Alexandria, ON

Chris McDonell climbs from his former post as deputy mayor into the mayor's chair this week after being elected by voters in North Glengarry Township as their next head of council.

"I'd like to thank the people that came out to support me, who worked for me, almost everybody in general," he said during a victory speech at the Glengarry Sports Palace in Alexandria.

The urgency of collecting more than $3 million in unpaid municipal taxes and the importance of bringing a clean, consistent water supply to the Maxville area were the two recurring topics of debate between two council members seeking the mayor's position in North Glengarry.

The debate was held last Thursday, January 5 at the Sandfield Centre in Alexandria, with an over-capacity crowd of more than 150 people in attendance.

Results from the Ontario Provincial Police's Festive RIDE program across eastern Ontario indicate the number of charges related to drinking and driving has doubled compared to the previous year.

The OPP says the RIDE program, which ran from November 25, 2011 to January 1, 2012, "has wrapped up with some sobering results."

Police did not track the number of vehicles or drivers checked this year, as it has previously, but the OPP says it is concerned about the number of charges compared to the same time period in 2010.

The Township of North Glengarry plead guilty on Tuesday, December 13 to two unrelated charges under the Ontario Water Resources Act, both for not adhering to terms of a certificate of approval dating back to the summer and fall of 2010.

According to chief administrative officer Daniel Gagnon, the first charge was related to the use of an RV dumping station in Alexandria without appropriate approval and carried a $3,000 fine.

The annual Remembrance Day ceremonies took place across eastern Ontario and western Quebec in November, and this year saw a good turnout in towns like Hawkesbury, Alexandria, Vankleek Hill, L'Orignal and Brownsburg.

See below for The Review's photo gallery of the local ceremonies.

Voters in North Glengarry Township should see at least three names on the ballot, when they head to the voting booth on Monday, January 16.

Deputy Mayor Chris McDonell and Alexandria ward councillor Jamie MacDonald have both filed their nomination papers at the township office.

A third candidate, Robert Proulx, has expressed his intention to run for the mayor's position but has yet to file his papers. Proulx ran against Grant Crack in the December 2010 election.

Voters in North Glengarry will be heading to the polls on January 16 to elect a new mayor for their township.

The decision to elect a mayor via by-election comes after a series of unusually-intense debates between council members during two separate meetings this past week.

Police detachments in both Glengarry and western Quebec have reported similar "swarming" incidents in retail stores, similar to the one at Home Hardware in Vankleek Hill on October 4.

Ontario Provincial Police in Alexandria sent a press release to media on Friday, October 14 stating it has received two reports of suspected scams over the past few days.

Council members in North Glengarry Township unanimously agreed this week to support a motion passed by Champlain Township asking the province to install traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 34, Highway 417 and Tannery Road.

The resolution, approved by Champlain council in August and forwarded to North Glengarry for support, was approved by the neighbouring council at its meeting on Monday, September 12.