Crichton Park neighbours invite mayoral candidate Sheila Fougere for coffee, chat

Would you like a little politics with your morning coffee?

Heather MacDonald and her neighbour Debbie Lawrence were chatting a few weeks ago when the topic of the upcoming municipal election came up. MacDonald said she hadn't thought of an alternative to voting for Mayor Peter Kelly on Oct. 18.

Lawrence, a longtime family friend of mayoral hopeful Sheila Fougere, suggested they invite the candidate over for coffee to find out what she had to say about local issues.

Fougere accepted, as did more than 30 of MacDonald's friends and neighbours. The group gathered for a "meet and greet" last Thursday morning at her Crichton Park home.

MacDonald said she was pleased with how the morning went.

"She (Fougere) arrived around 9 a.m. and didn't leave until 12:50," said MacDonald. "I don't think there was one person who left my house planning to vote for Peter Kelly.

"At least half of the people who attended have asked about putting signs on their lawn."

With three council seats acclaimed in Dartmouth, it's the election for mayor and school board that will have to draw a large portion of the voters.

"Yes, I am concerned," said Fougere of voter turnout. "There's a seat acclaimed on the Halifax side, too. I certainly hope voters will come out, but I know school board isn't always a big draw for people."

Fougere began her address to the small crowd Thursday by thanking MacDonald for organizing the group together.

"The municipality is so huge, I come home after campaigning and I look at the map and think, 'Oh my ...' But, I'm happy to be doing it," she said.

Fougere, who has been the councillor for District 14 - Connaught-Quinpool for 10 years, said she never had any big wish to get into politics.

"It never happened that way at all," she said. "My husband and I were reading the newspaper, it was the first (council) vacancy since amalgamation, and I was reading about the local candidates ... I said to my husband, 'For the first time in my life, I don't want to vote. I don't want to vote for any of these people.' And he said 'Go for it.'"

She ran again for council in 2004, and won, but feels the people in District 14 are ready for a new voice. A "refreshed perspective."

She claims to have no grudge against Kelly, but says she doesn't see him as the strong leader that HRM council needs.

"I asked myself again, 'What are you going to do about it?' I risked nothing by stepping up."

Fougere discussed a few of the issues on her campaign platform, and then opened the floor up to questions.

The guests - which included some men, but mostly women - brought up a few Dartmouth issues of concern. The future of the Brightwood Golf and Country Club came up, as well as a new home for the Dartmouth Heritage Museum and development around Lake Banook.

"She seemed to have a good handle on the community and a genuine interest in what we had to say," said MacDonald.

When asked what she was most proud of in her 10 years as councillor, Fougere said her work as chair of the bikeways advisory committee.

"That benefitted everyone in the municipality," she said.

They also asked her position on some infamous hot topics.

"The pesticide ban is not being enforced in this city. What would you do about it as mayor?" one guest asked.

"The pesticide bylaw is complaint driven. The next step we need to look at down the road is finding a way to not have them (pesticides) for sale. Lack of availability will reduce the problem," answered Fougere.

"Why did council get so caught up in an issue like the cat bylaw when everyone was saying there are more important things to talk about?" asked another guest.

Fougere laughed and said she feels it's a matter of the person in charge setting priorities on the agenda.

"Some things should be up here," she said making the motions gesturing above her head with her hand, "and some things should be down here. Cats were on the agenda 17 times."

lmckay@hfxnews.ca