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It's Wink by a mile

Reelected to his Ward 2 seat, Pelham Town Councillor John Wink doesn't mince words about what needs to change John Wink won re-election as one of Pelham’s Ward 2 councillors Monday night, capturing 1,355 votes.

Reelected to his Ward 2 seat, Pelham Town Councillor John Wink doesn't mince words about what needs to change

John Wink won re-election as one of Pelham’s Ward 2 councillors Monday night, capturing 1,355 votes. Second-place finisher Brian Eckhardt—also elected to council—received 988.

“I’m glad I got the mandate,” Wink told the Voice at his victory party at Peter Piper’s Pub in Fonthill. “I don’t think I won the sign game, but I won in the polls.”

Wink will now represent the ward alongside Eckhardt, who won over Carla Baxter and Colin McCann. Eckhardt replaces outgoing councillor Ron Kore, who chose not to run again.

Pelham's other Ward 2 council seat will be filled by retired police inspector Brian Eckhardt, who told the Voice Monday evening that he was thankful to the voters. "I will work hard and hope I don't disappoint them over the next four years." Eckhardt thanked his wife, Karen, for her help with the campaign. DAVE BURKET

Wink was first elected in 2018. During his initial term, the 69-year-old earned a reputation as a pragmatic “voice of reason” on a council that tended to bicker, ignore staff advice, and saw a voting bloc form among Kore and fellow outgoing councillors Lisa Haun and Marianne Stewart— along with Ward 3 Councillor Bob Hildebrandt, who was returned to his seat Monday via unchallenged acclaim.

“I’m really looking forward to little more cohesion,” Wink said of the new council, which will feature three new members. “We have a really good staff, and they don’t need to be crapped on by council.”

Wink, who spent decades working the financial industry, sat as chair of the Pelham’s Finance and Audit Committee during his first term. He said Monday that will remain his top priority with the new group.

“For me it’s still to keep the finances in check,” he said, citing increasing Town reserves from $2 million in 2018 to around $13 million now. “The businesses in Ridgeville have been asking for parking for so long, and that’s got to be done.”

The ever-present issue of continuing development in Pelham also promises to feature heavily. He offered the critique that some outgoing councillors didn’t seem to grasp the fact that provincial bodies such as the Ontario Land Tribunal can and will supersede municipal decisions on matters such as infill development.

“I honestly don’t think they understood development,” Wink said. “One of the first things I did with council was take a municipal planning course for councillors. I knew a lot of the stuff already from my work at Meridian … but [they] didn’t have a clue.”



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John Chick

About the Author: John Chick

John Chick has worked in and out of media for some 20 years, including stints with The Score, CBC, and the Toronto Sun. He covers Pelham Town Council and occasional other items for PelhamToday, and splits his time between Fonthill and Toronto
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