard. They'll serve until the next municipal election in October 2026.
Moving to the mayor's seat wasn't Dyment's goal; he wanted to hit the reset button for the community.
It wasn't until after the byelection was called that he made the choice to run for mayor, he said.
"Most of the comments we got from the community was, you started something, we’re behind you — so finish it. That’s what we’ve done,” said Dyment after being sworn in.
Now that the new members are officially in place, he said they'll do training and assess where the township is at.
"We can’t go back in time, but we can move forward, assess exactly where we are — then we have to come good on our promise. We have to be accountable, transparent,” he said.
People in the community, said Dyment, are upset about taxes, municipal salaries and roads.
"We have to see what we can do with each of them,” he said.
He wants council meetings to be back at the arena and open to the public, not held virtually. They're also looking at having council meetings in Ramore and Val Gagne, for example, so people from across the township can participate.
The new mayor is clear on what he expects from the new group.
He expects members to be prepared for meetings, have a broad range of questions and comments, and meet with constituents to understand what residents want. Being professional, accessible, respectful and positive are also priorities.
During his inaugural speech, Dyment gave his word to Calandra.
“Thank you for taking the huge, unprecedented step of providing us with the opportunity to reset our community. I realize the decision was a difficult one. As mayor, I give you my promise that your actions will not be taken lightly,” he said.
Earlier in the ceremony, Calandra talked about the big responsibility of the new members.
He used his friendship with Vanthof as an example of how to move forward.
Calandra is a Conservative and Vanthof sits for the NDP.
While they're on the opposite ends of the political spectrum, Calandra said they probably get along better than any two members at Queen's Park.
“We listen to each other and sometimes we do something that we might not necessarily would have otherwise done, but it’s about compromising and bringing people together. And I know that you will do the very same thing because it is very important that you do so,” said Calandra.
He also mentioned the members of the previous council who aren't at the table any longer.
"They’re still your friends, they’re still your neighbours, they’re still people you’ll see in the community and I hope that we will continue — and I know you will — treat them with respect. It is a small community and it must be difficult as well,” he said.
