As the polls trickled in yesterday evening, it was easy to see early that Ian Paton was going to be the man to beat. His lead started the moment the advanced polls were announced but with many more polls to come in, anything could happen. Well that anything was an impressive sweep of all six Ladner polling stations and the advanced polls.The East Delta auctioneer dominated Ladner taking 55% of the vote there. Outside of Ladner, Paton saw his support drop losing both Tsawwassen and North Delta to Sylvia Bishop but it wasn't enough to overcome the huge margins gained in Ladner.
Paton, who was endorsed by Mayor Lois Jackson's Delta Independent Voters Association, received 5,752 votes for almost 34 per cent of the popular vote, followed by Bishop with 4,630 votes and Maria DeVries in a distant third with 2,176 votes.
Post election recap and statistics to follow on the DeltaFreePress.com
The results are only what was to be expected - Ladner has the biggest agricultural land base and needs to be represented - and it is right to have a farmer do that.
ReplyDeleteNow we can only hope that each councillor who represents a segment of Delta knows their issues and cares enough about their region that they can justly represent it and their constituents on Council.
The results might be expected but not because of the rose-coloured explanations the above poster writes. When a city council up and decides to hand pick a candidate to tow the council table line and rubber stamp the status quo, as we will see Paton do over the next year. When he outspends his rivals handsomely as we will know soon when the campaigns disclose their accounting. Then you can expect an outcome like this. Money and power won the election, and the people of Delta got bamboozeled again. Hopefully, they wake up for the next general election.
ReplyDeleteYes they are to be expected but don't think things will be any different in Ladner. Ian Paton is a one issue person and doesn't have a clue as to what's going on here. I doubt he even cares about keeping land in farming and I'll bet we see him recommending that a lot of the farmland in the area is no longer good for farming. I can already see him voting in favor of the land at 64 St alongside Burns Bog being built on. Instead of mandating that the land which was once a dairy farm is rehabilitated he'll just say it's no good and should be developed. I can hardly wait to see where his campaign funds came from.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Ian Paton knows anything about the Ladner Harbor or the dredging? What about all the infill housing that's making Ladner a mess to get in and out of.
He'll just vote as he's told to be the DIVA dveloper friendly mayor councillors and we're back to business as usual. Too bad. I would have like to have seen Kathleen Higgens get in or Sylvia Bishop. At least they think for themselves and aren't beholden to their developer long time family friends.
A lot of assumptions Georgia. I will now assume that you have never met or spoken to Ian Paton.
ReplyDeleteThe ones who have been bamboozeled are the people that actually believe the garbage that has been spread by the Bishop supporters declaring that Ian Paton is not for saving farmland. What a joke.
You people spend a lot of time generating negative energy. Why don't you find something positive to do?
Sour grapes is very unbecoming.
Actually I don't think it's sour grapes talking here it's a mere reflection on the truth of the matter. I doubt we'll ever see Mr. Paton vote contrary to Mayor Jackson and her DIVA sidekicks. They all stood lock step together during the provincial election when they supported Gordon Campbell's choice Wally Oppal. You are known by who you support and we all know what a teller of untruths Gordon Campbell is. The contributors list will be an interesting read. It's time the people of Ladner woke up and started working on getting rid of Jackson and her DIVA's. Man, what an appropriate name for them that is
ReplyDeleteGeorgia
ReplyDeleteClearly the people have spoken, and spoken loudly. Having never met Ian Paton, and assuming you love looking at farmland without ever knowing any farmers, if you don't like what happened, I suggest it is time to move. The families that founded this town and municipality strongly supported Ian Paton. He was asked by Jackson to run because he represents the views of the vast majority of Ladner residents, not because he will "tow the party line". Obviously you are in the minority with your beliefs. Ian Paton, like his father before him, will fight to protect good farmland in Delta. Until you meet him, or perhaps do a little research, I suggest you stop the mud slinging and whining, or just make it easier for all of us and move out of town.
Boo. Here I was thinking the citizens decided who ran the town. Turns out its the people in power.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone starts a campaign to get more people to vote. 25 percent is a joke. Seriously. We spend years teaching our kids about the history of the world and millions of dollars fighting for our "freedom," and every time it comes down to it, most people just throw away the opportunity to exercise it.
Shame on anyone who didn't vote. They deserve to find out what it feels like to live in a fascist country where they have no rights.
Maybe next time....
Good grief anonymous 5:19, I didn't think we were living in the Southern US where the people "who have been here forever" get to run those who disagree with them out of town. It's pretty obvious that the "families that founded this town" don't like the way things are moving regarding farmland. It means they won't be able to sell the farm for housing developments and they'll actually have to farm them. The Paton's used to run a dairy but now Paton Jr. only cuts hay. I have a brother-in-law who owns some acreage in British Columbia and only grows hay because he isn't actually a farmer and he admits it. He needs to have the hayfields to get taxed as rural. He used to run cattle but he wasn't about farming, he just liked having the acreage and the solitude. At least he admits his shortcomings as far as farming goes and he doesn't own farmland in one of the most ferile areas in the world. He lives in northern BC so he's not sitting on his land expecting a windfall from development. Far from it. I'm from Manitoba and I know lot's of farmers, in fact my father was brought up on a farm as was my husband's father. They actually raised livestock and grew grain and I still have relatives there who are real farmers so don't lecture me on farming. I've milked cows, weeded huge gardens, fed chickens, cleaned ther cages and collected the eggs
ReplyDeleteSo spare us the old Delta boy tirade. The people who voted for Paton because "he's a farmer" won't be fooled for long. I still predict we'll never see him stray from the DIVA line and we'll see him vote to take land out of agricultural designation. The excuse he'll use is obvious. "I'm a farmer". Restart the dairy or plant some kind of crop that takes work. Then I'll believe he's a farmer.
Georgia - You are off-base on so many levels...especially a moral one. Please get over it, and find something new to complain about.
ReplyDelete"Georgia", feed supply stores and owners purchase hay from Ian Paton to feed their livestock all year long. Supplying food to livestock rather than people is very much part of farming. Maybe you aren't aware, but farming is not only growing crops for people to eat.
ReplyDeleteJust because you've milked a cow and weeded a garden, hardly makes you an expert.
Oh...and please give even one example of a "families that founded this town" who would like to sell the farm for housing developments?? Please...just one.
Just one...c'mon, just one.
Are you the attempting to be brainwasher or pretending to be the brainwashed???
...by the way - Ursula, you rock! Gracefully put!
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with you "save the farmland" people???
ReplyDeleteAll I see is you insulting the farmers and the farming community of Delta!
Okay anonymous 3:31, you asked fo just one farming family - here it is. The Savage family.
ReplyDeleteOh I know full well that hay is sold for feed, I just pointed out that the Paton farm was a dairy farm and that kind of farming requires a ton of work and requires much for knowledge of the industry than haying fields only. Oh and all you anonymous have the courage to use your name
Georgia - Please read my comments at 3:31 again
ReplyDeleteGeorgia....the Savage family? Please clarify.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia. Yes, The Paton farm was a dairy farm. And yes, it does require much for knowledge. Did the knowledge get lost somewhere??
ReplyDeleteGeorgia...which Savage family would like to sell their farm for a housing development???
ReplyDeleteI think you better either qualify that with some facts, or ask Elvis to remove it.
Georgia
ReplyDeleteI used to work for the Savage family while I was attending university, and have maintained a friendship with them ever since. I realize that there is more than one Savage family farming in Delta, however, I know them all, and I am curious as to how I could have ever missed friends of mine selling their farm for a housing development. Also, yes hay is a viable crop. Many farmers grow hay because the price for good hay has been excellent these past few years. I'm sorry, but farming is a business, and they do their best to turn a profit. If they do not make money, then they have to sell their land, probably to developers, which would be terrible because then you would not have the beautiful greenspace which you so desire.
You are correct, Ladner is not run by the "good old boys". It is run by people who put their neck on the line, endure personal attacks and spend their own money on a campaign because they believe they can preserve our excellent quality of life. It is certainly not run by people like yourself who sit on the sidelines and offer nothing but criticism and slander.
Looks like Georgia can't back up her lies.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Sept 22,8:31am. My goodness you findit easy to call people liars, you need a better vocabulary. There are people, like me, who don't spend everyday laocked onto the computer. There is an outdoor and personal life out there you do realize don't you? As to the Savavge family farms. We can start with former Delta councillor/Social Credit Agricultural Minister John Savage who owned the land where East Delta now stands growing houses. That's
ReplyDeletejust one example. Please use your head. Where did the land come from that has the subdivisions on what is farmland if not from farmers. A number of promininant farmers sold off large and small sections of their land to developers like George Hodgins. Who just happened to be, by the way, John Savage's brother-in-law.
Georgia
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should spend more time on the computer; it could help your spelling. Asking people to use their heads, and then misspelling "findit" and "laocked" does not add validity to your article. George Hodgins is indeed John Savage's brother in law. However, Hodgins' developments were primarily in Tsawwassen, and not on great farmland. Also, the houses which boarder the Savage farm in East Delta were built on smaller lots owned by several people, one or two acre plots. The land was never in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The Delta Agricultural Society has on several occasions, refused to sell land to developers because of the belief that it would destroy the quality of the community. One such example is Patterson Park. The Delta Agricultural Society had several offers to buy the land from developers wishing to put in a shopping center. Rather than turn a huge profit, the Ag Society sold it to Delta at a reduced cost. Please stop painting farmers as greedy land barons looking to make a fast and easy buck. I do not spend much time on my computer; I am usually out on the tractor trying to get crops out of the field in this miserable weather so people like yourself can have something to eat while you enjoy the beautiful scenery of our farmland. You'll have to excuse me now, I have work to do.