John Turnbull running for Moosomin mayor
October 15, 2024, 10:57 am
A third person is running for Moosomin mayor. John Turnbull is running, along with current mayor Larry Tomlinson and Councillor Murray Gray.
Turnbull said he has three issues that made him decide to run for council—an off-leash dog park, a sidewalk, and a tax cut.
“I’ve been pushing for an off-leash dog park for awhile and it wasn’t a success but hopefully we’ll be successful at the next meeting to get it approved,” Turnbull said.
“The main reason that I’m running is wanting to have an off-leash dog park for dogs in the town.
“I’d also like to see a reduction in taxes because I think the taxes are too high and I think we have a surplus of money with the town right now because they’re spending lots. Those are the main issues that I see and I’m open to hearing whatever else anyone tells me.
“My thing is that I can’t walk my dog anymore out at the old highway because there is too much vehicle traffic because it’s just not safe, so I have found a spot where I can walk, but it would just be nice to have a designated spot for an off-leash dog park. That’s something that I think a lot of people in town would like to see. I think there was even a petition at one time or there was a group that was trying to put it together.”
Turnbull said he has been working on the dog park idea for a long time.
“It’s been six month to a year—about a year,” he said.
“I asked about it two years ago but there was nothing really there.
“Another thing that I’d be really interested in seeing is a sidewalk from our downtown shopping area that goes across in front of Dano’s so that everyone who stays in our hotels can walk on a safe sidewalk to get downtown. Right now you can walk but you can’t walk safely and you have to be a young guy who can skip across traffic whenever there’s an opening. So I thought a nice safe sidewalk all the way from downtown, across the tracks and to our hotel area—our three big hotels. Those are my three biggest things.
“I think that will be a big plus and I know having that off-leash dog park—we can basically advertise it as a tourist attraction for anyone travelling up and down Highway 1 to come into our town. I think that as much as it won’t be a money-maker in itself, it’ll generate funds into the community. I think it will help a lot of people because whenever anyone’s in town they’re going to want to eat or they’ll do a little shopping too in our downtown area, if they know where it is. I think with the sidewalk and the off-leash dog park it will be a great tourist attraction and it will be a great service for our community.
“For the dog park, we need parking and we need a place where the dogs can run around that’s fenced, of course, and hopefully people will pick up their own poop, but if they don’t, then it’s just a part of having a dog park.”
He said he doesn’t see a lot of other major issues in the community.
“I don’t see major issues in our town—I think our town is well-run and I think that council is a good council,” he said.
“We’re chugging along pretty good—the town is developing in different places, but for dog owners and people, there is no safe space to go with their dogs. That’s my main issue. The other one is that I’d like to see as much as 25 per cent reduction in taxes because taxes are way too high. I mean, taxes are very, very high in our town and it would be nice to see that go down so that there’s more money in people’s pockets.
“Then there’s the sidewalk—I don’t think a sidewalk would be too expensive. I think we could do it for a reasonable price and I think it would have a big impact on downtown because you see lots of people who walk from their hotels to Dano’s walking on the street.
“So let’s have a sidewalk, either on one side or the other, but something from all the hotels, including Motel 6, right across and then straight downtown for pedestrians. Hopefully it helps to increase tourism. So basically I’m pushing for more tourism.”
Turnbull has lived in Moosomin for 14 years, and was first attracted by having contracting opportunities in the local potash mines.
“I moved for work and it proved to be here,” he said.
He said he does not currently serve on any boards or committees.
“I’m just a citizen. I keep a pretty low profile,” he said. “I do believe that taxes are high at this time and pedestrian safety is an issue that I’ve brought up to council multiple times—to Larry and other folks on council and it just falls through the cracks. It’s not a very safe walk and not a pleasant walk, from the hotels, that’s for sure. You’re ducking vehicles and coming in and out of other properties and a sidewalk for pedestrians would be a big plus for our town.
“If I get in then I’ll push very hard for those three things. You know I will—I’ll push very hard. If we have a surplus of money and the town can afford a tax reduction then that would be great and I think that there’s room there. I know there is.”
