1) Why are you running?
I desire to help the community of South Bruce Peninsula thrive and provide affordable municipal services to people in each rural area. I am proud of our local agriculture, small businesses, unique ecosystems, diverse recreational opportunities, and more!
Over the last five years, I have gained experience serving on a variety of local boards/groups (agriculture, business, arts, heritage, fundraising, and recreation) developing skills to take part in effective meetings and be a productive team player. While volunteering with these organizations and working downtown, many community members encouraged me to utilize my skills representing them as a Councillor.
In this position, I plan to be a discerning and fair voice for every community within the municipality. I want to build a transparent and engaging local government where citizens feel involved, heard, and part of the decisions we make as a community.
I want accessibility to be a top priority in how we communicate with the public, run programs, and build our communities. I want to encourage staff to celebrate our environmental stewardship. It is my aim to bring our roads/sidewalks up to a safe level and maintain our public spaces so we can enjoy community life together.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of living concerns?
Every individual on Council needs to be aware of the current affordable living and housing pressures that people of all ages are facing. Local government needs to develop thresholds so we know when our community is in a crisis. This is done by working closely with organizations like the United Way, The Poverty Task Force, Grey/Bruce Health, Food Banks etc.
We have to continue supporting the organizations and people already doing the work to ease the burden of those in need. We also need to support those currently living in affordable housing by providing transportation options, properly maintained sidewalks, employment opportunities, supporting food security initiatives, providing available green space and recreational programming, etc.
As a Councillor, I want to ensure our community receives the greatest value for their tax dollar. Easing costs of living starts with identifying non-essential projects and excessive spending that have a lasting impact on affordability. I also do not want to see large builds if they have ongoing maintenance costs that are out of reach and raise the cost of living. The investment we need is in our current facilities to help support our volunteer groups so they can function at their best.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
-
Improved communication with businesses relating to maintenance and initiatives so they are involved in decisions relating to traffic control, delivery loading/unloading, parking, walkways, snow clearance, banners, planters, street cleaning, garbage, recycling, etc.
-
Continued collaboration with initiatives that focus on improving transportation options to downtown areas. We also need better EV charging options with goals for each community to reach ‘bike-friendly’ designation.
-
Improved awareness of available grants bringing needed resources meant for infrastructure, advertising, events etc. to our downtown areas.
-
Continually listening to the concerns that people have when engaging with downtown spaces. There are barriers for people who live here and want to support local businesses. Council can advocate to the County for the creation of new grants to support adaptation to AODA standards.
-
Promoting history and culture in our downtowns and hamlet communities.
Supporting Home Businesses
-
Providing fibre optic internet to every community needs to be a priority for economic development. We must support working professionals so they are able to work from home and participate internationally while living in ‘Ontario’s Natural Retreat.’
-
Improving roads and year-round maintenance will encourage people to have confidence that they can run a business without service interruptions.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
It is the Provincial Government’s mandate to maintain a desirable work environment for healthcare workers with well-funded hospitals and supported healthcare teams.
As a municipality, we can provide a platform for the needs of our hospitals and support fundraising by letting organizations use our spaces. We also can maintain our roads year-round so our care workers can travel safely to work.
We can encourage the development of diverse programming options. Families desire reliable organized programming for sports and other interests. Another need is activities where recreational opportunities exist for people who have irregular work schedules.
We need to sustainably support a Physician Recruitment Committee that would help develop effective strategies to bring workers here. This team would promote the area and the lifestyle that is available all year. They can also promote our schools and daycares. We are rich with opportunities for those who love recreation, adventure, agriculture, education, and community life.
This committee could consider financial incentives with sponsorship from businesses and community members. This could be in the form of grants for students who want to come back to work here. They could also offer a signing bonus under certain conditions or help with moving expenses.
5) Do you support the approval of a proposed land-based Fish Farm in the Wiarton area?
We live in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and are “Ontario’s Natural Retreat.’ Dialogue on new projects and their potential threats to these designations should be expected – especially considering our Economic Development Plan indicates that we are most successful when we take care of, showcase, and share the natural environment. The community is clear in that they want sustainable growth that does not make significant impacts on the environment and that preserving clean drinking water is the highest priority. This is also my priority.
Our community must have access to all the available information regarding the aquaculture project and their goals to raise Atlantic salmon in salinated water and market them as freshwater fish. People are concerned about the risk to their water, dark skies, the landscape, our diverse ecosystems, etc. We need to be able to ask the tough questions and get answers. All of our concerns must be met with scientific research and data by qualified agencies before anything is initiated. Our community deserves clarification and peace of mind. I will not support anything until our community has that peace of mind and can be assured that this project is safe.
6) What are your views on beach maintenance and parking in Sauble Beach?
We need an updated beach management plan so work is transparent, planned for, and done with the utmost care. We have spent ample public resources on legal expenses, which could have been prevented if we had a documented management plan.
I hope our elected team commits to the development of a comprehensive beach management plan that utilizes the Blue Flag program as a framework alongside other reports from Lake Huron Coastal Conservation, SON, Birds Canada, etc. Relevant reports from accredited organizations should not go by the wayside. We need to identify agreed-upon terms and prioritize objectives like education, equipment used, waste, parking, and safety. I sincerely hope to see realistic benchmarks so we can reach Blue Flag designation once again.
Re-evaluating the paid parking structure for residents through a public consultation process is something that many citizens are requesting. Some are content with paying the current fees and I recognize this too. $58,000 per year in revenue generated from resident parking passes is significant income but pales in comparison to lost revenue due to legal fees. I have great faith that residents will support local businesses and enjoy the natural environment together if we reduce parking fees.