✅ Jim McPherson for Meaford Council

Press Release:

Hi, I’m Jim McPherson, and I’m asking for your support as your next Councillor for the Municipality of Meaford.

I served on Meaford Municipal Council from 2006 to 2010. My education includes a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from Concordia University. I worked in health at the Montreal General Hospital and later in education at the Quebec Ministry of Education as a policy analyst. I worked in Alberta and across Canada as a fundraiser and organizer. In Calgary, I started a land development company which I sold in 2003. I moved with my wife, Karen, to Meaford that same year and started the Earth Harvest Cafe which we ran until the end of 2016. We also had the great blessing of starting our family, having two sons, Jeffrey in 2004 and Edmund in 2008. I presently enjoy driving children to and from school as a school bus driver.

I decided to run for Council mainly because I want to serve my community and help to make Meaford a better place to live, work and raise a family, but there are other reasons too – the poor state of roads, the high price for water and sewer, concerns over the pump water storage project, staff and council’s lack of communication, and the municipality’s missing of important development deadlines. I currently live on Trowbridge Street and we have been told our street was to be dug up and fixed for two summers now, yet all we have are large signs announcing it. No communication beyond the first letter in 2024, no work done – there’s something wrong there. I also believe this Council had no right tying up the future Council for three years over the pump storage project. I would like to be part of the work to improve all this.

Mostly though, I want to serve my community and help to make Meaford a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Why am I against the Pump Water Storage Project?

1. I am concerned about water contamination from sediment disruption and from toxic soils on the base.
2. I am concerned about air quality as the contaminated soils of the base will be heavily disturbed.
3. I am concerned about fish kill and the disruption of aquatic habitat.
4. I am concerned about the “pond” structure itself. This isn’t just a hole dug into the ground; a large part of the water storage is above ground level, 10 meters above ground level. What are the safety and aesthetic implications?
5. I consider this a huge burden on nearby residents who made a decision to move to a beautiful and relatively peaceful location with an understanding of what could and could not happen there. Shelling – yes. Occasional troop convoys and maneuvers – yes. Massive multi-year construction for an industrial power project – no.

Thank you,

Jim McPherson

Email: meafordjim@gmail.com

Phone: 519-387-8966

Website: jimmcphersonforcouncil.com