CANDIDATE FOR WARD 5 COUNCILLOR

Marion Meyers

I believe in a culture of collaboration where leadership provides vision, institutional wisdom is cherished, new ideas are sought and community involvement encouraged.

I believe that elected councils must provide vision and leadership to our township staff so that they in turn can ensure excellent programs and needed services, within our means, for a thriving sustainable community.

I believe Scugog is welcoming; a place for residents to make friends and connections, a cherished community to invite friends and family to visit, where visitors feel accepted as we like to feel welcomed when we travel. A thriving community that is a great place to live will attract more entrepreneurs, their industry and related jobs.

Ask a Question

Marion Meyers Ward 5 Councillor Candidate

Quick Links

› About Me

› My Priorities

› Where I Stand

› FAQs

› Contact

MEET THE CANDIDATE

Why I’m Running

I have over 30 years of extensive leadership and volunteering experience in our community serving on five boards including the Port Perry Agricultural Society, growing registered charity Scugog Council for the Arts from $70k to $350k in annual arts culture & heritage programs and a career history leading teams in retail operations, national advertising, strategic planning and brand development for a wide variety of places, organizations and companies. I have a vision for Scugog to create a Welcoming Community Initiative, build a cross-sector Scugog Culture & Heritage Plan to complement our next 10-year Strategic Plan and to measure all initiatives of Council against a model to respect, maintain and add vitality to our small town and rural vibe.

QUICK FACTS

Lives In

22 years in Utica, 12 years in Port Perry

Years in Community

34 years

Occupation

Career: Creative Infusion: Brand Developer and Strategic Plan Facilitator Coca-Cola Ltd: Director of Marketing Works Quadrant Marketing: Account Supervisor Shoppers Drug Mart: National Director of Advertising, Ontario Director of Cosmetic Operations.

Community Involvement

Scugog Community Service:
1993 - 2000 - Served on Utica Hall Board
1997 - 2000 - Served on School Community Councils of Epsom PS and R H Cornish PS
2000 - 2012 - Served on Port Perry Agricultural Society Board
2000 - 2006 - Lead Destination Imagination parent group and managed 8 teams for R H Cornish Public School and Port Perry High, leading 5 teams to Global Finals.

2008 - 2012 - Served with Durham Community Foundation on Board of Directors.
2010 present - Volunteer with Scugog Council for the Arts, helping with the 1st Mayor’s Gala for the Arts, then as Gallery Curator, elected to Board in 2018, served as Chair, currently Past-Chair. RESULTS: Over 8 years grew annual revenue from $70k to $325k for programs in Scugog.
2013 - 2026 - Served on Board of Directors of professional theatre company and registered charity Theatre on the Ridge.
2016 - 2018 - Served on Tourism Task Force for Scugog Township Economic Development Committee.
2018 - 2022 - Served on Scugog Township Tourism Advisory Committee Special Community Projects
2021 - Provided extensive free facilitation services to special Open Streets Task Force for Economic Development Committee as set out in Township of Scugog Strategic Plan.
2025 - Participated in Scugog Tourism Strategic Plan and Scugog Shores Museum Strategic Plan.
2025 - present - On advisory panel and regular editorial contributor to Sideroads of Scugog magazine.

Involvement in Community Groups:
Port Perry Patchers Quilt Guild - Many years as a member serving as Vice-President, President and Quilt Show Chair. Chaired Quilt Marathon at Quilters Cupboard in Uxbridge raising funds for Hearth Place.
Scugog Women’s Networking Breakfast - Many years as a member. 100 Women Who Care (while it operated)
Scugog Chamber of Commerce - business member 2008 - 2014.
Lake Scugog Studio Tour - Juried into group in 2013, 1st chaired in 2016, and chaired or co-chaired since then, amalgamated with Scugog Arts since 2019.
Royal Canadian Legion Port Perry Branch member (recently joined)

Previous Public Service

2016 - 2018 - Served on Tourism Task Force for Scugog Township Economic Development Committee
2018 - 2022 - Served on Scugog Township Tourism Advisory Committee.
2021 - Provided extensive free facilitation services to special Open Streets Task Force for Economic Development Committee as set out in Township of Scugog Strategic Plan.
2025 - Participated in Scugog Tourism Strategic Plan and Scugog Shores Museum Strategic Plan.

First-Time Candidate

Yes

MY PRIORITIES

The Issues That Matter Most

I define my priorities as a Councillor in a way different than the typical categories. Stronger relationships and better communications between Council, staff and community groups. Enhanced support for our arts, culture and heritage assets and related community organizations Adding vitality to living, working and visiting Scugog as we review By-Laws, budgets, programs, services and advisory panels. Finding more ways to communicate facts on plans for roads, waterfront revitalization, parks and other items of importance to constituents.

My 1st Priority:

Concept for Scugog Vision WELCOMING COMMUNITY INITIATIVE: AN IDEA
I’ve volunteered at Scugog Arts for years and the organization has a continual mission to engage people, organizations and governments with resources and opportunities, enriching lives through the arts, building diversity, and contributing to economic development and cultural tourism.
They understand that this is not the work of Scugog Arts alone. They wish to partner and lead a Welcoming Community Initiative devised by and compromising other township-wide organizations and businesses.
The goal is to work in tandem so that the initiative partners make active commitments and ongoing efforts to ensure an inclusive welcoming environment for all who come to Scugog to live, visit or work.
Another goal is to tackle ongoing township-wide matters to foster a cohesive relationship between residents, tourism businesses and the vast arts, culture and heritage community. We could manage this through an ongoing community conversation series.
We could also create an inspiring vision for Scugog, one that would identify our diversity and lead us all to embrace our cultural assets, leading to pride of place.   Serving visitors from all over at Scugog Arts we’ve found people who meet up here in Port Perry because it’s located between friends and relatives. Old friends from Guelph and Ottawa meet here every year. Others, from Newmarket and Cobourg. Torontonians bring visitors from Macedonia, Slovenian, Germany. It’s a small town that gathers people together.
In the traditions of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation their Powwow is a significant gathering. Residents come together and invite family to join us for the Port Perry Fair, Culture Days in Scugog, North Durham Pride, Canoe the Nonquon and more.
We welcome new businesses and residents with open arms.   The Gathering Place (Maamawiitaawin)   Scugog: the Gathering Place
My 2nd Priority

Build a Cross-sector Scugog Culture & Heritage Plan to complement our next 10-Year Strategic Plan.
I discovered that the Scugog Strategic Plan is all about the structure of running our municipality and the services that in the past were considered the purview of a town council, the things we need based on an old standard.
These buckets of Parks & Recreation, Roads, Animal Control, By-Law, Snow Clearing and Fire Service are all necessary yet they do not cover all areas that make small town and rural life wonderful and Scugog unique.
A Culture Plan could bring our many volunteers, community organizations, businesses and charitable organizations together in a way that would be very powerful.
My 3rd Priority

Measure all initiatives of Council against a model to respect, maintain and add vitality to our small town and rural vibe.
The time is now for Scugog to be more than just another small town on a lake surrounded by farms.
We have a heritage to defend, a culture to celebrate and a proximity to Toronto that other envy.
Defining our assets from our Grain Elevator to our lake, from theatre to art galleries, craft breweries to agriculture, architecture to open spaces and family-owned and operated businesses and services, and quality local heath care, will lead us to a list of what our citizens value and all activities, by-laws and services of our town can be measured against respecting these assets.
My 4th Priority

Consider Councillors-at-large representation for our next election.
I believe in allowing citizens to vote for 5 councillors from a much larger slate as opposed to just one for their ward.
This leads to an opportunity for a balanced skill set and lived-experience and no acclamations.
This makes room for a wider age-range of representation, new residents to participate and broader interests to find a voice.

WHERE I STAND

Housing

Remove barriers to constructing low-rise apartments and row houses. Ensure people know of the possibilities behind recent By-law for additional dwelling spaces.

Taxes & Spending

Continue to use the zero-based budgeting used for township services and maintain the special levies for roads and facilities, and add funding for arts, culture & heritage sectors that enhance the quality of life in Scugog.

Growth & Development

I support the private enterprise that is funding and organizing the structural restoration of our heritage Grain Elevator. Review all important assets from the lake to heritage downtown and plan growth to enhance but not hurt assets using value-based guidelines.

Local Business

I will NOT support paid parking in our municipal lots or marked street parking spaces in Port Perry unless a reliable source with research can prove it would be a major financial advantage to our municipality. I believe that there will be many unintended consequences: Increased pressure and angry confrontations on private lots such as those at Woodland, Shoppers drug Mart, Royal LePage, CIBC St. John’s Presbyterian Church and others. Non-Scugog people shopping or visiting Queen Street residents and having to pay for parking is unwelcoming. Remember that we share our beautiful town, as they share theirs with us, with our neighbours in Lindsay, Uxbridge and Brooklin. It will stifle the tourism that provides many benefits. Port Perry is unlike Whitby or Goderich where they charge for parking at their beaches, which are much larger parks, and much farther from the retail and service areas where they do not charge parking or are now changing from paid to free parking.

Parks, Recreation & Community Spaces

I support all 23 acres of the fairgrounds remaining as a public park. I can work with the Agricultural Society to create an even better open-space park for the fair, the public and other user groups and programs. I can help organize a better working relationship between all parties and help the Ag Society envision a workable fair site with better ammenities and park-like gathering space. A Cultural Plan to complement our next 10-year Startegic Plan would help organize everyone's thoughts on community spaces.

Transparency

Finding more ways to communicate facts on plans for roads, waterfront revitalization, parks and other items of importance to constituents.

FAQs

Your Questions, Answered

A lack of clear vision and leadership for our future.
An exciting, inspiring, unique 10-year Strategic Plan with complementing Cultural Plan.
I would like to find ways to bring the downtown retail and restaurant businesses together, perhaps beyond or to expand the mandate of the BIA, to find solutions to the challenges of owner-operated businesses wanting to expand retail hours in a way that is viable and attract more business.
Create a community driven valuable asset list from existing Museum Strategic Plan, Tourism Strategic Plan, Waterfront Rehabilitation Plan and zoning, and ensure all growth plans respect these assets.
I am curious about things I don't know or understand. I am open and available as I am a proven volunteer and accessible at Scugog Arts. I travel and bring experiences and learning from other communities in Ontario, Canada, Mexico and Europe. I bring a unique voice to Council and expect other Councillors to do the same, while also listening to the varied voices of our community. I may not have much interest in hockey arenas but I understand why you do and expect the same openness for other ideas.