Calling on Cottagers to Engage in Upcoming Election

If there's one thing Ron Parkinson believes, it's that democracy is a gift – one we all should honor by voting. That's why he's doing all he can as the President of the Cedar Lake Association – an organization that connects about 300 cottage owners on vital issues, to vote in the upcoming municipal election on Monday, Oct. 26th.Like hundreds of others, Parkinson is a cottager and has been coming up to Haliburton County for more than 40 years. He believes that information is power and that taking part in the electoral process is vitally important.This is Part One of what will be a multi-episode series on the voices of Haliburton County as we inch ever closer to the upcoming municipal election. The series, entitled,WHAT MATTERS HERE:Listening to the voices of Haliburton County,will cover the issues that matter to various demographic groups in our region.In this, Part One, we'll hear from Parkinson, who's mission is to motivate cottagers to become informed about the candidates and their platforms, then cast their votes. As Parkinson stipulates, this is not an attempt to choose specific candidates, but to let members know who's running for what roles and what they stand for.Many of his members, who own cottages here but live somewhere else, are unaware of their right to vote in an election for an area that's not their primary residence. That's precisely why Parkinson is launching an information campaign to understand the local municipal scene, specifically in Highlands East, where his cottage and his members own their secondary properties.But first, let's clarify the term‘cottager'. Ontario law allows anon-resident electorto vote in a municipality if they own or rent property there (or are the spouse of someone who does). So, a person who lives in Toronto but owns a cottage in Haliburton County can be on the municipal voters' list here.