GuelphToday asked those running for city council in the Oct. 22 municipal election to supply a brief biography and outline their platform and/or why they are running.
THE PERSON: I have been deeply involved in community-building in Guelph all my adult life. Here are some highlights:
- Successful downtown business owner
- First Artistic Director, Hillside Festival
- Co-founder of the Wellington Water Watchers
- First president: Guelph Civic League
- Founding chair: Family Mental Health Network
- Board member: Guelph Wellington Non-profit Housing Corporation
- Board member: The Elliot Seniors Community
- Board Member: Guelph Public Library
- Board Member: Rural Learning Society
- Co-founder with Councillor Allt of the “Politics And Pancakes” weekly public discussion on civic issues
- Founder, Guelph LEAP chapter
- Co-founder, Guelph Arts Platform
- Recipient of the Mayor’s Award for community service
- Developed an international following in my career in the cultural sector. That career has taken me all over the world, where I’ve seen many ‘best practices’ in city-building to bring home to share with my own community.
Graduate of Centennial high school and the University of Guelph. Married with two remarkable children.
THE PLATFORM: For four years now I’ve been listening and responding to you as your Ward 2 councillor. It’s been a privilege.
I decided to run last term because I wanted to make sure that the values I share with so many Guelphites were being promoted on council, and to provide a voice for many who have not felt heard. I wanted to offer leadership and vision using my experience as a community activist to make sure all of us in this city have the quality of life we want.
This community has given me so much I wanted to offer something positive back. I am running again because I feel that there is much more to do to complete the work that I have been doing with my council colleagues and I’m excited about the possibilities we can create in continuing that work.
I’ve learned a lot through hearing your concerns and your ideas. Ward 2 has a great diversity, though we share a lot in common.
I’ve heard from you that you want:
- lively & safe walkable neighbourhoods.
- decent and affordable housing for all income levels.
- the best value for the taxes you contribute.
- an efficient, reliable transit system.
- trails, parkland, recreational facilities and active transportation networks that help you maintain the quality of life we enjoy that is the envy of our nation.
- a new downtown library that reflects our growing population
- support for our vibrant arts scene that has put Guelph on the map.
- a second Guelph hospital, in the south end, to meet our growth expectations
- properly planned growth so that we can meet our densification targets while preserving our unique identity.
You want to address poverty, homelessness, and our growing opioid crisis that has left too many of us behind.
You have shown that you are willing to address our infrastructure gap that has put us behind a generation in our capacity to operate efficiently and safely. You want to to welcome our new residents from all over the world and help them integrate into our culture of caring. You want a sustainable clean water supply without compromising our limited water resources.
You want to face our environmental and climate change challenges. You want to “go local” where possible with our energy use, our food, and the good jobs that come with our thriving green economy.
To accomplish this I believe that we need a strong, unified, forward-thinking council, especially now when the direction of our new provincial government seems to threaten many of the values we share. With my first-term experience, and my life-long advocacy for our community well-being, I would like to continue in a leadership role to help build the kind of city we want to live in: one that we can proudly leave to our next generations.
Yes, there is still work to do, but we’ve accomplished a lot too. With your help I’d like to keep working for Guelph with you
