Campaign signs for the mayoral and council race can be found throughout rural Thurlow Ward. Photo by Amanda Lorbetski
FOXBORO – As voters in Belleville Ward talk about issues like downtown development, those in rural Thurlow Ward are dealing with different issues altogether.
Among those issues are the lack of public transit and a lack of jobs.
Thurlow, a mixture of villages and farmland that runs north of Highway 401 to the border of Centre Hastings, includes Foxboro, Corbyville and Cannifton. Before 1998, when it became part of Belleville through amalgamation, it was the independent municipality of Thurlow Township.
Belleville Ward has six seats on city council. Thurlow Ward has only two and there are eight candidates running for those seats. As well, incumbent Thurlow councillor Taso Christopher is seeking the mayor’s chair.
Christopher, along with Thurlow council candidates Michael Clark, Lisa Warriner and Paul Carr, have taken to social media to say the urban-rural divide between the two wards needs to change and it’s about time that council paid attention to Thurlow residents.
David Galpin, a father of six, relocated his family from Belleville to Foxboro in search of a slower pace of life. But he said living in a rural community has its disadvantages – such as the lack of public transit.
“I know a couple that actually walk into town every day,” said Galpin. “They work in town and they’ve done that for years. They walk back and forth. Would they use transit? I don’t know. I think they like the walk, but I think that other people would use the transit.”
He said the lack of jobs for those living in Thurlow is also a concern.
“Certainly we could use more businesses that are employing people in the Thurlow area. I’m not sure if that’s something that’s ever been really looked at by current council.”
Voters head to the polls on Oct. 27.
Here is the full report from 91X News.
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