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Chong topped all candidates in election expenses, donations LISA TALLYN Staff Writer It costs big money to win an election-- and even to come in second-- or so it would seem by the expenses filed recently by the Wellington-Halton Hills candidates in the last federal election. Expenditures by the six candidates in the election ranged from $73,993 by Conservative MP Michael Chong to $1,102 by Green Party candidate Brent Bouteiller. Liberal candidate Rod Finnie, who finished second in the January election, spent $55,600. According to financial reports filed with Elections Canada, Chong, now a minister in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet, spent nearly $48,000 on advertising. He handily won the fight for individual donations with $35,500 and for corporate donations, with $8,220. Liberal candidate Rod Finnie spent nearly $26,000 on advertising. Finnie received nearly $25,000 in individual donations and $6,850 in corporate donations. Third-place finisher and NDP candidate Noel Duignan's election expenses were considerably less at nearly $5,500. Duignan spent more than $3,900 on advertising and received $2,860 in individual donations and only $400 from corporations. Carol Ann Krusky of the Christian Heritage Party finished fifth and spent $4,944 during the campaign, nearly all of it on advertising-- $4,858. She received $3,829 from individuals and $250 in corporate contributions. Independent candidate Mike Wisniewski, who finished last, spent $1,174 in the campaign. He received only two recorded contributions, both from his father, totaling $1,100. Bouteiller of the Green Party, who finished fourth, spent the least in the campaign-- $1,102. He received $1,135 in individual contributions and $100 in corporate donations. Colleen Shields of Georgetown will swim more than 12 km in the Severn River Saturday, along with a dozen other people, in the Sixth Annual Swim for the Cure event, a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Local woman to swim Severn LISA TALLYN Staff Writer A Georgetown woman will swim more than 12 km in the Severn River Saturday in an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Colleen Shields, 54, will be participating with about a dozen other people in the Sixth Annual Swim for the Cure event, a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Shields took part in the 12.8 km endurance swim last year, partly as a warm-up for a tandem Lake Ontario swim she attempted, but didn't complete last August with her friend Nicole Mallette of Hamilton. Shields, a marathon swimmer, who was the oldest woman (at age 38) to cross Lake Ontario in 17 hours, 56 minutes back in 1990, became involved in the Swim for the Cure because her best friend Mary Nolan is a breast cancer survivor. She and Mallette, who is also taking part in the fundraiser swim, plan to get in the water at about 6:30 a.m. and estimate the swim will take them about four-and-a-half hours. "We've decided to go a little bit earlier this year because of boat traffic," said Shields. She said passing boats made for a choppy swim last year. The swim will begin at Swift Rapids Lock 43 and end at Big Chute Lock 44. Over the last five years the event has raised more than $50,000. Donations can be made during the swim or directly to the Canadian Cancer Society through the Orillia & District Unit, 190 Memorial Ave., Unit F, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 5X6. Phone 1-800555-7922. or email orillia@ccsont.org or orillia@ccsont.ort. (Lisa Tallyn can be reached at ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Safety organization wants walkway at SportsPlex The Technical Standard and Safety Authority has directed the Town of Halton Hills to install a service walkway for servicing and maintenance of equipment at MoldMasters SportsPlex. The walkway was in the original designs when the SportsPlex was built but was deleted to save the $23,000. Since then safety standards have become more stringent. The cost to build the walkway with galvanized steel is $36,800.