Dryden’s OPP Detachment Board is urging city council to adopt a municipal bylaw regulating e-scooters as concerns grow over serious injuries involving the devices across Ontario.
Under Ontario’s e-scooter pilot program, launched in 2020, scooters are limited to speeds of 24 km/h. However, many e-scooters available on the market are capable of travelling much faster, creating challenges for enforcement.
At Monday’s board meeting, Detachment Commander Karl Duewel said local regulations would provide officers with clearer direction.
“Having a bylaw will provide some clarity to officers, because right now we technically have to pull over everybody that we see on them,” he said. “There are a few who are using them to get to work and can’t afford a car. We need them working.”
Mayor Jack Harrison agreed the current system leaves municipalities in a difficult position, noting that high-speed e-scooters are technically prohibited but rarely enforced.
“It’s an interesting issue, because it’s basically left up to the municipalities to set up regulations otherwise [high-speed scooters] are banned entirely, although I understand that’s not really enforced in our community,” he said. “I think we have to put a standard in place. There should be good regulations that say where they should be and where they shouldn’t be and what riders have to wear.”
The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported a 22% increase in severe e-scooter injuries in a 2024 study. The study also found a 61% increase in hospitalizations among children and youth aged five to 17, despite e-scooter use being prohibited for riders under 16 in many jurisdictions, including Ontario.
“They’re riding fast, and the nature of an e-scooter is when you ditch it, you go straight over the handlebars. Serious injuries are occurring across Canada,” Harrison said.
The board unanimously approved a motion, moved by Councillor Michelle Price and seconded by Councillor Bryan Tardiff, recommending that Dryden City Council adopt a municipal e-scooter bylaw.
Incumbent mayor Jack Harrison will serve a second term as mayor of Dryden.
Harrison won with 48.9% of the vote, beating challengers Derek Ouellette and Brenda Sedgwick.
42.3% of eligible voters cast their ballot in Dryden.
Following his victory, Harrison said he was eager to get back to work.
“We’re looking forward to the next four years of serving our community,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good council as well to work with, so pretty excited about all the work we get done.”
Earlier this month, Harrison pointed to his experience as one of the key reasons voters should return him to office.
“Spending the last four years as mayor has given me really tremendous insight into how the city operates. I think with my leadership, we can really hit the ground running next council,” Harrison said. “Secondly, I have 25 years of experience in leading teams, preparing budgets, building and maintaining infrastructure and working with First Nations.”
Elected to council were David Durance, Michelle Price, Dawn Jones, Jim Dayman, Catherine Kiewning and Bryan Tardiff.
Incumbent councillor Ritch Noel was not re-elected.
Looking ahead, Harrison said council’s first major task will be preparing the municipal budget, while also continuing efforts to grow Dryden’s economy and tax base.
“Budgets are always a challenging time,” he said. “Hopefully we can come up with an excellent budget that will serve our community well.”
Harrison has also spoken about his vision of growing Dryden into a regional service and training hub, attracting new residents and businesses while addressing the city’s aging infrastructure needs. He said he hopes residents will ultimately judge his second term by its success in expanding housing, attracting investment and keeping taxes affordable.
“Hope to attract new businesses into our community,” he said. “Keeping taxes low throughout the four-year term around inflationary pressures, hopefully people will remember that.”
As for the school board races, Judi Green was elected public school trustee, while Kathy Bryck and Michael Cortens were elected Catholic school trustees.
Cecil Avenue in Dryden will close from First Street to Third Street on Thursday for repairs to the water distribution system.
The closure will go into effect from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Residents in the area may experience an interruption to their water service during this time and are encouraged to keep a short-term supply of water in advance. The city says it thanks the public for their cooperation and will make every effort to complete the work as quickly as possible.
For questions or concerns, contact the Public Works Office at 807-223-2367.
Interview with mayoral candidate Brenda Sedgwick coming soon
As Dryden voters prepare to head to the polls, mayoral candidate Derek Ouellette is positioning himself as an alternative to the city’s current leadership, promising greater transparency, stronger community engagement and an internal focus on accountability.
Ouellette said his campaign is rooted in a belief that city hall has become disconnected from residents and that rebuilding public trust must be a priority for the next council.
Background
Ouellette has called Dryden home since 1999 and brings a history of public service to the mayoral race. A former firefighter and paramedic, he spent nearly three decades working in emergency medical services across Northern Ontario and later trained first responders, including First Nations response teams.
He now operates a local medical training company and remains active in the community through volunteer work with organizations such as the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, the Lions Club, the OPP Police Services Board and Team Rubicon Canada.
“The people’s candidate”
Asked what he would do differently if elected mayor, Ouellette returned repeatedly to the idea of transparency.
He said residents deserve more direct communication from their elected officials and a clearer understanding of how decisions are made at city hall. In his view, transparency is often discussed by politicians but not always put into practice.
“In my opinion, I’m the people’s mayor, because I’m not a politician. I’ve worked my whole life in first response,” he said. “My goal was always to help people, and here I can help on a huge platform. But the only way that is going to work is if I’m open and available to the people when they have concerns.”
Ouellette said he would create a public email address where residents could contact him directly, promising to check it daily and respond promptly.
“If I can’t answer your question, I’m going to find you someone who will. People are unhappy because they’re not informed. They don’t feel welcomed when they ask questions. I want to bring trust back to our elected officials.”
According to Ouellette, rebuilding confidence in municipal government begins with creating a more open dialogue between council and the public.
Building Dryden as a tourism hub
Economic development is another major pillar of Ouellette’s campaign.
He believes Dryden’s location in the heart of northwestern Ontario gives it a natural advantage and an opportunity to become a stronger regional centre. With major mining and resource projects underway across the region, Ouellette said the city should focus on attracting workers, businesses and investment.
Beyond industrial growth, he sees tourism and entertainment as important opportunities.
The Dryden docks (file photo)
“The mill is stable right now, so what we should be doing is building our community to bring in tourism.”
Ouellette suggested building on existing attractions and events, including the agricultural fair and rodeo, to draw more visitors to the community and generate economic activity.
“Imagine having an incredible waterfront here where people can come and celebrate what we do and who we are. We could have a huge youth powwow, we could have entertainment. We could have so many things to celebrate, and I think Dryden’s gotten away from that over the years. We should focus on growing our community as the centre point for entertainment here in northwestern Ontario.”
Finding housing solutions
Like many communities across the region, Dryden continues to face housing pressures.
Rather than immediately prescribing specific solutions, Ouellette said the city first needs a clearer understanding of what types of housing residents require. He supports conducting a detailed assessment of local needs before determining where resources should be directed.
He identified affordable housing and housing options for seniors as key concerns, while also expressing support for alternative housing models such as secondary suites and “granny suites.”
Ouellette said addressing the housing shortage will require flexibility and creativity, along with policies that encourage development while meeting the community’s specific needs.
Accountability and collaboration
Accountability was also a central theme of Ouellette’s campaign.
The issue comes amid ongoing debates over council conduct. Last week, incumbent mayor Jack Harrison described conflicts involving a councillor and concerns about the treatment of municipal staff as one of the biggest disappointments of his first term, arguing the situation had become a distraction from council’s broader work.
Asked about those concerns, Ouellette said he believes many residents have lost confidence in local government and that a different leadership style is needed after more than a decade under largely the same administration. He said rebuilding public trust and improving accountability at city hall would be among his top priorities if elected.
“I’ve lived my whole life on accountability. As mayor, I’m going to make sure people hold me accountable, and I’m going to hold them accountable. We need to put the people first.”
Making his case to voters
As he seeks the mayor’s chair, Ouellette describes himself as a community-minded leader rather than a career politician.
Drawing on his background in public service and emergency response, he said he would bring a people-first perspective to city hall and focus on making Dryden a safe, welcoming place to live, work and raise a family.
Ultimately, Ouellette’s message to voters centres on reconnecting leadership with the community.
“I’m one of us. I’m a guy that has morals and values. I want to take those same core values to our leadership. If I can do one thing, it’s to give the community a voice and a safe place to work and play.”
Four people are facing charges after a joint operation between the Treaty Three Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police led to the seizure of suspected fentanyl, weapons and drug paraphernalia.
Police say the arrests occurred on October 2 during a RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program conducted by officers from the Treaty Three Police Service (T3PS) and Dryden OPP. The operation was also aimed at locating two individuals wanted by police.
According to investigators, officers stopped a vehicle around 11 p.m. after observing behaviour consistent with possible drunk driving. As police approached the vehicle, they identified one of the occupants as a person wanted by T3PS.
During the investigation, officers allegedly spotted drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the vehicle. Police say one of the occupants attempted to flee on foot during the arrest process but was quickly apprehended after a brief chase. The individual is also accused of resisting arrest.
Following the arrests, officers seized what they describe as a large quantity of suspected fentanyl with an estimated street value of $10,000.
Investigators also recovered drug paraphernalia and other items commonly associated with illicit drug use.
A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a large knife and an imitation handgun.
Police say the drugs were allegedly destined for the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation community, and the enforcement initiative disrupted suspected trafficking activity.
Four people were arrested and charged in connection with the investigation:
A 35-year-old man from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation faces charges of:
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking
Three counts of failing to comply with a release order
Resisting arrest
A 29-year-old man from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is charged with:
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking
A second 35-year-old man from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is charged with:
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking
Two counts of failing to comply with probation
A 43-year-old man from Ignace is charged with:
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking
Driving while under suspension
Police say the two 35-year-old Wabigoon men were held in custody on outstanding warrants and face additional charges.
The 29-year-old Wabigoon man and the 43-year-old Ignace man were released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date.
Dryden is looking for a partner to help bring new housing to the community.
The city has issued a Request for Proposals for Stage Three of the Mario Milanese Subdivision.
Officials are inviting residential developers, builders and integrated development teams to submit plans for the project, a roughly 4.5-hectare subdivision with 42 single-detached residential lots.
The successful proponent will work with the city to advance the subdivision and deliver new housing opportunities.
Proposals will be evaluated by an committee of city employees, complementary experts and any designated advisors. The evaluation committee may consult technical, financial, legal and other advisors as it considers necessary.
The review is scheduled to be completed by December 1.
The Acadia newsroom met with incumbent mayor Jack Harrison ahead of the Dryden municipal election on October 26.
As he seeks a second term, Harrison is making the case that his first four years in office have delivered tangible results, highlighting progress on housing, infrastructure and economic development while pitching experience and steady leadership to voters
Housing, Infrastructure Lead List of First Term Accomplishments
Looking back on his current term from 2022-2026, Harrison points to housing as one of council’s most significant achievements.
He said more than 140 housing units have been developed during the past four years, while the city also negotiated an agreement to acquire surplus waterfront property that could support future residential growth.
“When we were elected, there was a housing crisis in Dryden. Since then, we’ve seen unprecedented housing expansion,” Harrison said. “We don’t build the homes, but we do set the political climate and help with the planning to get them off the ground.”
Development proposals on Swanson Street (Photo courtesy of the City of Dryden)
The mayor acknowledged that high construction costs and shortages in the skilled trades remain major challenges. However, he said Dryden’s reputation for having responsive municipal staff and an efficient permitting process helps attract developers. He also pointed to recent investments in multi-residential and senior housing as a way to create more affordable options while freeing up existing homes for younger buyers.
Beyond housing, Harrison highlighted efforts to strengthen relationships with neighbouring First Nations through a regional summit.
“We worked together to build collaboration, find out the concerns of our neighbours and try to work together to solve them,” he said.
Harrison also lauded the city’s decision to take over operations of Sandy Beach Golf Course when a private operator could not be found. He said memberships have tripled since the city stepped in.
Infrastructure investments, including two major road projects and expansions to water and sewer services, also rank among the accomplishments he is most proud of.
Council Conflict and Outstanding Priorities
Harrison described his biggest disappointment as ongoing conflicts involving one councillor and concerns about how municipal staff have been treated during council meetings.
“I’m disappointed our staff has not been treated well,” he said. “One councilor has bullied and harassed staff. We’ve tried to hold this individual accountable and it just hasn’t seemed to be successful.”
He said the issue became a distraction from council’s broader work and believes elected officials need to be more proactive in enforcing respectful conduct during meetings.
In June, Noel wrote a statement responding to the investigations.
“It is the responsibility of elected officials to represent those who elected them and I take that obligation seriously,” Noel wrote. “Part of that process involves holding senior staff accountable when the need to do so is present. There have been several other Integrity Commissioner reports that have determined that I have not violated the code of conduct. Mayor Harrison and Mr. Nesbitt should accept that as an elected official, I will continue to hold them to task and look forward to seeing our differences resolved.”
The next week, Harrison responded.
“I urge our citizens to read the three [Integrity Commissioner] reports on the city website and judge for themselves the appropriateness of Councillor Noel’s behaviour,” Harrison wrote. “I also urge Councillor Noel, who last year was found to have bullied and harassed staff members by an independent investigator, to take respectful workplace training as directed by council so he can attend council in person.”
Later that month, Harrison said the best course of action to handle Noel’s behavior was to wait for this year’s election and “let the voters decide” whether Noel is fit for council.
Beyond council controversies, Harrison believes he has largely delivered on his campaign commitments, he acknowledged progress has been slower on expanding long-term care capacity.
After becoming involved with the board overseeing municipal homes for the aged in the region, he said he now has a better understanding of broader priorities and why Dryden is not currently positioned for additional beds. Nevertheless, he intends to continue advocating for the community’s interests in that area.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Harrison said continued investment in infrastructure must remain a priority. He pointed to an estimated $300 million worth of aging municipal assets that will eventually require repair or replacement. He said future councils will need to carefully target projects, pursue government funding opportunities and continue rebuilding critical roads, water systems and other core infrastructure.
“$300 million is a huge amount of money, so we need to be strategic on which projects are the most impactful,” he said. “We’re doing Duke Street right now — it’s got pipes from 1927 in it. If they fail, the whole downtown’s in trouble. So those are the types of projects that we need to focus on.”
Recreational improvements, including plans for a new eight-court pickleball club and the revitalization of the former curling club, are also part of his vision.
Harrison said the city’s main roads will continue to be resurfaced incrementally each year as part of a long-term infrastructure strategy.
When discussing Dryden’s economic future, Harrison said he sees several sectors driving growth over the next decade. At the forefront is the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s proposed repository project between Dryden and Ignace, which he expects will bring long-term economic activity to the region. He also cited mining developments, including projects led by Kinross and NexGold, as major opportunities.
NWMO site for the Deep Underground Repository between Dryden and Ignace (file photo)
At the same time, Harrison said the city’s traditional industries remain important. He noted that the Dryden pulp mill has stabilized under new ownership and is receiving significant investment, providing confidence that forestry will remain a cornerstone of the local economy for years to come.
Harrison’s Pitch
Harrison says he sees Dryden serving businesses from across the region that support mining, forestry and the nuclear waste project.
“You look at Kenora as a tourism hub with Lake of the Woods, and Sioux Lookout as a health-care hub for the north. For Dryden, I want to position ourselves as a service hub. I think we can host a lot of work right in Dryden because we’re so central to northwestern Ontario. I think that will be our role for the next decade,” he said.
The Dryden paper mill (Adam Riley / Acadia Broadcasting)
As he seeks re-election, Harrison’s pitch to voters is rooted in experience and continuity.
“Spending the last four years as mayor has given me really tremendous insight into how the city operates. I think with my leadership, we can really hit the ground running next council. Secondly, I have 25 years of experience in leading teams, preparing budgets, building and maintaining infrastructure and working with First Nations.”
A registered Ontario professional forester, Harrison spent more than 30 years in the forestry industry, including leadership roles with Dryden Forest Management Co. Ltd. and Domtar, as well as directorships with regional forest management organizations.
“And thirdly, being retired, I have the gift of time. It’s a heavy load to carry as the mayor. I believe the time commitment to do a good job is about 20-30 hours a week, which I’m willing to continue to do for the next four years,” he concluded.
Three people have been arrested following the execution of a search warrant at a Wilde Street residence, according to Dryden OPP.
Police say suspected cocaine, a firearm, Canadian and American currency and further evidence of drug trafficking were seized in the bust, executed Tuesday morning around 2:30 a.m.
The investigation was led by the Dryden OPP Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), with assistance from uniform members from the Dryden OPP Detachment, and the Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Team (ERT).
A 41-year-old and 50-year-old from Dryden and a 19-year-old from Toronto face trafficking charges. The 50-year-old from Dryden also faces charges of assaulting a police officer.
