While there may not be a full field of candidates yet in Wellington North’s coming municipal election, there is at least one Forrest.
Owner of the Mount Royal Tavern in Mount Forest Ron Forrest is putting his name forward for Wellington North’s Ward 2 – currently held by councillor Bob Mason.
He has been a businessman in town for 11 years and served three years on the Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce board of directors, one year vice-president and two years as president.
Forrest is no stranger to economic development issues at the municipal level either, having served on Wellington North’s economic development committee and the Mount Forest BIA. Forrest ran as a candidate in the last municipal election, but lost to Councillor Dan Yake (Ward 1).
“I feel I have more experience now,” Forrest said.
During Mount’s Forest’s Big Dig, a reconstruction of three blocks of the main street, Forrest headed the committee that involved local business people meeting with Elgin Construction and the contractors on a weekly basis.
He believes those weekly meetings benefited the business people and those involved in the rebuild. Forrest has been in the Mount Forest area for the past 40 years, and wants to give back to his community.
When people ask on his qualifications, he laughed and says if he has been able to referee for 25 years, he can handle council meetings.
It’s a role, Forrest said he is ready to take a run at. He commented that outgoing councillor Bob Mason is a good friend, and he hopes to do as well as councillor. Forrest said there are three main issues on the plate. When it comes to infrastructure, he believes Wellington North has the infrastructure and services to attract people to the area. However, there are lot a lot of big factories in the area “and I think we are ready for them.”
What he hates to see are kids growing up in the community and having to leave town to find work. While he believes they come back later, Forrest wants them to have a reason to stay. He added another issue the township needs to deal with is the increasing number of retirees. To do that, he said more needs to be done to bring doctors, nurses and health care professionals to the community.
Third, Forrest said he is proud of local volunteer fire departments, but more needs to be done to support them. He said local firefighters are underpaid, and it is something that should be considered.
“They put their lives on the line time and time again, and they should be compensated properly.” He suggested the township’s firefighters may be one of the lowest paid in the area. He then said not everything can happen overnight, especially in the first year of a four-year term.
In his 40 years in Mount Forest, he has seen the community grow from 2,500 residents to where it is now.
“When the town [Mount Forest’s population] explodes, I want to be there.”
