Three in race to lead Greenstone

The Michael Power-Charlie Primeau rivalry is over in Greenstone and voters are set to select a mayor from three different, but familiar, candidates in the municipal election.
Power, who is the incumbent, announced last month he’s retiring from municipal politics. Primeau, who was Greenstone’s first mayor, moved to Ottawa for employment reasons shortly after he lost to Power in the 2006 election.
In the upcoming Oct. 25 vote, current Longlac ward Coun. Elaine Mannisto, 63, is to face off against mining executive Mike Malouf, 64, and former Longlac mayor and businessman Renald Beaulieu, 57.
Malouf, who has run unsuccessfully in previous Greenstone elections, says his main issue remains development, or lack thereof, on the Highway 11 corridor.
Greenstone should emulate other Northern communities, such as Hearst and Kapuskasing, and establish a commercial sector on the Trans-Canada Highway, says Malouf.
Malouf is also concerned about a lack of shoreline development and occasional raw sewage discharges into Kenogamisis Lake from a failure-prone sewage system in Geraldton ward.
“They upgraded the (treatment) plant but didn’t fix the pipes,” Malouf says.
Mannisto says as mayor she would be able to bank on 10 years of council experience.
“I just think I can do the best job,” she said.
Priorities for Mannisto include finding ways to boost employment in the economically depressed municipality, as well as dealing with a myriad of environmental issues, including Geraldton’s sewage problems and the need for a new regional landfill site.
Longlac’s sewage treatment plant alone needs up to $25 million in repairs, Mannisto noted. The plant in Nakina ward requires at least $3 million in repairs, she added.
Beaulieu said he was temporarily unable to comment on the election due to personal issues.
The rest of the candidates running in Greenstone in various positions is as follows (* denotes incumbent).
Council: Rural West Ward (one to be elected) — Glenn Checkley, Ron Melhuish*; Geraldton Ward (two to be elected) — William Assad, Andy Bilodeau, Suzanne Brabant, Harold Donohue*, Greg A. Riou, Chris Walterson; Longlac Ward (two to be elected) — Brian A. Alltonen, Jane Jantunen, Mary Moylan; Beardmore Ward (one to be elected) — Kevin N. Melanson, Claudette Trottier*; Nakina Ward (one to be elected) — Claudette Abraham, Jay Daiter*, Larry Schallock; Rural East Ward (one to be elected) — Armand Giguere.
Superior-Greenstone District School Board (two to be elected) — Matthew S. Donovan, Mark Mannisto*, Fred A. Simonaitis.
Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario (one to be elected) — Anne-Marie Gelineault*; Superior North Catholic District School Board (two to be elected) — Sharon Arsenault* (Longlac and Rural East),William McKay* (Rural, Geraldton, Beardmore & Nakina)
Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boreales (four to be elected) — Laurent Pominville* (Geraldton, Beardmore and Nakina), J.P. Pelletier (Geraldton Beardmore and Nakina), Francine Marcotte Roy (Geraldton, Beardmore and Nakina) Madeleine Owca (Rural/Longlac), Sylvie Payeur* (Rural/Longlac).