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Former councillor Jess Prothero pledges to stop truck traffic at aerodrome

August 13, 2014   ·   0 Comments

Former Tottenham Councillor Jess Prothero changed his candidacy for the upcoming 2014 Municipal Election last week from the Tottenham centre (Ward 8) to the Tottenham rural area (Ward 7), a move that left many of his supporters asking him why.

Addressing the question on Friday, Prothero said it was his concern over the expansion of the Tottenham Aerodrome that led him to make the jump.

“It was a difficult decision,” he said, “but I believe the ongoing problem with the dumping of fill that has been going on over the last term of Council needs to be stopped, not just monitored or regulated. I believe it will require an experienced representative on Council to make that happen and I am committed to doing that.”

Prothero sat on New Tecumseth Council for two terms, 2003 to 2006 and 2006 to 2010 representing both the urban and rural areas of Tottenham prior to the ward boundary adjustment implemented prior to the 2010 election. He narrowly lost his seat in 2010 and has remained active in the community ever since, serving as President of the Tottenham-Beeton Chamber of Commerce for the past three years.

“I live in the southern rural of the town,” said Prothero, “less than a mile from the airport site and I am alarmed at the long term impacts the airport expansion is having on the community. More than 500 trucks a day go up and down our rural roads and no attention is being paid by either the town or the MOE. Even when hundreds of people show up at Council to voice their concern, the buck is being passed. I want it stopped and I believe it will take someone with experience and determination to make that happen. The urban Tottenham ward has some good candidates registered to run but the rural area has been largely forgotten. I want to make sure rural Tottenham has a strong voice on Council.”

During his time on Council, Prothero was successful in making good things happen for his community. He played a large role in the expansion of the Tottenham Community Centre, the outdoor ice pad and the skate park. He fought to clean up a number of derelict properties and was one of the founders of the Beeton-Tottenham BIA bringing thousands of dollars into the community for downtown improvement initiatives.

“Residents in the southern rural area have been neglected by Council,” Prothero said. The roads are in an atrocious state and the airport issue is very serious. The community needs someone to champion these issues and I think I have shown that I can do that.”

For more information, contact Jess Prothero at 705 890-2274.

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