1) Why are you running?
I run for office because I love my town and I want to do everything I can to make it a better
place to live and to bring new amenities to our community.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of living concerns?
Keeping our property tax increases to barely above the annual cost of living increase is one way we have helped. Offering free programming to keep our residents healthy and active is another. When user-fees are necessary, we keep them to a minimum so people can enjoy our amenities without breaking the bank. We resolved the Amabel water issue by cutting the monthly water rates which will keep more money in the wallet.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
Make a point of letting people know we are open for business. We hired a Manager of Economic Development to assist in helping our current businesses while attracting new ones. We are working to make our downtown cores more attractive. Wiarton just underwent a complete streetscape design and we partner with Bruce County to offer our businesses grants for façade improvements and accessibility plus we applied for and received grants
from the Federal Government to help our merchants attract more business through advertising and enhancing their on-line presence. Most of the remaining derelict buildings in downtown Sauble have been revitalized and we recently installed a bright and welcoming gateway sign. We created seasonal public transit for our town that will bring folks up from Owen Sound into Wiarton, Hepworth and Sauble. We also implemented a Municipal
Accommodation Tax which will help create new festivals and events. The funds can also be used for beautification. Through the MAT funding we aim to bolster shoulder season tourism. We also welcomed the Poutine Feast to Wiarton which was a huge success and we helped our downtown businesses hold a sidewalk sale to bring festival go’ers to our main street. The festival was such a success that other food festivals are now considering SBP.
These festivals and events draw people to our town, many of whom have no idea what we have to offer.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
We shouldn’t need to play a role at all. Health care is a Provincial responsibility, but it’s fallen upon Municipalities to fight for doctors. SBP has a town funded recruitment team promoting both Wiarton and Sauble and we have secured the future of medical services in Sauble Beach by purchasing the medical clinic at no cost to our taxpayers. We also fund our local hospital through annual grants and our Council recently sent a letter to the Premier asking that consideration be given to waive tuition for medical students whom upon graduation agree to work in rural towns for a minimum period of time. That letter has been supported by dozens of other Ontario Municipalities.
5) Do you support the approval of a proposed land based Fish Farm in the Wiarton area?
Only if they can prove that they will not harm the bay and only if they agree to appoint an independent 3 rd party to conduct ongoing tests to ensure any effluent into the bay is 100% safe. Otherwise, no, I don’t support it at all.
6) What are your views on beach maintenance and parking in Sauble Beach?
We are unable to maintain the beach. We can’t place garbage cans on the beach and we can’t rake the beach. All we can do is straighten and clear the drainage swales and remove dangerous items that wash up in the spring. I wish we could maintain the beach. I wish we had a reason to create a beach maintenance plan but we don’t. Regarding Parking: We have plenty of parking today. We have approx. 1000 spots along Lakeshore Blvd and approx. 700 on Second Ave and more on Third. We also rent an overflow parking lot at the lights. Will we need to increase that in the future? Perhaps. Much will depend on the outcome of the Land Claim trial. I believe that if the First Nations win, they will use the beach for parking all the way to Sixth St. leaving plenty of spots on Lakeshore, Second and Third.