1) Why are you running?
I decided to run because I care too much about our Town’s future not to. The stakes are just too high. Saugeen Shores is growing and expanding and I worry how development will impact our natural assets and heritage. Saugeen Ward is the most vulnerable to this.
Policy decision made by council have the potential to change our community permanently in ways many residents are unaware of. Which is why I value transparency so much. I am paying attention to what past council has done. This big issues I have come to learn are: housing affordability and issues surrounding poverty, beach preservation and protecting natural assets, responsible development including protecting farming, land abour challenges for our local business community.
This opportunity as a town councilor is a privilege. I look forward to connecting with stakeholders and community groups and advocating on behalf of individuals.I have the willful determination, passion for this community, and leadership skills you need to advocate on your behalf.
I hope to have the community’s support as I follow this call to serve them.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of
living concerns?
Yes, absolutely. Like other levels of government, municipalities are responsible for spending tax dollars entrusted to them. This is taxpayer money. Municipalities have control over the municipal portion of their tax bills and other municipal fees like water/sewer rates. Since Saugeen Shores is in a good financial position, it makes sense to ease taxpayers’ inflationary burden. My platform will include:
- Look at removing the garbage bag tag program, without sacrificing the 3-bag limit;
- Explore capping the yearly capital amounts which go to water/sewer reserves with a view to reducing water/sewer bills;
- Work with staff to identify and reduce wasteful practices in the administration of Town business;
- Use all tools at our disposal to finance our debt responsibly and utilize our cash holdings to get returns on investment which outpace cost of living increases. As our borrowing and operating costs rise, and our bank GIC investments can’t keep pace with inflation, the Town must go hat-in-hand to the taxpayer, expecting yearly rate increases to make up the difference. This is not acceptable and we should expect better.
- Advocate with senior levels of government for fiscally responsible policies and eliminate regressive taxes, which affect rich and poor.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
Saugeen Shores is already an attractive place to do business because of its location and natural assets. Our main economic drivers, apart from supports for Bruce Power, are agriculture and tourism. We are growing at a rate which far surpasses the provincial average and that of all other municipalities in Bruce County. As a result, we need to support the conditions, and guide development, in a manner which makes it attractive to invest here in the first place. We also need to just let local farmers and small businesses do what they do best…farm and conduct business. Additionally, we need to support farmers and businesses with the challenges they face; the ability to attract workers and retain staff. Attainable housing and transportation are important pieces to the solution.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment
and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
This is true of every municipality. Saugeen Shores is an attractive place to do business and an attractive place to settle. The mayor recently commented that, despite unanticipated temporary closures of emergency rooms in other local communities, the hospital in Southampton has managed to avoid such a fate. This goes to the success of the local physician recruitment program which had seen Saugeen Shores partnered with Kincardine and Bruce Power. Unfortunately, Kincardine opted out of the partnership in 2021, but we must be vigilant and take advantage of Bruce Power’s offer to continue to support doctor recruitment efforts in both communities. With the aging population and recent increased urgency in the need for health care services here and everywhere, where there’s a need, the Town must be there to support efforts to meet the challenge.
We also must think about the capacity we have for alternative therapies such as chiropractic and natural health. People are realizing that preventative health care is just as important as reactive health care, so we as a community must ensure we continue to promote healthy lifestyles through the education of our children, and adults through our local wellness providers. A healthy community goes a long way to save future health care dollars.
5) What are your views on the revitalization of Port Elgin’s waterfront?
I support the concept of revitalization of the Port Elgin waterfront which has been around for years and coalesced with the Waterfront Master Plan in 2013, bringing together input from many stakeholders and community groups. There are some definite concerns with the current Cedar Crescent Village proposal however and I have been public in my views about how the beach development has proceeded. The current proposal incorporates features which do not appear to be consistent with the Town’s own zoning by-law, especially with regards to the Outdoor patio bar/BBQ and structure height. This will bring unwanted land use conflicts with the beach itself and the surrounding residents. If elected, I hope to ensure that any project built is in keeping with the Zoning By-law, the current character of the beach, reflects the concepts in the Waterfront Master Plan, and benefits the entire community.
Current council has moved the process along faster than many in the public would like, but the new council can still have a big role to play in what the final development ultimately looks like.
6) How would you propose the town manage its projected growth over the next 10 to 20 years?
Saugeen Shores has paid for development of master plans and strategic assessments for virtually all aspects of development of the community; water and sewer, waterfront development and design, Port Elgin Harbour strategic assessment, waste management, recreation, transportation and currently we’re going through a process to adopt an affordable housing community planning permit system. Virtually all of these studies have been produced within the past five or six years and were done specifically to address rapid growth of the community expected over the longer term. In addition, we have a strong Zoning By-law and Official Plan. This is the set of tools that the Town has invested in to guide our development. There is also a strong widespread public desire to see the natural and heritage features of the community maintained to ensure that the community continues to be an attractive place to invest, live and work. I strongly agree with this sentiment.
We have the tools, so rather than leave them on the shelf, my view is to use them in a thoughtful manner in order to develop a cohesive vision for how we want the community to look in the future.