Theresa Bergeron joins the North Dundas council in January. Courtesy Photo
SOUTH MOUNTAIN – Theresa Bergeron ran for a seat at the North Dundas council table in 2018.
She fell a bit short in the vote count, and accepted the fact that it was not her time to be a councillor.
Three years and some months later the opportunity to sit at that table has turned up, and she is ready for it.
“I am looking forward to it,” she said.
“I have a really good mind for business. My business is very successful and I did it from nothing.”
She said she was aware that you cannot please everybody.
Her philosophy about being a councillor is fairly straightforward.
“You have to make decisions based on what you feel is right for the whole community,” she said.
“You will always have some people who are happy and some who are not.”
Her business is called Thermohair. Her business website states, “Thermohair Inc. manufactures terry knit mohair sport socks. Mohair is a natural fibre sheared from the Angora goats, which originated in the Angora region of Turkey. Mohair is a natural renewable resource, which is renowned for its lustre, softness, warmth, durability and easy care. The socks trademarked under Thermohair are made of kid mohair, which is the first hair sheared from the young kid.”
She manufactures a variety of products from socks to mittens with her mohair.
On Dec. 14, after the North Dundas council meeting had concluded, Mayor Tony Fraser called Bergeron to offer her the recently vacated council seat held by Tyler Hoy who resigned at the beginning of December.
She was quick to say yes, and at the next council meeting in January 2022 Bergeron will be sworn in.
Her values, beliefs and determination have not changed in the past three years.
Ironically three of the issues she wanted to champion is growth, water, and wastewater management. She feels now just as she felt in 2018 that a woman’s perspective along with a flare for critical thinking and an agricultural perspective would be an asset to the council.
The council had three options to choose from when they filled the seat left by Tyler Hoy.
They could have simply appointed someone, held a by election or go to the next person on the slate of candidates from the 2018 municipal election that had the most votes.
In the case of Bergeron she had 1,454 votes and Tyler Hoy had 1, 522 votes.
The council chose the third option and asked that candidate if they were still interested.
Joseph Morin is the Editor of the Eastern Ontario AgriNews, and the Record. He is, despite years of practice, determined to eventually play the guitar properly. He has served the Eastern Ontario community as a news editor, and journalist for the past 25 years with the Iroquois Chieftain, Kemptville Advance, West Carleton Review, and Ottawa Carleton Review in Manotick. He has never met a book he did not like.
