Vibrant, positive, straightforward, and a champion of all things Cramahe Township: they are all adjectives that aptly describe Her Worship Mayor Mandy Martin.
A longtime journalist turned politician, Martin unseated former Cramahe mayor Marc Coombs in the 2018 municipal election to arrive at the helm of council where she’s presided for the past three-and-a-years. She’s also in her second term as Deputy Warden of Northumberland County.
And, serving as mayor of the Township has been an honour, she said.
“I just live, breath and survive on the topography of what Northumberland is, and the people and I decided to run in the last municipal election where I live now in Cramahe Township because the people here are so magnificent. I cannot tell you about the support of the community. They just step up. I thought I’d like to give back somehow and I hope I do. I hope I honour them, and I hope I honour Northumberland.”
She’s currently one of two female mayors within Northumberland County with Cramahe’s neighbour to the west — Alnwick-Haldimand Township Council — currently being led by Mayor Gail Latchford.
“She has many years of municipal service,” Martin said of her Alnwick-Haldimand counterpart. “She was a Hamilton Township councillor and then the Mayor of Alnwick-Haldimand, so she has a wealth of experience and commitment to the community and I think that is noble, too, and (should be) honoured.”
Martin is matter of fact when discussing being a woman at the head of the council table. She said it’s hardly a new concept and women are not new to municipal politics.
“I don’t see myself as trendsetting,” said Martin. “I think women everywhere are part of the society we live in, part of the world, etc. By the way, we’ve always been here. We’re not new to the game. I think that it is a time to celebrate our part in all of this and recognize the contribution that women bring to the table.”
Martin said she’s following in the footsteps of other women in the history of Northumberland County — political leaders who made a difference down through the history of the municipalities they represented. By way of example, Lenah Field Fisher, who served for 19 years on Cobourg council, starting in 1959, was someone Martin thought of immediately.
“I think of Lenah Field Fisher who was instrumental in saving Victoria Hall in Cobourg. She was a firecracker, just a tiny wee thing and a firecracker. There were many actually, I don’t say hundreds or anything like that, but women who stepped up and brought with them what I regard as the Northumberland ethos: You do it well, you do it deep and you do it with fun.”
So, what brought Martin into the political realm after several decades spent in a Cobourg newsroom?
“I began as a newspaper journalist when I was 17 in Cobourg, I had always been at the other side of the (council) table for many, many years, decades of experience,” said Martin, who also said giving back to her community was a large part of her decision to run for mayor.
Martin said she’s pleased women are taking a seat at municipal council tables, bringing ideas and being heard. As mayor, she views her status as less about the power of the office and more about attempting to provide empowerment to the citizens and taxpayers of Cramahe Township.
“So, in this case, it’s not so much to break up the ‘Old Boys Club’, it’s to just make sure that the public, the taxpayers, the residents here have an actual voice, have a legitimate, honest expression available to them. No one controls this, this is a democracy and I think that’s where women are pretty good at. Recognizing for many years we were relegated to the back seat, the kitchen or whatever. We’ll bring the sandwiches. Well, we have lots more to bring to the table than sandwiches.”
Martin believes women are underrepresented in politics including municipal politics. Moreover, she’s an advocate for younger people of either gender becoming involved in municipal government.
“Of course I do. But my concern isn’t just for women. I also have concern that younger people, whatever your gender, come forward and get involved. It isn’t meant for retired people or whatever. This is a very important role that is played and so many decisions that are made locally are taken up and effect policy that goes then provincially, nationally and even internationally. So, yes, I would like to see more women, I would like to see more young people and I would like to see more ethnicity,” she said.
Her advice to women who perhaps are thinking about running in the upcoming municipal elections in Ontario in October?
“It’s very exciting, it’s very rewarding and they do have a voice that’s worth being stated. And, I think the public and the people out there would greatly appreciate having younger women come forward and participate. It can be one of the most rewarding things you can ever do,” she said.
And, will Mayor Martin be taking a run at a second term in October? She answers with an emphatic ‘yes’.
“Yes I will. I welcome all challengers and all comers. That’s a sign of a healthy democracy. Whether or not I’m mayor doesn’t define me, so bring it. Let’s go.”
(Written by: Alan Rivett)
