Joe Aragona has been acclaimed as Mayor of Westport. Photo Provided Westport Mayor-Elect Joe Aragona is moving into the mayor’s chair after four years on council. Aragona, who moved to Westport in 2021, was acclaimed as mayor when no other candidate registered to contest the seat by the Aug. 21 nomination deadline. He said he is honoured by the privilege of becoming mayor, still he acknowledges he’s a little blown away that he is about to don the mayoral chain of office. He’

Corinne Rikkelman. Photo Provided. Corinne Rikkelman is the sixth candidate to enter the race for one of the four council seats in Westport. She said she'd like to get to the table to help Westport grow. “It's a really interesting time because we have this new development that's bringing in a lot of people, and these people are passionate and skilled and interested in getting involved in the community,” Rikkelman said. At the same time, she is concerned about protecting what

Keegan Gray. Photo Provided. Local property manager and businessman Keegan Gray is running to be a councillor in Westport. He is the fifth person to enter the race for one of the four seats on council. Gray is originally from South Africa. He and his wife, Rachel, moved to Westport five years ago from Toronto, where he worked for Tridel, the biggest property management firm in Canada. His wife’s ancestors in Westport and the area go back at least five generations. Her grandfa

Alexandra Parliament. Photo Provided. Alexandra Parliament staked out a unique position when she announced her candidacy for councillor in Westport. “I think there needs to be somebody who is younger and is not retired, with a voice at the table,” she said. “We need to make sure that we're representing everybody and not just the seniors in town, which obviously is a very important demographic, but they're not the only ones, and I feel like everybody else kind of gets forgotte

Randal Goodfellow. Photo credit: Suesan Saville Randal Goodfellow has a professional and educational background in agriculture and forestry and a long history of volunteerism. “I have always volunteered at least a third of my time to the common good, and that’s how I’ve got to this spot,” said Goodfellow. He sees his bid for a seat on council as an extension of his service ethic. He refers to the motto from his old alma mater, McDonald College, the agricultural school at McGi

Joe Aragona. Photo Credit: Suesan Saville One-term Councillor Joe Aragona is running for mayor in Westport. He said he wants to “continue the good work that's been done, build upon that base and take the village to the next step.” Aragona said the last four years on council has been an education but one he has enjoyed, especially the “whole mechanics of getting things done.” He sees himself as a collaborator, “advancing the cause of the village and working on that with a team

Barry Card. Photo Credit: Suesan Saville Barry Card is running for re-election. He thought long and hard about it but “there are some things that I’d like to see through to fruition,” he said. Card served two terms under Mayor Robin Jones, who recently announced that she will retire from public life. “We’re going to miss Mayor Jones. She’s been nothing but great for the village,” he said. In the same breath, Card said that he is endorsing Joe Aragona in his run for mayor. “I

Westport Mayor, Robin Jones. Photo Credit: Village of Westport As council wrapped up last Tuesday, May 19, Mayor Robin Jones announced that she will retire from municipal politics, giving rise to the question of who will emerge to stand as a mayoral candidate in the municipal election. At times emotional, Mayor Jones said that public service has been a defining part of her life, and “serving the people of Westport has been both an honour and a privilege.” She served 13 years

Councillor Marty Crapper is running for re-election. Photo Credit: Suesan Saville Westport councillor Marty Crapper was first out of the gate when nominations opened for the municipal election May 1. He’s running for re-election as a councillor. He said he believes he can continue to make a positive contribution to the community. Four years in, he said experience on council counts for a lot. Despite his previous experience as a health-sector CEO, he said municipal government

Q-Mack entertaining students at St. Edward Catholic School with astonishing balancing skills. Photo Credit: Tanya Hammond “Canada’s most experienced school performer,” Quincy Mack, or Q-Mack for short, made a stop in Westport recently to entertain and encourage students to be an ALL-Star. The high-energy entertainer brought his popular presentation to St. Edward, where students from kindergarten through grade eight were fully engaged from the moment they entered the audito

(left to right) Rideau Vista Public School Principal Nancy Holman, Grade 5/6 students Ellie Stoodley and Aubrey Bles, School Council member Rebekah Hambley, and teacher Lisa Lemieux-Beaudoin. Photo credit: Tanya Hammond For Principal Nancy Holman, a longtime Rideau Ferry resident, “becoming the principal for Rideau Vista Public School is like coming home.” And it is at ‘home’ at Rideau Vista that Principal Holman strives to ensure all students feel included, connected and see

Students and staff showing their support for Pink Shirt Day at St Edward Catholic School. Principal Scott Renaud, back row center. Photo Credit Tanya Hammond St. Edward Catholic School in Westport, though small in student numbers with only ninety students, is big in school spirit, sports enthusiasm and heart. This past Wednesday, Feb. 25, on Pink Shirt Day, a day designated to raise awareness and funds in support of anti-bullying programs “to create a kinder, more inclusive w

From the left, Lions Bruce Paterson, David Blair and Craig Jackson finished installing a plaque of dedication to Wayne “Smokey” Sherwood on the Westport Lions’ gazebo. Photo credit: Bob Reddick Last Friday, Jan. 30 was sunny and clear, but extremely cold. A wind blowing in from Westport Sand Lake over the Lions’ beach added to the bone chilling conditions. It was in this environment that Lions Dave Blair, Bruce Paterson and Craig Jackson installed a plaque on the gazebo to co