GUYSBOROUGH — It was a nail-biter but, after two dead-even votes and a final draw from a hat, District 1 Councillor Paul Long was named warden of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) during the swearing-in of the new council Oct. 30.
Said Long, about his selection by his fellow councillors over 27-year veteran, District 5 Councillor Janet Peitzsche: “The first vote tied. Then, [after a second] vote, it was still tied. Finally, it [went to] a draw of the hat [to] pick one out of two... If it had gone the other way, I’d have been the first one to stand up and shake Councillor Peitzsche’s hand and say, ‘Let’s move forward and get this done,’ as, in fact, she did with me.”
With that, and for the next four years, Long becomes the public face of MODG council, which includes other representatives acclaimed in the run-up to the Oct. 19 municipal election – Peitzsche; Mary Desmond (District 2); Neil DeCoff (District 3); Dave Hanhams (District 4); Hudson MacLeod (District 7); and Fin Armsworthy (District 8) – and newcomer Susan Cashin, who defeated long-time councillor and former MODG Warden Vernon Pitts to win in District 6.
Peitzsche, meanwhile, retains her position as deputy warden, held since 2020, following a failed bid by Hanhams for the job at the Oct. 30 meeting.
First elected in District 1 in 2020, Long – a lifelong resident of Guysborough, who lives there with his wife, Maureen – is a retired educator and school administrator. A prolific community volunteer, he has served as chair of Guysborough Waterfront Development Society, Guysborough Amateur Athletic Association and St. Ann’s Parish council. He has also served on several MODG committees – including planning, Chedabucto Lifestyle Complex and accessibility – and as council’s representative on the Strait of Canso Superport Corporation, Waste Management Liaison Committee, Guysborough Community Health Board and Guysborough Area Stakeholder Working Group.
Though wardens are selected by their fellow councillors – and not elected directly by voters – their roles are analogous to mayors, according to provincial government rules. “Often the public face of the municipality, [the warden] provides leadership and direction to council but does not infringe on council members’ opinions and voting,” its 2020 municipal guidebook notes. “The [warden] is not the political leader of council but rather a regular member with some additional responsibilities [with] the same voting powers as all councillors.”
Despite the split vote of his colleagues, Long said he’s ready to embrace that role with gusto and purpose in a municipality that’s facing several new economic development opportunities, including onshore and offshore wind development.
“With economic development comes the need for more infrastructure,” he said in an interview with The Journal last week. “With more infrastructure, you need more people to fill your restaurants and your hotels, or whatever it might be. So, how do we put ourselves in the best position to do well? To me, that means we have to work together and put services where they’re needed. That also includes housing. If we don’t have the proper housing for people to come to, then they’re going to live somewhere else.”
Long also said he sympathizes with local worries about the impact of wind development, particularly the prospect of large-scale operations by companies, such as EverWind Fuels and Simply Blue, potentially placing hundreds of onshore turbines in the area.
“I understand people’s concerns, especially when there’s an unknown, where we’ve never had this type of thing before. What’s it going to look like? How’s it going to affect us? But, I also think that there are a lot of experts on both sides, and we, as a council, have to sift through what’s right and wrong. What’s going to be the best opportunity for us? How are we going to make this work? Green energy and changes in how we do things are coming. So, how do we take advantage of that, [such as] through good community benefits agreements that we can then turn back into the community to make this a more viable place for people to stay?”
He added: “I was chosen as warden and Councillor Peitzsche was chosen as deputy warden, and our job is to bring everybody together and make this a better place tomorrow than it is today. So, that’ll be my focus. How do we bring everybody together? How do we bring all ends of the municipality together to make this a better place for people who want to come and live here?”
In an email to The Journal, Cashin said her first council meeting last week was “a positively satisfactory experience. I received a hearty, hospitable reception from fellow council members and staff.”
The new council’s first committee of the whole session was scheduled for Nov. 6 in municipal chambers in Guysborough. All council meetings are open to the public.
