Written By Jan Sims
A mixture of incumbents and new faces will form Middlesex Centre council following the October municipal election. Ward 2 councillor Wayne Shipley and Ward 5’s Frank Berze are running unopposed.
Sue Cates has represented Ward 4, and will be taking over the job of Deputy Mayor following the departure of John Brennan who is running for mayor. “I am a proud Mom and Grandma and proud to call Komoka and Middlesex Centre home for the past 20 years. I bring attention to detail and hope others agree,” says Cates.
Ward 1 is a three-person race. The Ward takes in Ilderton and has been represented by Jean Coles who was appointed to the position in 2024 following the departure of Debbie Heffernan.
She is joined in the race by Andy Wing and Doug MacRae. Development is a major issue in the ward. “Residents want to see growth managed thoughtfully with appropriate infrastructure and consideration for the character and needs of our communities,” says Coles.
“Growth is inevitable, but doing so with fiscal responsibility and maintaining the character of our community is critical and must be done thoughtfully,” says MacRae.
“This means ensuring traffic safety as development expands, keeping our local and rural roads well-maintained, and ensuring our agricultural communities and small-town residential areas feel fully supported by council,” says Wing.
Ward 3 sees incumbent Hugh Aerts face off against Randy Campbell. In terms of major issues facing Middlesex Centre, Aerts cites development and economic opportunity. “We need to ensure that we are working with developers that have projects that are appropriate for Middlesex Centre,” says Aerts. On his Facebook post, Campbell states: “I understand the importance of knowing your neighbours, supporting local families and business and looking out for the community around you.”
Ward 4 takes in the fast-growing Komoka-Kilworth area. The candidates are Diogo Barreira and Eric Graham. Graham cites fiscal responsibility as a priority. “Ward 4 is a major growth area of Middlesex Centre. I want to ensure it grows in a well thought out and sustainable way where we can protect the country charm of our small community while providing the convenience and services essential to its residents,” says Graham. In a Facebook post, Barreira states: “When new development creates the need for additional infrastructure and services, those costs should be appropriately connected to the growth creating that demand.”
