Rundown of candidates and their platforms

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The election of six individuals who will sit on Shelburne Town Council for the next four-year term will soon be determined with the municipal election (Oct. 24) days away. 

Here is the list of candidates running for election and their platforms. 

Councillor Candidates

Twelve candidates are in the running for five open councillor seats.

Jim Bates

A life-long resident of Dufferin County, Bates grew up on a farm in the Township of Amaranth and eventually moved to Orangeville. Around 12 years ago he made the decision to move to Shelburne. 

Bates works for the Region of Peel as a sub foreman in the composting facility. 

He is a first-time election candidate. 

• Infrastructure projects such as the wastewater plant, road improvements, and a bypass

• Keeping taxes low 

• Fresh ideas and change in the community 

Marcus Bennett

• Economic Development 

• Upgrades roads, sidewalks, and speed safety 

• Health Care 

Walter Benotto

Benotto has been a long-standing resident of Shelburne, living in the community for nearly 40 years. 

He has served on Shelburne Town Council for the past 23 years, running in every election since 1996. 

During his time with council, Benotto has served on almost every committee and board including the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex (CDRC), Heritage, Accessibility and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, to name a few. 

• Tourism through arts and culture 

• Accessibility 

• Infrastructure upgrades to the fire hall, sewage treatment plant, roads, sidewalks, and waterpipes 

• Bypass

• Parks and recreation amenities, including an indoor swimming pool and YMCA to provide programming 

• Amenities including a in-door swimming pool and YMCA to provide programming 

Lynda Buffett

Buffet has been a resident of Shelburne for 24 years and over the years has been an active volunteer member for the Rotary Club of Shelburne as well as with Town Council appointed committees. 

While the current term of council was Buffett's first as a councillor on Shelburne Town Council, she has previously service as a councillor for the Town of Whitby. 

She is a local real estate agent with Royal LePage. 

• Downtown revitalization and heritage 

• Expanding recreational services

• Attracting commercial and industrial development 

• Variety in housing types 

Kyle Fegan 

Fegan has been a resident of Shelburne for over 13 years. An advertising designer by trade, Fegan owns and operates a local advertising agency called Impact Kreative. In 2018, he also opened Impact Marial Arts, a judo dojo.

Fegan has been a volunteer with the annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympic and with the local food bank. 

The 2018 to 2022 term marked Fegan's first-time serving as a council member. 

• Fiscal responsibility 

• Infrastructure including wastewater plant

• Arts, culture and heritage-based projects 

Sophia Geddes

Geddes has been a resident of Shelburne for the last 8 years. She is a registerd nurse, a member of the Ontario Nurses Association and a former Inpatient Manager at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). 

Geddes is a first-time candidate for the municipal election. 

• Mental Health and Addiction services 

• Recreation for youth 

• School zone safety 

Len Guchardi 

Guchardi is a long-time resident of Shelburne and recently retired from a 22-year career in education at Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS). 

As a volunteer, Guchardi has worked on an on-going basis with a number of not-for-profit organizations. 

They include the Shelburne Food Bank, BIA, Special Olympics, Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS), the Town of Shelburne's DEI Committee, and on the board for the Northern Dufferin Agricultural Community Taskforce (NDACT).

He previously ran in the 2018 municipal election. 

• Accessibility 

• Expanding local transit

• Infrastructure 

• Donating 30 per cent of council salary to local food bank

Randy Narine 

Narine has been a Shelburne resident for over a decade. He currently works as a professional firefighter with the City of Brampton while also volunteering with the Shelburne & District Fire Department. 

He had worked for the Ministry of Labour, overseeing the health and safety for firefighters in the province and was appointed to the Fire Safety Council of Ontario in 2022. 

Narine is also board chair for Choices Youth Shelter and has been instrumental in creating the first men's homeless shelter in Dufferin County, which is slated to open in November. 

He is a first-time candidate for the municipal election. 

• Expanding support services for Shelburne's vulnerable and at-risk population

• Shifting tax burden to commercial rather than residential 

• Upgrades to infrastructure including fire hall and sewage treatment plant 

Alethia O'Hara Stephenson 

O'Hara Stephenson moved to Shelburne in 2014. 

In June of 2020, she founded the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association (DCCBA), of which she is the president of. 

O'Hara Stephenson has sat on a number of committees and boards, most notably the Joint Accessibility and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. She was also a key figure in establishing DEI Committees across Duffeirn County. 

• Expanding recreation services with new multi-purpose facility 

• Economic development 

• Affordability and fiscal responsibility 

Dan Sample

Sample has been a long-time resident of Dufferin County and moved to the Shelburne community in 2012. 

He retired from Honda of Canada Mfg. after 30 years of employment and currently works at Miedemas Auto Sales in Mono.

Sample has served as an executive board member on a number of local sports clubs as well as volunteering with the scouts and local legion. He has sat as a chair member for a number of committees including the Heritage Music Festival, Fiddle Parade and Shelburne Fest. 

Sample previously served on Shelburne Town Council for the 2014 to 2018 term as a councillor. 

• Revitalization of downtown core through BIA boundary expansion 

• Parks and Recreation improvement 

• Road safety, speeding prevention, town parking, and road improvements

Vincent Lee Sterling

Sterling has been a resident of Shelburne since 2017.

He started the Shelburne Worship Centre and manages the Shelburne Thrift and More shop. 

• Sewage treatment plant 

• Bypass

• Recreational facilities and services both indoor and outdoor

• Housing

Lindsay Wegener 

Wegener has been a resident of Shelburne for nearly 20 years. 

A veterinary technician by trade, Wegener worked at the Headwaters Veterinary Hospital before opening her local dog grooming business, Spaw-Fect Grooming. 

Wegener has been actively involved in the community including as a board member for the Fall Fair, a member of both the Street Festival and Canada Day Committees, a leader for the local Girl Guides, a former Kinette, and organizer of the Junior Schooners Minor Softball. 

Most recently, through council, she's sat as the vice-chair of the CDRC Board and vice-chair of the Heritage Committee. 

• Parks and Recreation

• Government transparency 

• Voicing community concerns 

Deputy Mayor:

 Three candidates are vying for the spot of deputy mayor on the next term of Council. 

Steve Anderson

Anderson has been a council member on Shelburne Town Council for the last five years. He began his political career when he was appointed to council in 2017, following the passing of councillor Tom Egan. Anderson has served as deputy mayor throughout the 2018 to 2022 term.

During his time on council, he has served on the CDRC Board of Management, Shelburne's first Anti-Discrimination taskforce, and the DEI Committee. At the County level, he has also sat on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee as well as the Tourism Committee.  

Anderson is a practicing litigation lawyer and has worked for the TTC for over 17 years. 

• Upgrades to parks and recreation; community hub, covered pool, walking track, YMCA programing 

• Local health care services 

• Bypass

Shane Hall  

Hall has been a resident of Shelburne for over 35 years. 

For 25 years, Hall has worked at KTH Manufacturing in Shelburne and currently holds the position of Facility President. 

He has been an avid volunteer with local sports teams including as an assistant coach and trainer and has volunteered with a number of locally based service clubs. 

He has sat as a councillor on Shelburne Town Council for the 2018 to 2022 term. 

• Upgrades to infrastructure including the wastewater treatment plant and bypass 

• Government transparency 

• Budget and taxes 

Kuldeep Verma 

• Expansion of public transit

Shelburne's incumbent Mayor, Wade Mills, ran unopposed in the 2022 municipal election and was acclaimed. 

For information on how to vote in the Shelburne Town Council Election visit www.shelburne.ca. 

The municipal election will take place on Oct. 24