Lorraine Bergstrand
Encyclopedia
Lorraine Bergstrand was the inaugural mayor of Haldimand County, Ontario
, Canada. Ms. Bergstrand helped Haldimand County make the transition from county
to single-tier municipality. During the late 1990s, she lobbied strongly to get a 400 series highway to connect to or come close to Haldimand County. Ms. Bergstrand is also running as a Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk in the 2007 Ontario general election
against Toby Barrett
, Steve Elgersma, and Jan Watson.
since 1977. She entered politics in 1989 as a councillor for Dunnville
.
Prior to being elected as the mayor of Haldimand County, Ms. Bergstrand served as the mayor of Dunnville
. She has also served in various other political positions, including regional councillor for Haldimand-Norfolk region
. She has also held a number of positions in the private sector.
She was instrumental in bringing more Long Term Care beds to Haldimand County while at the same time taking the burden for those beds from the property tax base. Haldimand County is now the recipient of three new Long Term care facilities while the property tax burden for those beds was drastically reduced .
Ms. Bergstrand with the unanimous support of her council also passed a progressive but unpopular anti-smoking
by law . A similar province-wide anti-smoking law was later passed by Ontario
premier Dalton McGuinty
and made effective on June 1, 2006 at 12:01 AM.
Ms. Bergstrand was defeated by Marie Trainer
in the 2003 Haldimand County mayoral election and the 2006 Haldimand County mayoral election .
Lorraine Bergstrand was hired in July 2008 by the Haldimand Norfolk Literacy Council as their Executive Director and has made significant changes since joining the organization.
They recently relocated their head office to an accessible building at 47 Robinson St in Simcoe, Ontario. A recent fundraiser, the Sweetheart Dinner & Auction raised over $13,000 in one evening.
Trillium has approved a grant request in April 2009 for $60,700 to hire a Partnership Development Coordinator for 18 months.
At the 2009 Annual General Meeting for the Haldimand Norfolk Literacy Council the auditor reported that the literacy council's two years of deficits had been reversed and the literacy council reported a surplus for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
award .
Haldimand County, Ontario
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....
, Canada. Ms. Bergstrand helped Haldimand County make the transition from county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
to single-tier municipality. During the late 1990s, she lobbied strongly to get a 400 series highway to connect to or come close to Haldimand County. Ms. Bergstrand is also running as a Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk in the 2007 Ontario general election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
against Toby Barrett
Toby Barrett
Toby Barrett is a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the district of Haldimand—Norfolk for the Progressive Conservative Party....
, Steve Elgersma, and Jan Watson.
Background
Lorraine was married to Randy Bergstrand in 1974, and they have lived together in the town of Dunnville, OntarioDunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community of 6,000 people located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail...
since 1977. She entered politics in 1989 as a councillor for Dunnville
Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community of 6,000 people located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail...
.
Prior to being elected as the mayor of Haldimand County, Ms. Bergstrand served as the mayor of Dunnville
Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community of 6,000 people located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail...
. She has also served in various other political positions, including regional councillor for Haldimand-Norfolk region
Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk was a regional municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario which existed from 1974 to 2000.It was formed by merging the historic counties of Haldimand and Norfolk...
. She has also held a number of positions in the private sector.
2000-2003 Term in office
As the first mayor of the newly created municipality, she was influential in organizing the administration of the amalgamated region and developing positive relations with the provincial government .She was instrumental in bringing more Long Term Care beds to Haldimand County while at the same time taking the burden for those beds from the property tax base. Haldimand County is now the recipient of three new Long Term care facilities while the property tax burden for those beds was drastically reduced .
Ms. Bergstrand with the unanimous support of her council also passed a progressive but unpopular anti-smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
by law . A similar province-wide anti-smoking law was later passed by Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
premier Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
and made effective on June 1, 2006 at 12:01 AM.
Ms. Bergstrand was defeated by Marie Trainer
Marie Trainer
Marie Trainer, born circa 1946 , is the outgoing mayor of Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada after having been defeated on October, 25th 2010 by Mayor Elect Ken Hewitt. Hewitt finished with 6,984 votes, Trainer 5,748 and third place finisher Buck Sloat with 2,929 in unofficial final results...
in the 2003 Haldimand County mayoral election and the 2006 Haldimand County mayoral election .
Lorraine Bergstrand was hired in July 2008 by the Haldimand Norfolk Literacy Council as their Executive Director and has made significant changes since joining the organization.
They recently relocated their head office to an accessible building at 47 Robinson St in Simcoe, Ontario. A recent fundraiser, the Sweetheart Dinner & Auction raised over $13,000 in one evening.
Trillium has approved a grant request in April 2009 for $60,700 to hire a Partnership Development Coordinator for 18 months.
At the 2009 Annual General Meeting for the Haldimand Norfolk Literacy Council the auditor reported that the literacy council's two years of deficits had been reversed and the literacy council reported a surplus for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Awards
Bergstrand received several awards for her efforts to combat smoking, including the Heather CroweHeather Crowe
Heather Crowe was a Canadian waitress who became the public face of Canada's anti-smoking campaign. She claimed that she contracted lung cancer in 2002 from second-hand smoke encountered at her workplace of over forty years, and later appeared in numerous television public service announcements...
award .