The MyBancroftNow.com newsroom has received phone calls this (Tuesday) morning from two taxpayers in Wollaston Township.
They have asked to remain anonymous and we are respecting that request.
The first caller said the whole issue stems around the expansion of the Bear Ridge Campground and Cottages and alleges that the owners of Bear Ridge, councillor Jay Morrison along with Reeve Barb Shaw offered incentives to campers to sign over leases to adult children in order to allow those people to vote.
The caller alleges they were offered cheaper campground fees next year, barbecues and parties and that voting for an “approved” list of candidates would improve the campground and make it a better place for their families.
MyBancroftNow.com has reached out to Reeve Shaw for her comments on the allegations.
Shaw says the allegations are unfounded and disclosed that she was the person who has contacted the Bancroft OPP regarding what was reported here yesterday about concern over cottage owners signing over leases to family members which allowed those people to be added to the voter’s list six weeks before the election. Detective Sergeant John Kyle confirmed to us that a complaint about the election process has been made and it is being looked into, but they are in the preliminary stages of determining whether an investigation will take place.
Shaw clarified that campers don’t have leases but do have licences of occupation that does allow the holder to vote.
Shaw continued, “It is up to the clerk slash returning officer to determine who and who cannot get on the voter’s list. So that is out of my hands. I can’t add somebody to the voter’s list and I can’t take somebody off. That’s the returning officer, that’s the clerk.”
She calls the allegations of offering incentives “ridiculous”. She says she did have a brunch meeting with the campers in September to meet them and discuss their concerns and to get them excited to be a part of the community.
Shaw says she has reached out to members of the Wollaston Lake Coalition chairperson to try to and understand their concerns. Her email was not returned. She calls the use of anonymity “upsetting” saying, “I don’t think we are going to move forward if we don’t have face-to-face communication.”
The second caller, who says is not part of the Wollaston Lake Coalition, spoke about the complexities of the expansion of Bear Ridge Campground at great length. Telling MyBancroftNow.com, “Obviously what happened was that, Jay Morrison, who’s the owner of Bear Ridge along with Barb Shaw, Lynn Kruger, (Tim) Conlin and one other councillor got together and wanted to run a Bear Ridge pro campaign. Which they did. Jay Morrison is the owner of Bear Ridge and they all got elected on October 22nd.”
The caller continued to say that observers to the count on election night were “extraordinarily surprised at the vast number of votes that came from people registered to Bear Ridge and Red Eagle campgrounds.” The caller also claims there was an email sent to some of the campers instructing them who to vote for and offering incentives.
A scan of the Wollaston Lake Coalition website also shows an endorsed list of candidates.
Councillor Jay Morrison says these allegations are completely untrue, “There was no monetary value, there was no nothing. People had an option to vote and they voted, it’s as simple as that.”
Morrison says the campground has had a coalition against them for the last four years and the Wollaston Lake Coalition has spread false information against the campground during that time.
Morrison says all campers have signed a licence of occupation with the campground. He continues, “this is their lease in the campground industry because they are seasonal campers. That licence of occupation was given to the township to show proof of occupancy to be an eligible voter. Those voters that were all able to vote, the process was done the same for everyone. So, the township staff approved these people to vote.”
Morrison says he is not quite sure why these anonymous allegations are coming to light but he would stress to them to go the OPP. He wonders why there is such a secrecy behind these allegations.
Both anonymous callers say there has been intimidation but weren’t clear from who the intimidation was coming from.
Reeve Barb Shaw says she too has also been harassed on social media. Councillor Jay Morrison says even his campers have been sent emails that have “bad mouthed” him.
Morrison added, “I am heartbroken. I just really wish we could just [sic] you know what we’re elected it was by a landslide, let’s just move on. Let’s try to…you know what I think it’s to the point people don’t even know why they’re mad.”
Shaw says, “I really have experienced what it feels like to be challenged and pushed and attacked and hurt and I am more committed than ever to make this an inclusive community where all residents and ratepayers’ matter.”