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October 12, 2026
Hello Residents of the Township of McKellar. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend.
This post is a reminder that voting starts Wednesday October 14, 2026 at 10:00 am and continues until Election Day Monday October 26, 2026 at 8:00 pm.
Voting is by phone or internet. If you have not received your voting information please email the Township clerk admin@mckellar.ca
Please take the time to make your voice heard and vote.
Information regarding the position/platform of the individual candidates may be found here
MLCA website: https://mlca.ca/Candidate-Questions
All Candidates Meeting video recording: McKellar Municipal Election All Candidates Meeting October 9 2026
My website link: https://www.afreshperspectivemckellar.ca/home
Please reach out and let me know your priorities for the Township of McKellar.
Lawrence Rubin
705-346-0080
rubinlsr37@gmail.com
September 25, 2026
Hello residents of the Township of McKellar. It has been a few days since my last post.
I have seen a lot of comments on the McKellar Facebook pages regarding an All Candidates meeting. I am hopeful that something may still be arranged in time. I agree it is important to try and give residents the opportunity to listen to candidates talk about their views and plans for the Township.
I have put together a web page with my platform and shared it via my Facebook posts. I appreciate that this does not replace seeing and hearing a candidate talk about what they believe is a priority for our community.
I am setting up three virtual ‘meet and greet’ sessions for residents to talk to me and directly ask me questions.
The sessions will be held from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm this coming Tuesday/WednesdayThursday (Sep 29/30 ; Oct 01)
If you are interested, please send me an email (rubinlsr37@gmail.com) letting me know your name and which date you would like to attend. I will then send you the meeting link.
I look forward to talking to you next week.
Have an enjoyable weekend.
September 16, 2026
Hello Township of McKellar. This post is the final post dealing with the role of council. The Stewardship role.
Meriam-Webster defines stewardship as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care"
Council’s responsibility is to ensure that the Township’s financial and administrative resources are being used as efficiently as possible.
There is a fine line between council’s overall stewardship of the Township and the administration’s management of day-to-day activities. Generally, council monitors the implementation of its approved policies and programs, but the practical aspects of its implementation and administration are a staff responsibility. In other words, council advises staff on what to do and staff determine how best to do it.
Council needs to be familiar with policies currently in place before they can monitor and measure the Township's administrative effectiveness and efficiency.
As part of this process, council may wish to:
define corporate objectives and set goals and priorities
establish clear administrative practices
provide specific guidelines and directions to staff on the applications of those policies
delegate appropriate responsibilities to staff (to the extent permitted under legislation)
establish a personnel management policy that emphasizes the recruitment, hiring, evaluation, training and development of staff
ensure that policies with respect to most operations of the Township are in place, with special note to mandatory policies required by legislation
develop protocols for the flow of information between council and staff; and
consider establishing a protocol for sharing approaches with other local governments and indigenous communities that share a common interest in community health, culture and economy
To be effective in this stewardship role, council may wish to have processes in place to help ensure that:
policies adopted by council are being implemented
staff are administering services and programs as council intended
rules and regulations are being applied correctly and consistently
funds are being spent only as authorized, and the Township's resources (financial and otherwise) are being used appropriately and as efficiently as possible
Establishing and following such policies and guidelines helps council leave the day-to-day details for staff to manage. Council is freer to deal with exceptional situations, ensure that policies are current and listen to issues raised by the public to represent the broader community interest.
For the past 2 1/2 years I have attended council meetings, asked questions and researched current Township by-laws. I have observed opportunities for council to improve their stewardship role. Specifically,
Specific and measurable goals that reflect the short-term and long-term priorities of residents
Financial restraint and accountability. Spending and resources aligned with defined goals
Transparent decision making with by-laws understood, respected and followed
Leadership, guidance, and clear expectations for Township staff
I have significant work experience in developing strategy, creating and aligning plans to achieve priorities, financial budgets, managing risk, leading teams within an atmosphere that valued and mandated transparency, respect, and following defined standards. My volunteer experience has further trained me in the stewardship role and allowing staff to manage the day-to-day operations, with the appropriate monitoring, reporting and safeguards to ensure policies are implemented as intended.
I want to hear from you!
What do you think is the best way for council to ensure that approved Township policies are implemented properly?
Please share your thoughts. I can be reached via email (rubinlsr37@gmail.com) or by phone (705-346-0080)
https://www.afreshperspectivemckellar.ca/
Hello Township of McKellar. This post touches on the second role of council. The policy making role.
Council is the Township's primary policy-making body. Council’s role in policy-making is important for providing directio
September 11, 2026
Hello Township of McKellar. This post touches on the second role of council. The policy making role.
Council is the Township's primary policy-making body. Council’s role in policy-making is important for providing direction for Township operations.
While many council decisions are routine, dealing with the ongoing administration of the Township, other decisions establish the principles and direction that determine the Township's future actions. These are often considered to be policy decisions.
Policy-making involves a number of steps and requires council to:
Identify an issue that needs to be dealt with
Reach agreement on the facts of the issue, making sure the objectives are met
Give direction to staff to research the issue, identify the available options and report back to council with recommendations
Engage members of the public on the issue and consider their feedback
Consider the information provided by staff, taking into account demands on time, funding and other issues
Make a decision based on the best course of action available and adopt a policy
Direct staff to implement the policy
Work with staff to evaluate the policy and to update or amend it as required
For 6 years I was on the board of directors for a not-for-profit organization that provided supports to individuals with a disability and their families. I held the roles of secretary, treasurer and for the last 3 years I was the chair of the board.
During my tenure as chair, the organization underwent a review of significant policies ensuring that programs met the needs of supported families and that risks to the organization were well understood and properly managed. The board supported the review and revision of the organization’s strategic plan, vision and mission - providing the roadmap for the next several years.
A clear statement of what the Township is to represent along with the priorities of the Township is needed. Without this roadmap you cannot determine which policies should be implemented to help achieve the Township’s objectives.
The next council, with public input must develop a strategic plan including a vision/mission for the Township of McKellar. This strategic document will set the Township’s priorities and establish the needed road-map to help the Township achieves its priorities.
As councillor I will work to have council and staff develop, with public input, a clear vision for the future of the Township. I have the needed skills and experience.
I want to hear from you!
What is the most important policy issue that the upcoming council should address during its first year?.
Please share your thoughts.. I can be reached via email (rubinlsr37@gmail.com) or by phone (705-346-0080)
https://www.afreshperspectivemckellar.ca/
September 07, 2026
Hello McKellar. I hope everyone had an enjoyable long-weekend.
Last post I provided an overview of the role of council. This post I will go a bit deeper into the first role of a council, the representative role
What does the representative role mean?
Councillors must represent the public and consider the well-being and best interests of the municipality.
Councillors are elected by voters to represent their views when dealing with issues that come before council. Residents have many views and opinions, and a councillor cannot represent all of them, all of the time.
A councillor must have a broader understanding of the issues that impact the municipality as a whole. A councillor must take into account all available information, consider conflicting interests and make evidence based decisions that may not be popular with everyone.
Councillors bring different perspectives and all councillors work towards a common goal. Disagreements among council members are common. It is through respectful debate and discussion that positive actions move forward.
It is important to remember that each member of council have an equal vote. No one councillor can guarantee that a specific program or action will be implemented. A majority of council (for the Township of McKellar that is 3 votes out of 5) is needed for any resolution or by-law to pass.
My experience in management and leadership roles has been demonstrated by my successful management of multi-million dollar operations and projects. My approach is built upon getting involvement by all relevant parties and building consensus.
An engaged community is a successful community. Council needs to hear from a wide array of residents on all issues.
To support increased resident engagement I would push for additional committees (business improvement/development committee ; finance/audit committee) that would contain members of the public.
Difficult decisions, which are in the best interest of the Township, will often not have unanimous support from the community. If needed, these decisions need to be made based upon facts and not emotion.
I want to hear from you!
How do you think Council should handle an issue where the support from the community is split 50/50.
Please share your thoughts.. I can be reached via email (rubinlsr37@gmail.com) or by phone (705-346-0080)
https://www.afreshperspectivemckellar.ca/
September 04, 2026
Hello Township of McKellar. Over the next several weeks leading up to the election I plan to share additional information about the role of council and my qualifications for the role. I will provide a vision for our community and a road map for the next four years.
My objective is to provide information to support your voting decision, get input from all residents, and for you to get to know me better.
Let's start with me.
Yes, I am 'from away'. Born and raised in the Toronto area. For over 30 years my family enjoyed cottaging in the Township of McKellar, so much so that we decided to move here full-time. For the past 3 years, I have been thrilled to call the Township home and plan to spend many years here enjoying the natural beauty, friendly neighbours and the Township's vibrant community.
Educated in bio-chemistry and business, I have enjoyed almost 40 years working in the energy industry. I continue to work, driven by problem solving, and finding ways to do things better.
My passions are my family, music, skating and puzzling.
Council
The role of council is to balance the responsibility of representing the interests of the municipality's residents while ensuring the long term well-being of the municipality.
Council has three main roles
Representative role - represent all residents
Policy maker role - providing direction for municipal operations
Stewardship role - ensure financial and administrative resources are used as efficiently as possible
Next post I will go into more detail on the role of council. I will share my work experience and not-for-profit experience that has prepared me if I am fortunate to be elected councillor for the Township of McKellar.
I want to hear from you. Please reach out via email (rubinlsr37@gmail.com) or via phone (705-346-0080).
Enjoy your Labour day weekend.
Lawrence Rubin
https://www.afreshperspectivemckellar.ca
September 02, 2026
A reminder to our seasonal residents regarding their right to vote in the upcoming 2026 municipal election in the Township of McKellar as a non-resident elector.
Municipal council election
You are eligible to vote in the election for municipal council if you meet all of the following requirements:
• you are a Canadian citizen
• you are aged 18 or older
• you qualify to vote in the municipality
There are three ways that you can qualify to vote in a municipality:
1. As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own, rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident elector is the most common type of eligibility.
2. As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. While you can be a resident elector in only one municipality (with the exception of students), you can be a non-resident elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or rent property.
3. As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one where you live.
Neither you nor your spouse qualify as a non-resident elector if you do not personally own or rent the property in the municipality. For example, if the property is owned by your business or your cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector.
For more information please visit the website
To see if you are on the voters list please call the Clerk at the Municipal office 705-389-3842
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