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HomeNewsCottagers may be impacting elections more, says new Tudor & Cashel Mayor

Cottagers may be impacting elections more, says new Tudor & Cashel Mayor

Many residents of small North Hastings municipalities voted for change in Monday’s election. It might be a sign of the changing nature of who’s voting. That theory was shared by one of the newly elected mayors.

The people of tiny Tudor & Cashel put Dave Hederson into the mayor’s seat, over incumbent Libby Clarke. Heads of council in Limerick, Wollaston and Carlo-Mayo were also ousted by challengers. 

Hederson believes new phone and online voting systems are allowing seasonal residents to vote more in municipalities where they have property. He also believes the pandemic made cottagers feel more connected to their summer communities. 

“I don’t think it had anything to do with inflation,” he says. “I think it has everything to do with how COVID caused people to think differently about their lives. Could they work from home? Could they work remotely? Should they retire early? People have moved out of the city and into these communities.” 

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Hederson was a financial executive in Toronto and a seasonal resident of the area, before he retired and decided to live in Tudor & Cashel full time. He says one of his mandates will be to “bridge the divide” that sometimes exists between seasonal or new full-time residents and long-time, permanent residents in his municipality.  He says some population growth can be a good thing. 

“If people want to come up here and transition their cottage into a home, that’s good for the economy. That allows local trades to get involved in re-doing bathrooms and kitchens and building on additions. Those are all things that can fuel an economy.” 

Hederson says he’d also like to develop a vision for the future of Tudor & Cashel, based on how its population is “trending.”

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