LanarkFrontenacKingston voters ponder life after Randy Hillier

Rob Eady points to himself as proof that easy access to mental health services islacking in his corner of rural Ontario.

The Lanark, Ont., resident says he's been waiting forabouta year for a video conference with a doctor to change or tweak his prescription.

"We don't have a lot of psychologists in the community. It's basically out of Ottawa or Brockville," he said, each about80 kilometres away."Waiting a year, it kind of puts my life on hold in certain ways."

Eady feels that way about his provincial riding of LanarkFrontenacKingston, too.

For the past15 years, the area has been held by controversialMPP Randy Hillier, who is not running for re-election and faces several criminalcharges from protests against COVID-19 rules.

Eady said Hillier neglectedlocal issues such as the need for more economic development.

"I think the biggest issue that's up for grabs by the incoming politicians for our riding is how are they going to ensure that our community catches up," Eady said.

MPPof 15 years

Hillier, who declined to be interviewed for this story,was first elected in the riding as a Progressive Conservative in2007after emerging asan outspoken activist for rural property rights. He went on toserveunder four party leaders and was re-elected three times.

In March 2019, Hillier was kicked out of caucus.

In recent years, he has served as an Independent MPP and aligned himself withpoliticians such as Ontario Party LeaderDerek Sloan and People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier. They sayCOVID-19 is not as dangerous as it's being made out to beand believethe government didn't have to intrude so much into people's lives.

This pastMarch, shortly beforeOttawa policeannounced they had charged him in connection with his role in the Freedom Convoy protests,Hillier said he would not be seeking another term.

The charges, noneproven in court, include assaulting a peace or public officer.

Michelle Staines said Hillier's behaviour by the end of his time as MPP was "extremely disappointing."

"I didn't vote for him to start with, so obviously I wasn't a huge fan," said Staines, who lives just outside Perth, Ont., and attends the town's Algonquin College campus as a mature student.

"There are some people, locals, who feel like he's done a good job. I feel like somebody could do better."

The issue of affordability hits close to home for Staines. She and her husband sold their house in the centre of town for less than they had hoped.

"We just got our asking price, so now our options of buying another home are obviously very much affected by that because we do not have the excess of money to go put a down payment on these homes that city people are coming and outbidding us [on]," she said.

"I don't even really know what you could do, but if there was some way they could cap how things are it's just getting so expensive."

Cost of gas adding up

Longtime Perth resident Bob Schofield, who is on a fixed income, agreedthe cost of living has gone up.

"I have a small minivan and it used to cost $60 to fill up," he said."It costs $100 now and I fill up once a week. That'sa lot of money out of my pocket."

The cost of groceries is also of concern, Schofieldadded.

As for Hillier? "He's entitled to his opinion,whether I agree with it or not," he said, noting that the Perth area has reported high vaccination rates relative to other areas of Ontario.

Husband in hospital with COVID

Like Schofield, fellow Perth resident Ruth Buckland still had a mask on hand as she walked her dog in the town's picturesque Stewart Park last week.

Buckland's husband was recently in thehospital, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19 "a nasty thing,"she said.

While her husband had three vaccine doses and did not have to go on a ventilator,Bucklandsaid the experience underscored how COVID-19 remains "a very serious issue" and "so easily spreadable."

"We'reall tired of it.But it's not going away any time soon," she said, while also notingthat hospitalscould use more doctors and nurses.

"They're working very hard, but there definitely needs to be a re-evaluation of the health-care system."