10/25/2026
As advance polls open in the Town of Three Rivers, I wanted to point out a few things to consider when casting your votes.
First, the council and mayor have limited power. I’ve seen a lot of talk from candidates that are broad and dreamy, but fall under provincial legislation. And yes, the mayor and council can lobby for things, but those pipe dreams aren’t promises.
Did you know that roads are provincial, but sidewalks are municipal responsibilities? That’s why the sidewalks are never properly cleaned and curbside parking is a hot mess in the winter: there’s no cooperation between town and province. That’s why the need for better, safer cross walks are lacking — because the province determines them, even when people like myself are banging on doors begging for improvements, to both local and provincial governments. That’s why there is a disgusting mess of power lines lining our Main Street. No one takes responsibility.
But promises are big in this election, and quite unclear and vague. In all of my digging, I’ve found no real, municipal, tangible promises. Frankly, I’m not even sure what each councillor or mayor wants to tangibly achieve.
We hear so much about small businesses and support from municipal government. However, I have to wonder if by small businesses, they are referring to BIG small businesses … not small businesses like this one, that is mostly run by one person with help from a student. I hear all the time how I should seek support, but what is that support? No one has given me a specific and clear answer. I’m not convinced that municipal government has much ability to support a small business. However, showing up more than once and sharing about places like this could be a start.
We hear lots of talk about schools, and the current MIS study. But that’s a provincial matter. Yes, it will take communities speaking up and fighting for their children to make an impact, and yes, the mayor and councillors need to be heard as part of it. But, they don’t get to decide. They can’t make promises on these things.
And then there’s the “monk issue”. To be quite blunt, any candidate with a history of xenophobia doesn’t have my vote.
Please: Vote.
