2026 Municipal Election: Grey Highlands Candidate Q + A

I believe that Grey Highlands needs to be proactive not reactive. That we can prevent many of the crisis’s we are facing. I know we need to invest in our arenas before they fall apart more. They are the heart of our communities. I believe that our community has great pride in our small towns, and that it is time our municipality shows that as well. I believe that we are on the cusp of big growth and that needs to be manage thoughtfully and carefully. I believe strong mayor powers are not needed to run the municipality. That people have 7 votes and the 7 members of council must work together and decide how to move forward. I believe the municipality can do better to reach residents and make sure their voices are heard. Together we can decide where the road will take us and together, we will get things done.

I have been on council for the past 8 years, I am currently the Deputy Mayor. I sit on county council the Niagara escarpment commission, the Grey Bruce board of health, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association. I have taken courses in municipal administration and Law not to become a staff person but to be a better council member. I also am a small business owner and bring practical thinking to my decision making.

I have the experience to see all the sides of an issue. I listen to residents and other council members before fully committing to any position. I am open to having my mind changed but use my experience to guide me. I have demonstrated a willingness to push back when needed and stand alone to make sure a view is heard.

We must be realistic about what we invest in. We must understand that water bills in Grey Highlands are becoming a burden for many families. This means waiting to make large scale investments into our water services until we know for sure growth is coming to help pay for it. We need to help provide recreational activities locally so that children can have a place to connect and play without families having to drive outside our community. Deliver more sports inside our existing rec facilities.

Grey Highlands had a few years of catchup recently. This has put us in a better position to carry forward. We do not need another significant increase.

The tough balancing act of taxes vs services. How do we maintain our assets and keep the costs manageable.

This is tough as a large geography we need to understand that a bus travelling down 2 or three main roads is not accessible to many of the residents that need it. We must look at opportunities to provide point to point rides, this can mean working with private companies that can be subsidized to provide a cost effective ride for residents. This can also help as the counties don’t need to own all the equipment to operate the full transit picture. This can only work with long term provincial commitment to the plan.

We need to look at where taxes are spent and allocate the resources to get the most bang for your tax dollar. But we also have to be realistic that 0% tax increases will mean deteriorating roads arenas and halls. We need to have modest increases to maintain the assets that are important to residents.

The first thing is to understand the facts. I have heard many different things around water needs, power consumption, environmental concerns. We need to get a staff report on the reality. Second is to be firm that taking farmland out of production to build a giant plant is not in our best interest. We need to protect our rural landscape.

Continue to look at the zoning by-law to allow more density in our built up areas. Be open to looking at different construction materials and be a leader in modular construction. Work with the county on lands that are already set for housing and see them move forward.

Grey Highlands has received the report on the cost to remediate the arena. This came in very reasonable given the situation. I believe we can fix the arena up and get it open so that the community can continue to have a place to gather.

I am running because people in Grey Highlands deserve a municipal government that listens before it decides, respects tax dollars, and looks after the places that hold communities together.

I began this campaign concerned about rising taxes. During the campaign period I’ve found that the issue is larger. People no longer trust that this government. They don’t feel they’re being heard or that their hard-earned money is being used wisely.

I grew up in Flesherton and have built businesses and led a school here. I know Grey Highlands is special because of its villages, landscape, volunteers and people who show up for one another. I do not want us to become another municipality that is twin to any other. We can grow sensibly, create needed housing, protect our natural heritage, maintain our community assets, and live within what families can afford.

I am running to put community back at the table, bring discipline to the budget, and deliver practical leadership based on common sense, community, affordability and accountability.

I have not sat on Council and was not interested in local politics until the 2025 double-digit tax increase, followed by another major increase in 2026. But I have spent my career carrying responsibility.

I founded and led Headwaters Academy for six years, and I own two local businesses, including Beaver Valley Maple, where I am a part owner. In those roles, I have had to make payroll, maintain buildings, plan for repairs, manage staff, listen to the people affected by decisions, and live within what the business can afford. When something needs attention, you cannot defer it indefinitely and then simply raise prices such as this government has been doing when it reaches into taxpayer pockets.

Municipal governance needs that same discipline. It also needs the humility to listen to local people before a report becomes the only option on the table. I will bring a practical perspective: respect staff expertise, demand clear information and alternatives, make decisions openly, and stay accountable for the results.

As I’ve walked door to door during this campaign, I’ve found a community that still has the know-how, still has the energy, and is tired of government telling them what to do. Based on what I’m hearing, we could have a very new Council – one that listens to the people.

Thus, decision-making becomes incredibly clear. It has a simple test: What do the people want? What would the people do? It is not at all unlike running a school – there, the question was, “What is best for students?” Here, it is, “What is best for the people?”

With a clear direction, decision-making becomes easy. What needs better direction over the next four years than the previous term is hearing those community voices and making sure this CAO and staff clearly understand what they are saying.

A municipality cannot control interest rates, grocery prices or every cost a family faces. But it can stop making life more expensive through undisciplined budgets, avoidable tax increases, delayed maintenance and decisions that quietly download growth costs onto existing residents.

The money in a municipal budget is not abstract. It is earned by people who work long hours and spend time away from their families. Before asking for another dollar, Council must ask what result each expense produces, whether there is a less expensive way to deliver it, and whether we are protecting the roads, water systems, arenas, halls and services people rely on.

We also need sensible housing choices: secondary suites, garden suites, duplexes, small multiplexes, apartments and serviced growth in the right places. Growth must pay for growth.

The present tax trajectory is unacceptable. The approved 2025 budget brought a 14.2 per cent local increase, followed by a 5.9 per cent blended increase in 2026. Families cannot keep being told that another increase is inevitable while they see facilities reach crisis and basic concerns go unanswered.

My goal for the 2027 budget is a 0% increase. That is not a promise to neglect roads, bridges, water systems, arenas or community halls. It is a direction to do the work that should have been done before asking residents for more: a line-by-line review of operating costs, staffing, fleet, procurement, consulting, service delivery and every other source of overhead.

We must protect core infrastructure and preventive maintenance, use reserves and grants responsibly, and ensure growth pays its fair share of growth-related infrastructure. If Council ever needs to ask residents for more, it should be able to show exactly why, what alternatives were considered, and what result taxpayers will receive.

The number one issue facing Grey Highlands is a loss of trust in local government.

Taxes are part of it. So are facilities left to crisis, residents who feel decisions are made before they are heard, development proposals that do not fit their communities, and a growing sense that Council is not directing staff clearly enough. These are not separate problems. They all come back to a government that has lost touch with the people it serves.

Grey Highlands still has remarkable people: volunteers, farmers, business owners, parents, seniors and young families who know their communities and are willing to help solve problems. But they need to be invited in before decisions are made, not treated as an audience after the fact.

Restoring trust will take more than one speech or one vote. It means honest budgets, clear priorities, transparent information, practical consultation, well-maintained community assets, and a Mayor and Council willing to be accountable for the results. If we restore trust, we can tackle the other challenges together.

I appreciate that Grey Highlands has an aging population and residents with real transportation needs. But we are a rural municipality, and regional transit can become a major, permanent tax burden if routes and ridership do not fit our geography.

I will not support committing Grey Highlands taxpayers to a regional transit system until a public business case shows exactly what it will cost, how many people it will serve, what fares will recover, what the provincial and County contributions will be, and what the maximum municipal levy exposure is. We cannot sign residents up for another open-ended operating cost while roads, bridges, water systems and community facilities need attention.

If the evidence shows a targeted service can meet a clear need without becoming another tax burden, it should be considered. But it must be limited, accountable and affordable – not a one-size-fits-all system built for communities unlike ours.

The way to avoid high tax increases is not to stop maintaining what matters. It is to stop underbudgeting core maintenance while allowing overhead costs such as administration and constant reliance upon consultants to go unchecked.

My 2027 budget direction will begin with a 0% target and a line-by-line review of the operating budget before service cuts or another tax increase are presented as inevitable. We need to examine staffing, fleet, procurement, consulting, contracts and every source of overhead, while protecting the front-line services and community assets residents rely on.

Core assets and preventive maintenance must come before new wants.

Spending wisely does not mean spending less on what matters. It means protecting what people rely on before it fails.

Grey Highlands should prepare a bylaw stating that it is not a willing host for AI data centres. Case closed.

We have roads, bridges, water systems, facilities, housing and local businesses that need our attention. We should not invite a power- and resource-intensive industry with uncertain local benefit and the potential to place new pressure on land, water, energy and municipal infrastructure.

I would bring that bylaw forward before a proposal reaches Council. Grey Highlands has the right to decide what type of development fits our communities, our landscape and our capacity. AI data centres do not.

Grey Highlands has a housing-mix crisis as much as a supply crisis. We need homes local workers, young families, seniors and renters can afford – not simply more units wherever someone proposes them.

The Municipality can make a real difference through zoning. In serviced settlement areas, especially Markdale, we should make it easier to create secondary suites, garden suites, duplexes, small multiplexes, apartments and homes where seniors can downsize without leaving their community. Markdale should be the principal location for carefully phased residential, commercial and employment growth because it is our primary serviced settlement area.

Grey County must be a partner in deeply affordable and supportive housing. The Municipality’s job is to have clear, practical planning rules; honest public information about water, wastewater, roads and lifecycle costs; and development charges that ensure growth pays its fair share of growth-related infrastructure.

There will be no shortcut through wetlands, watercourses, groundwater-sensitive lands or Escarpment protections. We can build safe, welcoming homes people can afford without turning Grey Highlands into just another Highway 10 suburb.

Unequivocally, it needs to open. We need to get all of the information on the table.

This Council created this crisis by cutting the combined building repairs and maintenance budget for all four arenas by 50.6% – from $58,700 in 2022 to just $29,000 in 2026 – while Parks and Facilities staffing costs rose 41.1% from 2023 to 2025, overwhelmingly payroll and benefits with a smaller line labelled “legislated costs.” We need to see what it will take to get the arena back up and running, plan and act on it, and pair that expense with a careful, line-by-line analysis of other bureaucratic overspend.

The goal is clear: Rocklyn Arena open in the fall of 2027, without overburdening taxpayers across the Municipality.

Grey Highlands is at a crucial moment. Development is coming, and how we choose to develop means everything. We’re lucky that where we call home is above average in every way: exceptional people and small rural communities, some of Ontario’s best coldwater rivers and streams, and among the best farmland found anywhere in the world. I want to bring leadership to the table that ensures development standards match the quality of our natural assets, protecting what we have for generations to come.

I was elected to Grey Highlands council in 2022 to be a trusted, down-to-earth voice for our communities. Four years of municipal governance experience have given me the confidence to step up into this more prominent leadership role. As councillor, I’m our safety liaison, chair our Community Safety Committee, sit on the board of directors of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority and its Agricultural Advisory Committee, serve as a director of Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit, and previously served on our local Police Services Board.

I prioritize listening to the people who live in our communities, to hear what matters to them before acting on it.

This is a big one. Taxes keep going up, yet services seem to go down or stay the same. We need to get serious about focusing growth on existing infrastructure. When we build where services already exist, we have less to administer and maintain. That lowers taxes and fees, and creates genuinely affordable housing in vibrant communities.

A combination of past asset neglect and ballooning new infrastructure and administration costs has caused it to rise too quickly. It needs to be reined in and rise at a predictable pace, no higher than the rate of inflation.

Cost of living. At every door I knock on, from every Grey Highlander I speak to, I hear that rising costs in all aspects of life are becoming unbearable. That’s why we need to attract and focus growth in built-up areas, to increase our tax base and revenue at a greater rate than our costs rise. It’s also why I strongly oppose the $3 million Kimberley Amik Talisman water treatment expansion, which will push our already expensive water bills even higher.

Regional public transit should be reliable and affordable, focused on moving people to the places they need to be: work, groceries, healthcare. It should be funded at the county level, with significant provincial and federal assistance.

Attracting and building the right types of development, in the right places, increases our tax base while lowering infrastructure costs and bringing down utility rates. I’ll also always push staff to pursue every available grant and cost-sharing opportunity aggressively rather than defaulting to the tax levy.

We need robust policy in place before any applications for this type of building are made. I’ll ensure our upcoming new Official Plan is built to protect the people, places, and natural assets of Grey Highlands above all else.

A mix of housing types is what’s needed most right now. Focusing growth onto existing areas creates genuinely affordable housing of all types: low and midrise rentals and condos, duplexes and triplexes that share construction and utility costs. As councillor, I called for Grey Highlands to actively assist homeowners looking to build additional dwelling units on appropriately zoned properties. As Deputy Mayor, I’ll move that Grey County take steps to make building ADUs easier and less expensive. I made sure our new zoning by-law has better permissions around affordable modular homes, and worked closely with a local group committed to building deeply affordable, not-for-profit housing.

First, we need to assess the condition of the building and determine exactly what needs to be done. Every provincial, federal, and private grant opportunity needs to be pursued creatively and exhaustively. The Rocklyn community built this arena once and has shown they’re more than ready and willing to do it again. We need to involve the people who use this arena most, who bring a wealth of skills, equipment, and expertise. Together, we can find a low-cost solution to bring this beating heart of the community back to life.

I am running because I really want to help people and fix the problems that have been getting ignored. I am on ODSP, I have anxiety and PTSD. I am not your typical candidate. I know exactly how it feels to be broke. I have lived in a tent and have seen the absolute best and worst in people. I believe that we need to take care of each other for any community to flourish. I believe that I have innovative intelligent ideas to contribute and a desire to see everyone “Live long and prosper! 🖖 My core identity is: Logic. Backbone. Hope. I want to bring that to the council and to the residents. We can enact change together! Just because the world hasn’t been kind to you doesn’t mean you have to stop being kind to the world.

I have life experiences that have expanded my mind and have given me invaluable experience in talking to and dealing with so many diverse people with their own unique experiences that I can learn from. Sometimes experience isn’t the best qualification.

I see things in black and white and don’t believe that any decisions should be made without all the data, quotes, alternative ideas, and any other pertinent information being presented first. I will always look for better alternatives and solutions to save money so it can be spent on other necessary facilities or services. I will make decisions that will benefit the communities and solve problems.

This municipality can do many things to help. There are cheaper and better ways to solve issues like the lagoon expansion so that money can be spent on other areas like creating food co-ops, community gardens, breakfast programs, and supporting small businesses. Everything is connected, so when you support one area, it has an effect on other areas.

It is out of control, to be honest. The whole budget needs to audited, line by line. There’s been too much spending on private consultants and office staff, in my opinion. Aiming for a 0% tax increase is realistic.

I believe the number one issue facing Grey Highlands is a lack of trust in the council and staff. And the only way to regain trust is by proving that you’re words mean something by taking action and listening to the residents.

In my opinion, a regional transit system should be looked at differently than they are presently looking at it. What works in one area might not be feasible in another. In places like Grey Highlands there needs to be some sort of transit system, but I believe that it could be partly community-run or organized (the people running it, etc., would get paid for their work) and municipal services or assets used in other ways that might not have been considered. The smaller systems could connect to a larger system to save money all around.

I would look for other sources of funding, with federal or provincial grants and loans. I would try to find other solutions for the problems by thinking outside the box. How are places around the world solving these same issues? Are these methods proven, and can we use that same idea here to save the taxpayers’ money? I always investigate everything thoroughly, researching multiple ways to do something.

I am against data centers. There needs to be a moratorium put on them as new information about their environmental damage comes to light every day, and that data needs to be considered first.

The creation of truly affordable housing is one of my first priorities. Bylaws can be amended to allow residents to have trailers, RVs, and mobile tiny homes on their private property with permanent residents living in them. I have been a tiny home advocate for 25 years. There are so many new and innovative tiny housing designs and plans, including repurposed seacans, wind turbine blades and nacelles, turn-key modular housing, and bunkies. Why not create a pilot project using grants and loans to build a self-sustaining, totally off-grid eco-village. There are businesses willing to partner with not-for-profits to do pilot projects to launch their affordable tiny housing in Canada. Modified CSA A277-approved seacans can be deployed quickly and at minimal cost to address the immediate housing crisis.

I think they should apply for a green grant and a community spaces revitalization grant to install a low-ammonia, high-efficiency ice compressor and pair it with a thermal cogeneration unit to harness the heat from the compressor so the heat can be used in other parts of the arena. Saving money and lowering costs through federal and provincial grants. It must be reopened as soon as possible. It isn’t just a building. It’s a gathering place and somewhere that memories are made. It’s the backbone of a small community.
Logic. Backbone. Hope.

I have been watching and attending the municipal council meetings for many years. While watching, I found myself asking many questions that don’t seem to be asked. For example, recently staff requested funding to start renovations on office space that had not been approved for leasing. Staff reasoning was that we are breaking the law because our chambers aren’t legal for accessibility. When I asked Council, none could explain what wasn’t accessible. I ask those questions and dig into questionable staff reports. The ask was turned down.

I have been a member of the a grey Highlands Public Library Board for 12 years. In that role, I have dealt with the relationship between the Library and the Municipality as well as serving the Public. The Library board is run much similar to Council but on a much smaller scale. I am a member of the Museum Advisory Board and also volunteer with a number of groups in Grey Highlands.

As a member of the board, I am able to see through the distractions and determine what the issues really are. I am able to define a situation, ignore superfluous chatter and make decisions.

Grey Highlands needs a strong Economic Development Department. Council must direct staff to produce reports on affordable housing as well as opportunities to attract more affordable choices for groceries. We have a beautiful grocery store in Markdale but unfortunately, since there is no other option, this store is one of the most expensive around. Council must go through the recommended budget and find ways to keep our levy to a minimum.

The tax rate in Grey Highlands is in the mid range however, the last three years has seen a total of a 25% increase. We need to pick the wants from the needs and look at a multi year budget in order to predict and even the tax increases.

Affordable housing I believe is number one. We have a number of new subdivisions being built but none address the high cost of housing. A lot of the homes are purchased by investors, divided into units and rented. I would task staff to investigated opportunities for purpose built rental units as well as models for affordable home purchase.

I would need to see the report before answering this question. The reality is that, there are few options for transit and the majority of people drive long distances for essential services.

Municipal services and infrastructure must be maintained. We must build up our reserves and ensure that we are following maintenance recommendations and regulations.

As much as possible, I would do whatever it takes to block these data centres. At this time, I can’t really say how but our zoning bylaw needs to address this.

Our Economic Development team needs to make this a priority.

It’s my understanding that the Rocklyn arena complex is to be refurbished and reopened. Staff must be more pro active searching for grants that could help pay for the renovations. It seems that the ice surface could reopen sometime after February. We need to make sure that in our haste to reopen, we are not creating extra expense down the road. Grey Highlands should have the repairs done in a manner that makes sense.

I am running because Grey Highlands needs positive change in its municipal council. I am striving to be elected to help facilitate that necessary change. I first ran for council in 2002 when there were eleven candidates running for five seats and came in sixth and was not elected. The assurances given in the early days of the amalgamation process, of efficiency, lower staff requirements, increased quality and availability of service have not been achieved and the future of Grey Highlands wants and needs clear movement toward those very goals that council and staff have subsequently failed to deliver to our citizens. I am running to be a strong voice for that Change.

My over half century of living. working and studying in what is now Grey Highlands, my personal and Family background in the area of municipal administration and governance and my current twelve years of working as director, now Chairman of the Osprey Museum and Historical Society among many other involvements with our community has made me well qualified, properly prepared, ready willing and able to serve as an effective voice on council.

I am confident that I will be an effective decision maker on Grey Highlands Council due to my ability to Communicate, correspond and work with community groups and volunteer organizations, council and staff, to become well versed in the various choices before council and the background data to make fair and equitable decisions on our communities behalf.

The first way council can act to address cost of living concerns is to find and enact efficiency throughout the various departments of municipal staff. In my thorough observation of current operating procedures it is clear that effective cost efficiencies have largely not been sought after. This is where cost of living action begins with municipal government. Too much municipal revenue is wasted on procedure that could applied directly to action, quality and availability of services.

My view of the current tax rates in Grey Highlands is that it has been out of control in increases, over the last decade in particular. As an example of this, One multi-generational home and property owner sent me an analysis of their tax increases over the last decade on a property that has been his family since the 1850″s showed a 96 percent increase over the last decade while upper administrative salaries in total rose by about that same percentage with very little observable increase in quality or availability of service. (If any)

The number one concern in Grey Highland is as above. Egregious rises in taxes and poor management of those revenues with little or no observable rise in quality or availability of services.

A regional transit system is an excellent proposition, one already exists in the form of the Saugeen Mobility (smart) transit system. Grants and money should be raised to expand the availability of public transit. Especially for seniors and people with specific mobility challenges. Revenues found through greater efficiency in other departments and through fares and some allocation of further municipal funding could also make this an even more valuable service to the greater population.

As above, by addressing and reducing the gross amount of waste and inefficiency and lost time through ineffective management and indecision, municipal services and infrastructure can be maintained or increased at acceptable quality and availability for our communities.

AI data centres are a major consumer of water resources and also require huge amounts of energy to operate and their footprints would be a blight on a rural, pastoral, environmentally sensitive community like Grey Highlands and its neighbouring municipalities. What preparations should be made for their introduction to GH in the future? I would like to respond with a big fat, emphatic unequivocal Hell No, in capital letters and an exclamation point, times ten to the suggestion of the introduction of AI data centres.

Grey Highlands can help increase housing supply across the affordability spectrum by moving toward an approach to bylaw, Planning and zoning amendments that will allow for the responsible development of properties by the property owners to expand the variability of housing style and living arrangements for residents in every economic strata. Grey Highlands must address the growing housing crisis.

The best course of action for the for the reopening and future management of the Rocklyn Arena is, after looking closely at the problem and speaking to scores of Rocklynites and Euphrasians would be to demand that council and staff, cease and desist in their failed, management, oversight and their utter travesty of involvement and the new council take affirmative forward actions. The loss of time for the remediation and care of the building, while council and staff has dithered and delivered nothing of good consequence, while the building has been locked up like an Egyptian tomb. likely exacerbating the mould and only continuing to make any problems there worse.

l Don Alp am running for council because I am a life long greyhighlands resident and I care about the future of our community. I have 3 young children and I would like for greyhighlands to remain a desirable and affordable place to live.

I Don Alp have experience in group discussions and problem solving for real world business situations.

I Don Alp have local knowledge of greyhighlands community needs and a unique point of view that I can contribute to council discussion on proposed items.

I Don Alp desire to keep taxes low and family growth achievable in greyhighlands with less spent on studies, red tape and a getter done approach.

I Don Alp believe that taxes in greyhighlands are increasing at a rate above inflation. If higher taxes are causing life long residents stress, that is unacceptable to me.

Trust in municipal government using tax revenues fairly amongst individual towns and efficiently in general is the number 1 issue for greyhighlands.

I Don Alp believe this transit system is for country level government, municipal governance should only be involved in transit stop locations in greyhighlands.

I Don Alp will find savings in preventional maintenance and supporting local businesses to keep tax spending in the community where possible.

I Don Alp would not concern council with theoretical data center preparation. I will consider all proposals put before council on the merits in each proposal.

I Don Alp support affordable single family home development and keeping small town charm in greyhighlands.

I Don Alp support the band aid solution proposed currently to get the arena opened ASAP. Going forward we need to return arena authorities back to local community arena managers while supporting them with preventative maintenance and regular upkeep.

I am running for the councillor position in Grey Highlands because of my previous council experience and the north end of the municipality needs a voice at the council table. Communication between council, staff and residents needs to improve. The municipal facilities need to be better maintained.

I have been involved previously in our local council. I was a member of the transition team that brought Grey Highlands together for startup in 2001. I was a member of council for 14 years: 2001 – 2014. I have been a public member of the committee of adjustment for the last 12 years and am an active volunteer in the Rocklyn area for 40 years.

I can be an effective decision maker for Grey Highlands because of my previous council experience plus rural knowledge and experience working in the plumbing business.

The municipality can address the cost of living with more affordable housing units and assisting with zoning regulations!

The tax rate is manageable but more scrutiny and allocation of dollars spent needs to be a priority.

The number one issue in Grey Highlands is communication and trust. Residents need to have their concerns heard.

Regional Transit is a county funded study.

Municipal services and infrastructure need to be maintained without high tax increase by using asset management plan to have projects scheduled in priority for completion.

To have reserves built up to help offset expenses.

Affordable housing in Grey Highlands can be helped by having tiny homes, additional dwelling units on full, partial or individual services.

The best course of action for the Rocklyn Arena and Community Centre is to have the facility repaired. Complete the remediation, the ventilation system, the community only has the facility for social events, meeting facilities and recreation. The municipality needs to approve the restart, the community groups / volunteers can assist with the labour, pledges from fundraising and donations! The Rocklyn community & users of the facility will make a major contribution.

I am running because Grey Highlands is facing significant challenges, including housing affordability, limited local employment, pressure on farmland, gaps in long-term care, and declining public confidence in Council. These issues require practical solutions, responsible leadership, and a clear focus on the long-term well-being of our communities. I want future generations to have the opportunity to live, work, raise families, and build successful lives here. I am offering a confident change through accountable leadership, local stewardship, and genuine community representation – listening carefully, respecting taxpayers, and working constructively with residents, staff, and community partners. It would be an honour to serve Grey Highlands and help build a strong, sustainable, and welcoming future.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Canadian History and Canadian Politics, with academic work focused in part on the challenges facing rural Ontario. That education strengthened my understanding of public policy, government accountability, and the important role municipalities play in residents’ daily lives. Municipal decisions shape local roads, waste services, water systems, libraries, recreation facilities, parks, and cultural amenities. I have also volunteered with the Walter Harris Memorial Library and participated in local remembrance activities, including laying a wreath at the Flesherton Cenotaph on behalf of GHSS. These experiences have reinforced the importance of community service, respectful engagement, and preserving the institutions that make Grey Highlands a great place to call home. I am ready to apply my education, local knowledge, and commitment to public service as a member of Council.

Effective municipal decision-making is not about choosing the quickest or most popular answer. It requires asking the right questions, reviewing reliable information, listening to residents, and understanding the financial and long-term consequences of each decision. It also means being prepared to reconsider a position when the evidence points in a different direction. I would approach Council decisions with an open mind, a commitment to respectful debate, and a focus on the best interests of Grey Highlands as a whole. Genuine community representation means listening carefully, working collaboratively with Council, staff, and community partners, and communicating clearly about how and why decisions are made. Grey Highlands is my home, and I would bring integrity, preparation, accountability, and the confidence to pursue positive change on every issue before Council.

Municipalities cannot solve the cost-of-living challenge alone, but they can take practical steps to reduce pressure on residents. Council should begin by managing municipal spending carefully, pursuing efficiencies, and setting clear service priorities before considering tax increases. The Municipality can also support local food access by maintaining practical rules for farm stands and other direct-to-consumer sales. Where financially responsible, it could explore partnerships or incentive programs that help residents and businesses improve energy efficiency and access available provincial or federal programs. Most importantly, Grey Highlands should advocate with the County, Province, and federal government for sustainable funding and fairer cost-sharing. Property taxes alone cannot reasonably carry every local infrastructure and service need. A balanced approach – fiscal discipline, support for local economic activity, strategic partnerships, and strong advocacy – can help protect essential services while respecting household budgets.

Property taxes must be affordable for residents while still supporting the services and infrastructure our community relies on. Grey Highlands, like municipalities across Ontario, is facing sharply higher construction, operating, and replacement costs. At the same time, roads, facilities, and other assets cannot be maintained responsibly if budgets repeatedly fall behind actual costs. I do not support tax increases without clear justification. Council should review spending carefully, identify efficiencies, prioritize core services, and communicate plainly about the cost and impact of its decisions. We must also plan for infrastructure over the long term so that deferred maintenance does not create larger costs for future taxpayers. The current tax burden is a serious concern, but the solution is not simply to cut without understanding the consequences. Grey Highlands needs disciplined budgeting, transparent priorities, sustainable funding partnerships, and continued advocacy for a municipal finance system that does not rely so heavily on property taxes.

The number one issue facing Grey Highlands is capacity: too few attainable homes, limited local employment, insufficient long-term care options, and growing pressure on the services and infrastructure residents depend on. These challenges are connected, and they contribute to young people leaving, families struggling to settle here, and residents losing confidence that meaningful progress is possible.
Council must respond with clear priorities and practical action. That means supporting a wider range of housing, creating conditions for local businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed, protecting productive farmland through responsible local stewardship, and advocating for expanded long-term care capacity, including at Grey Gables. Just as importantly, Council must rebuild public trust through transparent decisions, respectful debate, genuine community representation, and consistent follow-through. My priority would be to bring people together around achievable solutions that deliver confident change and strengthen every community in Grey Highlands.

A regional transit system could improve access to employment, health care, education, recreation, and essential services for residents who do not drive or have reliable access to a vehicle. It should connect Grey Highlands communities with key destinations across the region, use accessible vehicles, and offer schedules that reflect actual travel needs rather than a one-size-fits-all model. A phased approach, supported by ridership data and community consultation, would help ensure the service is practical and sustainable. Because the system would cross municipal boundaries, the counties should lead its planning and administration in partnership with participating municipalities. Funding should combine provincial and federal transit support, fair contributions from participating municipalities or counties, and reasonable passenger fares. Any local contribution should be transparent, based on service levels and benefits, and reviewed regularly. I support continued study of regional transit, provided the final model is affordable, accountable, and responsive to rural realities.

Maintaining services without imposing unsustainable tax increases requires disciplined budgeting, long-term planning, and practical rural infrastructure priorities. Council should set clear priorities, review programs and service levels, identify efficiencies, coordinate purchasing and service delivery where appropriate, and use asset-management plans to schedule repairs before they become emergencies. Growth should also pay its fair share through appropriate development charges and other available tools. Grey Highlands must also work with the County and other municipalities to share services where doing so improves value, while advocating to the Province and federal government for stable infrastructure funding and fair cost-sharing. If service changes are required, residents should receive clear information about costs, options, and consequences before Council decides. Public input is essential, but elected Council must ultimately make accountable decisions based on evidence, affordability, legislative responsibilities, and the long-term interests of the entire municipality.

We MUST fight their construction. If elected, I commit to doing everything in my power to prevent the construction of an AI datacentre in Grey Highlands. No AI company has ever turned a profit, nor has any AI company provided an economic model to do so. Nor is there any real benefit to the community in the short-term or the long-term. They are massive – they range anywhere in size from 2 to 3,000 acres – they consume the equivalent of the entirety of Lake Eugenia in water per year – about 2 billion gallons – they produce a continuous high-pitched hum 24/7, and they consume enough electricity to power every single home in Grey Highlands three-to-fifteen times over. In the end, the construction of an AI datacentre in Grey Highlands means a few things, none of which are positive; the destruction of our farmland, higher electricity bills, higher water bills, wells running dry, and immense noise pollution. In return, we get a few temporary construction jobs and fewer permanent technical jobs. They have no place in our Country, let alone in our community.

Grey Highlands can increase housing supply by making it easier to build a wider range of homes in appropriate locations. That includes reviewing zoning and approval processes, reducing unnecessary delays, supporting additional residential units where servicing and site conditions permit, and encouraging a mix of rental, ownership, seniors’, family, and attainable housing. The Municipality should work with non-profit providers, builders, the County, and senior governments to identify suitable land, coordinate infrastructure, and pursue available funding. Financial incentives should be targeted, transparent, and tied to measurable affordability outcomes rather than offered broadly without public benefit. Growth must also be planned carefully to protect farmland, respect rural character, and avoid placing unreasonable costs on existing taxpayers. The goal should be more housing choice across the affordability spectrum, supported by responsible planning and adequate services.

The future of the Rocklyn Arena should be based on current, reliable information. Before making a final decision, Council needs an updated assessment of the building’s condition, immediate safety requirements, capital costs, operating costs, potential funding sources, and realistic timelines. The community should then receive a clear comparison of repair, rehabilitation, replacement, and closure options. I believe the arena is more than an ice pad; it is an important gathering place that supports recreation, youth development, and community connection. My preference is to preserve that role if a safe and financially responsible path can be found. That will require local stewardship and collaboration among the Municipality, community groups, other levels of government, and potential funding partners. Council must be transparent about the costs and trade-offs while ensuring Rocklyn residents have genuine representation in the decision. I would support a practical, evidence-based plan that gives the community a fair opportunity to retain this important rural asset.

I’m running because I believe Grey Highlands is at an important point in its development. I’ve lived in major cities, rural communities and resort communities, and I’ve seen how communities evolve, how infrastructure grows, and what happens when growth gets ahead of planning. I don’t usually come forward unless there’s a crisis. But I see an opportunity – and a responsibility – to step forward now. I’m not running for a title. I’m running because I believe we need to look at Grey Highlands as one municipality and one connected community. Housing, roads, infrastructure, economic development, agriculture, environment, recreation, emergency services and community safety are not separate issues. They’re pieces of the same puzzle. I want to help flip the switch on economic growth – creating jobs and opportunities while making sure growth is controlled, infrastructure is planned and taxpayers are treated fairly. No growth for the sake of growth. No development for the sake of development. Right use, right place, right time. Many places. One community. Pride of place. Grey Highlands.

I have a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Bournemouth University, focused on virtual reality and visual effects. I spent 18 years in post-production, managing and supervising teams and working with human resources, including hiring, promotion, demotion and performance reviews. I’ve been a real estate agent for seven years with Sutton Group Incentive Realty in Collingwood, working with residential, commercial and development-related properties. That has given me practical exposure to zoning, the Planning Act, development and infrastructure considerations. I’ve also applied for a Grey Highlands municipal position as a Planning, Zoning and Communications Officer. I’ve lived in major cities, rural communities and ski-resort communities, seeing how infrastructure and communities evolve in very different environments. I’m also a yoga instructor and swimming coach. My background isn’t traditional municipal experience – but I bring management, planning, development, communication and real-world community experience.

I’m a decision-maker because I’ve had to make decisions with real consequences. I’ve managed teams, worked with HR, reviewed performance and dealt with competing priorities. In real estate, decisions involve significant financial consequences for clients, and you have to understand documents, regulations, timelines and risk. I’m also comfortable with technical information. I’m a nerd. I can read an engineering report and I don’t look at it like it came from Mars. I don’t believe Council should make decisions simply based on who speaks the loudest or who has the strongest opinion. I want to understand the evidence, the options, the cost, the consequences and the long-term implications. And if the information isn’t sufficient, ask for better information. My approach is straightforward: listen, ask questions, understand the facts and then make a decision. Maybe doesn’t run a municipality.

A municipality can’t control inflation, mortgage rates or federal monetary policy, but it can control some of the costs it places on residents. The first step is responsible spending. I want Council to understand the full cost of services and infrastructure – not just the cost today, but the lifecycle cost of maintaining or replacing them. I also want to look for ways to increase economic activity locally. That’s why I keep talking about flipping the switch on economic growth. More businesses, jobs, services, tourism and investment can strengthen the local economy and create opportunities for residents. Housing is part of that equation too. But we shouldn’t simply approve housing without considering whether roads, water, wastewater, emergency services and other infrastructure can support it. My approach is controlled growth, responsible spending and fair taxation. We need to ask: where can the municipality reduce unnecessary costs, where can it create economic opportunities, and how can we make sure today’s decisions don’t create larger costs for tomorrow’s taxpayers?

I don’t think the conversation should simply be whether taxes are -“high” or “low.” Residents deserve to understand what they’re paying for, where the money is going and why costs differ across the municipality. I am working toward a proposed Council motion asking staff to develop a Fair Taxation & Investment Framework. I want it to consider factors including property assessment and values, population, number of households, geography, road and infrastructure kilometres, recreation facilities, service demands and infrastructure needs. The goal would be a clear, easy-to-understand reference showing how municipal dollars are generated, allocated and prioritized. Fair taxation doesn’t mean every community gets the same dollars, and it doesn’t mean the community with the highest property values automatically gets more back. It means having transparent criteria and applying them fairly across Grey Highlands. Before asking taxpayers for more, Council should understand what we already have, what it costs to operate, what needs to be renewed and what can reasonably be funded.

Controlled growth. And by controlled growth, I don’t mean stopping growth. Growth affects almost everything else: housing, roads, wastewater, water supply, drainage, emergency services, schools, businesses, agriculture and the environment. We need to make sure infrastructure and services can support development rather than allowing development to get ahead of them. But I also want to see economic growth. I keep talking about flipping the economic switch because I want Grey Highlands to create jobs, attract investment, support existing businesses and create opportunities for people to live and work here. The answer isn’t growth for the sake of growth. And it isn’t saying no to everything. It’s asking: What do we need? Where should it go? What can our infrastructure support? What does it cost? And who pays? That’s why I keep coming back to the same principle: Right use. Right place. Right time.

For Grey Highlands, regional transit has to recognize that we’re a rural municipality – not an urban centre. I would support a system that connects residents to the places they actually need to reach: employment centres, hospitals, education, shopping, government services and regional transportation connections. Rather than assuming we need large conventional buses running fixed routes regardless of demand, I would want the study to examine a hybrid model that could include scheduled routes along major corridors, smaller vehicles and demand-responsive service where population density doesn’t justify conventional transit. The funding model should also be evidence-based. I’d want Grey County, the participating municipalities, the Province and potentially the federal government to examine the actual cost, ridership and service needs before committing taxpayers to a long-term model. For Grey Highlands, flexibility is important. A successful rural transit system should move people – not empty buses.

We need to stop thinking only about this year’s tax bill and start thinking about the lifecycle cost of infrastructure. Deferred maintenance doesn’t make infrastructure free. It often makes it more expensive. I would want Council to establish clear priorities based on infrastructure condition, risk, service requirements and long-term cost. At the same time, we need to examine operating costs, procurement, partnerships, grants and opportunities to generate appropriate user-based revenue. That’s where my Fair Taxation & Investment Framework comes in. If we understand property assessment, population, geography, infrastructure kilometres, service demands and capital needs, we can have a much more transparent conversation about priorities. And when appropriate, users who place greater demands on a municipal asset should contribute proportionately through fees rather than automatically putting every cost on the general tax levy. Maintain what we have. Plan before we build. Pay attention to lifecycle costs. And look for every reasonable source of funding before reaching deeper into taxpayers’ pockets.

I actually have a background in AI and simulation. During my career in visual effects, I worked as part of a crowd artificial-intelligence team, developing simulations and visualizations of crowds for the film industry. My Master’s research also looked at L-system growth and flocking behaviours, such as how birds move and interact as a group. So I understand both the potential and the limitations of the technology. If AI data centres come to Grey Highlands, we should look at them as an economic-development opportunity, but do the homework first: electricity, water, wastewater, land use, roads, emergency services, environmental impacts and who pays for the infrastructure. But there is an important distinction: AI is a tool. It is not a decision-maker. A municipality needs human leadership. Council members are elected to make decisions, be accountable for those decisions and communicate them transparently to the public. I’m not opposed to AI or new technology – quite the opposite. I’ve worked with it. But I believe technology should inform human decision-making, not replace it. For any major development, the principle remains the same: right use, right place, right time – with people making the final decision and being accountable for it.

Affordable housing has to be part of a healthy community. We need places for young people, families, seniors, workers and people who want to stay in Grey Highlands. But I don’t think the answer is simply to approve more housing and figure out the infrastructure afterward. The first question I would ask is: do we actually have the infrastructure capacity? Take Markdale as an example. The lagoon already has planned expansion, and taxpayers are already carrying the cost of that infrastructure. If we add more development, we need to understand what additional capacity will be required, what it will cost, and how that affects the municipality’s debt and future debt payments. And there are always unknowns. Construction costs change. Infrastructure needs change. Growth can happen faster than expected. So I want housing, including affordable housing – but I want us to plan for it properly. That means identifying where growth makes sense, making the approval process predictable, working with developers and housing organizations, and making sure water, wastewater, roads, drainage and emergency services can support it. Build the homes, yes. But build them where the municipality can actually support them – without leaving tomorrow’s taxpayers holding the bill.

Grey Highlands has four arenas, and I believe keeping all four arenas as community recreational facilities needs to be a priority. They are more than ice surfaces. They are gathering places and part of the identity of their communities. The Municipality’s recreation planning also recognizes four arenas serving different settlement areas. Rocklyn, however, has a serious problem. The latest municipal assessment found issues beyond mould, including ventilation deficiencies, moisture deterioration, damaged insulation and fireproofing, and asbestos-containing materials requiring specialized handling and abatement. The Municipality has said the work will exceed the $90,000 previously approved for mould remediation. Asbestos removal is not a job for volunteers. That requires qualified professionals and proper procedures. But there is another side to this. I’ve heard from people in Rocklyn, Flesherton and Osprey who are willing to volunteer and help with whatever work can safely be done without specialized expertise. That is the spirit I want to see: one community helping another. We need the professional work done properly, but where the community can contribute its time, skills and effort, I want to see that embraced. One land. One community. Pride of place. Grey Highlands.

I love my home. I love democracy. I love attending meetings. I love listening. I love helping people.

I am Vice-Chair of Grey Highlands Heritage Committee and the Grey Highlands Museum Advisory Board. I volunteer at the Hanley Institute weekly. Outside the bounds of municipal governance, I recently helped found a new non-profit, AHIGH Affordable Housing In Grey Highlands, and we tried to secure a legacy public property for the prosperity of all. I’m an evaluator, researcher and facilitator, and I’ve been doing this work for almost twenty years. I’ve worked in the health, education, economic development and anti-violence sectors, with charities, non-profits and institutions, for over fifteen years. Further back, I learned the basics of democratic decision-making as a volunteer Director of Campus Co-op Residences Inc. In sum, I’ve been involved in democratic governance my entire adult life, and I think that experience can be some use on Grey Highlands Council.

I know the difference between information and data. I know how to work with people, and how to co-operate. I know that communication must come first, last and always. I know the language of policy, and the tune of solidarity. I know when to ramble, and when to decide.

I wish there were more. I’m open to suggestions. A municipality can’t address this crisis alone though, that’s for sure. So the first thing is to speak up, and find good partners. The municipality can, and should, be leading conversations to bring all levels of society together to address the lack of affordable housing, food, and other basic needs.

I know there’s a lot of concern out there that taxes have been going up fast for too long. I nevertheless accept the rationale of the outgoing Council that these increases have been needed in order to fund Grey Highlands’ future capital needs. In my view, Council should be levelling off annual levy increases to approximately the level of inflation. Even some residents concerned enough to contact all of Council about the need to curtail spending have told me that 3% is a reasonable target, so that’s where I’ll encourage Council and staff to aim.

Lack of affordable housing.

It’d be tremendous to get almost any kind of regular bus service active within Grey County and beyond. Almost anything we can do to make ourselves more accessible will be good for the economy, as more people will be able to get in or out to work, or to access services in more urban centres. I’d suggest funding it through the establishment of a corporation owned by the Counties which can then contract for the separate services each one will need. Obviously operational funding should come in large part from user fees, but upfront government investment will likely be needed alongside ongoing subsidies from all levels of government.

Services and infrastructure cost what they cost; we pay now or we pay more later. The previous Council’s 14% increase in one year was made to address historical neglect of the capital budget, and it was a tough decision, but I believe likely the right one. With any luck this period of high increases can be bent back down to near inflation. If forced to choose, I tend to prefer maintaining things over cutting them.

By being very careful not to let this technology stand in for proper human reasoning and judgment in the first place. This is all creating a resource race, and I fear it’s based on false premises. These ‘AI tools’ just don’t seem worth it to me, in the majority of cases. The hyper-scalers are likely to burn themselves out, but not necessarily before they play havoc with any number of local watersheds and power networks. So how to prepare? Just all agree that we won’t allow the development of any industrial data centres.

Additional Dwelling Unit permitting and other measures explored this last term are a reasonable start, but I think the municipality can afford to get much more active in encouraging the development of non-profit affordable rental housing. To start, this means assigning staff resources to investigate solutions with partners, and bring the community realistic plans for action. Grey Highlands should be leading a partnership of private and public stakeholders instead of sitting on its hands. What could develop the economy of Grey Highlands more than a strong and competitive housing market? Yet, AHIGH Affordable Housing In Grey Highlands couldn’t convince our last Council to donate any money to our effort to secure legacy public properties in the downtown core. This left us as private citizens to donate tens of thousands on the due diligence, which ended up spoiled when the seller declined to allow environmental testing to assess an unresolved fuel oil spill. What could have made a difference then? Perhaps knowing that the municipality had any confidence in the capacity of residents to solve this problem with them, instead of only profit-motivated developers. I love profit too, but housing access is more important.

Save as much of the old buildings as makes sense, and rebuild what we must to set ourselves up for the next 50 years of ice surface, recreation and community centre operations in Rocklyn. Ontario is spending half a billion dollars on sport and recreation infrastructure. Between that, municipal capital, and the long history of community investment in the Rocklyn Arena, there’s no need to let that arena go.

I’m running because Grey Highlands is my home, and I care deeply about its future. My family has lived in this area for six generations. I grew up on a farm just south of Markdale, and after spending time away for school, my wife Abby and I chose to settle here and build our future.

I believe local government works best when it listens to the people it represents. Too often, residents feel that decisions are being made without their voices being heard, particularly when those decisions affect their taxes, properties, and communities.

I want to bring a fresh perspective to the council table while respecting the generations of people who have built Grey Highlands into what it is today. I’m not running because I think I have all the answers. I’m running because I believe residents deserve someone who will listen, ask tough questions, and make decisions with their best interests in mind.

I’ve studied Political Science at the University of Guelph and have had the opportunity to work for provincial ministers and Members of Provincial Parliament. Through these roles, I’ve gained firsthand experience with government operations, public policy, constituent concerns, and the process of turning ideas into practical solutions.

I’ve also worked in my family’s construction business, which gave me an appreciation for the challenges facing small businesses, the importance of infrastructure, and the value of hard work.

Working in government has taught me that good intentions alone don’t make good policy. Decisions need to be practical, financially responsible, and grounded in the realities facing the people they affect.

I believe this combination of government experience, private-sector experience, and deep local roots would serve me well on council.

I believe effective decision-making starts with listening, doing your homework, and being willing to ask difficult questions.

Through my work in provincial government, I’ve seen how important it is to consider the financial and practical consequences of decisions well into the future before making them. I’ve also learned that there is rarely a perfect solution to every issue, and that good governance often requires balancing competing priorities.

I won’t approach council with the belief that I know better than the residents I represent. I want to hear from the people affected by decisions, understand the evidence, and make informed choices.

I’m also not afraid to disagree or challenge a proposal when I believe it isn’t in the municipality’s best interests. Residents deserve councillors who think independently, spend public money carefully, and can explain why they voted the way they did.

Municipalities can’t control inflation, grocery prices, or interest rates, but they can control how much of a financial burden they place on residents.

The most direct way Grey Highlands can help is by keeping property tax increases reasonable and predictable. When municipal taxes rise sharply, those costs are felt by homeowners, renters, and local businesses alike.

Council should also look at reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, making it easier for small businesses to operate, and encouraging housing development that provides more options for young families, seniors, and first-time buyers.

I believe every municipal budget should begin by distinguishing between needs and wants. Essential infrastructure and services must be funded, but not every desire project is something taxpayers want to have to pay for.

My greatest concern isn’t simply the current tax rate, but the pace at which residents have been asked to absorb increases.

Property owners need stability and predictability. Significant tax increases, particularly when household budgets are already stretched, make it increasingly difficult for families, seniors, and businesses to plan for the future.

I understand that Grey Highlands faces real infrastructure pressures and that years of deferred investment cannot be corrected overnight. However, I don’t believe the answer should automatically be to ask taxpayers for more money.

I’d like to see council work toward keeping annual municipal tax levy increases at or below inflation wherever possible, while properly accounting for growth, infrastructure needs, and existing commitments.

That means carefully reviewing spending, prioritizing essential services, and making better use of available reserves and other funding opportunities.

I believe the biggest challenge facing Grey Highlands is balancing the municipality’s growing financial obligations with the ability of residents to pay for them.

We have aging infrastructure, increasing service costs, and communities that need investment. At the same time, many residents are struggling with the rising cost of everyday life.

Council cannot continue treating property taxpayers as an unlimited source of revenue.

The challenge is to maintain the services people rely on, prepare for future growth, and address infrastructure needs without making Grey Highlands increasingly unaffordable.

That will require a more disciplined approach to budgeting, long-term planning, and a willingness to make difficult decisions about what the municipality truly needs versus what it would simply like to have.

I believe addressing this challenge responsibly should be the next council’s top priority.

A regional transit study is currently being undertaken involving Bruce, Grey, Dufferin and Wellington counties. What should a regional transit system look like and how should it be funded?

I believe there is value in improving regional transportation, particularly for seniors, people without access to vehicles, and residents travelling to medical appointments, employment, or essential services.

However, a regional transit system in rural Ontario cannot simply replicate what works in a large city. Our communities are spread out, and ridership demand varies considerably.

I’d favour a practical, demand-driven approach that builds on existing transportation services and connects major community hubs, rather than immediately committing to expensive fixed routes with limited ridership.

Before committing municipal funding, I’d want to see clear projections for ridership, operating costs, and the long-term financial obligations being proposed.

Funding should involve a combination of provincial support, appropriate user fares, and contributions from participating municipalities or counties based on demonstrated benefits.

Regional transit is worth exploring, but it needs to be financially sustainable and designed around the realities of rural life.

I believe the first step is to prioritize the infrastructure and services we already have before committing to additional projects and expenses.

Grey Highlands needs a realistic, long-term asset management strategy that identifies which roads, bridges, facilities, and municipal systems require immediate attention and which investments can be responsibly scheduled over time.

Preventative maintenance is particularly important. Allowing infrastructure to deteriorate until it requires complete replacement often costs taxpayers considerably more in the long run.

I’d also support looking for alternative funding sources, including provincial and federal infrastructure programs, development-related revenues where appropriate, and responsible use of municipal reserves, including proceeds from asset sales such as Talisman.

However, reserves aren’t an endless source of funding, and we need to be careful about using one-time revenues to cover ongoing operating expenses.

Ultimately, maintaining services without excessive tax increases requires council to establish clear priorities, plan further ahead, and be prepared to say no to spending that isn’t essential.

AI data centres could present economic opportunities for rural municipalities, but they also raise important questions about electricity demand, water consumption, infrastructure capacity, and their overall benefit to the community.

I believe Grey Highlands should be proactive rather than reactive.

Before considering any major development of this kind, the municipality should establish clear expectations regarding infrastructure requirements, environmental impacts, land-use compatibility, and the financial responsibilities of developers.

Residents should not be expected to subsidize the infrastructure needs of a large private development.

I’d also want to understand the actual economic benefits, including permanent local employment, municipal tax revenue, and opportunities for local businesses, rather than relying solely on promises of investment.

I believe Grey Highlands needs more housing options, particularly for young families trying to enter the market and seniors looking to downsize without leaving their communities.

One practical step council can take is reviewing zoning and development rules to identify unnecessary barriers to building different types of housing, including smaller homes, secondary suites, and appropriately located multi-unit developments.

We should also work to make the development approval process more efficient and predictable. Unnecessary delays add costs, and those costs are ultimately passed on to buyers and renters.

At the same time, new development must be supported by adequate roads, water, wastewater, and other essential infrastructure.

I don’t believe in growth simply for the sake of growth. Development should be responsible, financially sustainable, and shaped by meaningful community input.

I grew up playing hockey at the Rocklyn Arena, so I understand firsthand how important that facility is to the community.

Arenas in rural communities are more than just places to play hockey. They’re gathering places that bring families together and provide opportunities for young people to participate in sports and recreation.

I believe Grey Highlands should make every reasonable effort to keep the Rocklyn Arena operational.

Any decision about Rocklyn’s future should involve meaningful consultation with the community that built and uses it.

I’m running because I care deeply about Grey Highlands and the future we build together. For the past 16 years, my family and I have been proud to call this community home. We’ve built our life here, raised our daughters here and become part of the communities that make Grey Highlands such a special place to live. I believe local government matters because the decisions Council makes affect people’s everyday lives – the roads they drive on, the services they rely on, the taxes they pay, the places they live and the environment we leave for future generations. I’m not running because I think I have all the answers. I’m running because I’m willing to listen, ask difficult questions and do the work required to make thoughtful decisions. I want to bring my professional experience, community involvement and practical approach to Council. I believe Grey Highlands needs councillors who will look at the facts, understand the financial realities, listen to residents and consider the long-term consequences of decisions. Most importantly, I want to contribute to a strong, sustainable and connected future for all of Grey Highlands.

My professional and community experience has given me skills that I believe are directly applicable to municipal governance. My career has been in global health, including working as a director of project management. That work required me to organize complex projects, set and achieve goals, manage competing priorities, communicate with people with different perspectives and be financially responsible. It also taught me that successful projects require planning, accountability and the ability to adjust when circumstances change. My community involvement has given me another perspective. I’ve helped coordinate the Markdale women’s curling league and fundraising for the annual bonspiel, with funds supporting youth curling. I’ve also volunteered with the Markdale Seniors’ Day Away program. These experiences have taught me the value of teamwork, listening and getting things done. Municipal government is different from managing a project, and I would never suggest otherwise. But the skills of asking good questions, understanding information, weighing competing priorities, managing resources and working collaboratively are important in any organization – including Council.

I believe I would be an effective decision-maker because I’m prepared to listen, ask questions and look beyond the immediate issue. Council decisions are rarely simple. There are usually competing priorities, financial limitations, different community perspectives and consequences that may not be obvious at first. My approach would be to make sure Council has the information it needs before making important decisions. That means understanding the facts, asking about costs, considering alternatives and seeking professional advice where appropriate. I also believe resident input is important. People who live and work in our communities often have valuable knowledge about what is happening on the ground. At the same time, listening doesn’t mean agreeing with everyone. A councillor has to be willing to make difficult decisions and explain why those decisions were made. My professional experience has taught me to manage competing priorities, work collaboratively and stay focused on the objective rather than getting caught up in personalities or politics. I would bring that approach to Council: listen carefully, get the facts, understand the financial implications, consider the long-term consequences and make decisions based on what is in the best interests of Grey Highlands as a whole.

A municipality cannot solve the cost-of-living problem on its own. Many of the biggest factors – interest rates, food prices, energy costs and provincial and federal policies – are outside municipal control.
But municipalities can make choices that either add to or reduce the financial pressure residents experience. First, Council needs to be disciplined about spending and focus property-tax dollars on essential services and infrastructure. Residents deserve good value for the taxes they pay. Second, we can look for ways to make housing more attainable by encouraging a range of housing options, particularly within existing settlement areas. Additional apartments, accessory units and appropriately scaled multi-unit housing can help increase supply without continually expanding into rural and agricultural areas. Third, we should look for grants, partnerships and other funding opportunities so that local taxpayers are not carrying the entire cost of needed infrastructure. We can also support a strong local economy by making it easier for businesses to operate, grow and provide local employment. Finally, I think affordability requires honesty. We cannot promise every service, every infrastructure project and every community improvement without discussing what they will cost. The municipality’s role is to spend carefully, prioritize wisely and make decisions that provide long-term value for residents.

I think residents are right to be concerned about taxes, particularly at a time when many household budgets are already under pressure. Grey Highlands approved a 2026 budget with a 5.9% blended tax increase, while the municipal levy itself increased by about 7.4%. At the same time, the municipality is facing significant infrastructure needs, with a 2026 capital program of approximately $21.8 million. So I don’t think the answer is simply to say taxes should never increase. We have roads, bridges, buildings, equipment and other assets that need to be maintained and eventually replaced. Underfunding those assets today can create much larger costs for taxpayers later. As a councillor, I would want every budget to clearly distinguish between essential services, important investments and things that could be delayed. I would also look for grants, partnerships, user fees where appropriate and opportunities to improve efficiency. My goal would be to keep taxes as affordable as possible while still being financially responsible about the infrastructure and services Grey Highlands needs.

I believe the number one issue facing Grey Highlands is managing growth and infrastructure in a financially sustainable way. Grey Highlands is a desirable place to live, and we should expect continued growth. Growth can bring economic opportunities, new residents, businesses and a stronger tax base. But if we don’t plan carefully, it can also put pressure on roads, bridges, water systems, recreation facilities, housing and other municipal services. At the same time, we already have significant infrastructure that needs to be maintained and replaced. The municipality’s 2026 capital program is approximately $21.8 million, with investments in roads, bridges, equipment and other infrastructure. That means we need to think carefully about what we build, where we build it and who pays for the infrastructure needed to support it. I would support directing appropriate growth toward existing settlement areas, protecting productive agricultural land and rural character, and making sure development pays its fair share of infrastructure costs. If we get growth right, we can build a stronger community without losing what makes Grey Highlands special.

I support the concept of a coordinated regional transit system because rural residents should have better options for getting to work, healthcare, education, shopping and other essential services.
For Grey Highlands, I think the system needs to recognize that rural transit cannot simply copy an urban bus model. We have dispersed communities and relatively small populations, so a combination of scheduled regional routes and on-demand service makes sense. The current four-county study is looking at a unified network across Bruce, Dufferin, Grey and Wellington, including inter-community routes and expanded on-demand service. The draft plan also recommends coordinated fares and governance across the region. I would want the system to be accessible, affordable, reliable and easy to understand, with connections to larger transit systems where possible. Funding should be shared fairly among participating municipalities and counties, based on an agreed formula that recognizes population, service levels and the benefits received. User fares should contribute to operating costs, but I would not expect fares to cover the full cost of a rural system. Provincial and federal funding should also be pursued wherever available. Most importantly, the system should have clear performance measures so taxpayers can see whether it is delivering value.

This is one of the biggest challenges facing Grey Highlands, and I don’t think there is a single solution. The first step is prioritization. We cannot do everything at once. Projects should be ranked according to safety, condition, risk, service needs and long-term value. Critical infrastructure should come before projects that are desirable but less urgent. Second, we need to use our asset-management planning properly. We should understand the condition and expected life of our assets so we can plan repairs and replacements before they become emergencies. Grey Highlands has already identified long-term asset sustainability as a major budget priority. Third, I would look aggressively for grants, provincial and federal funding, partnerships and other sources of revenue before asking local taxpayers to carry the full cost. We also need to continually review how services are delivered and whether there are opportunities to improve efficiency. Finally, I think residents deserve honesty. If an infrastructure project is necessary and there is no other way to fund it, Council needs to explain why and what it will cost. Keeping taxes affordable does not mean ignoring infrastructure. It means planning ahead, setting priorities and spending every tax dollar carefully.

I think Grey Highlands should be prepared for the possibility of data-centre development, but we should not pursue or approve major projects simply because they promise economic investment. AI and data centres can bring investment and economic activity, but they can also have significant implications for electricity demand, water, land use, noise, traffic, environmental impacts and municipal infrastructure. The municipality should establish clear planning criteria before a major proposal arrives. That could include requirements around water use, wastewater, energy demand, backup power, noise, environmental impacts, site suitability and compatibility with surrounding land uses. Council should also understand exactly what infrastructure a proposal would require and who would pay for it. New development should not leave existing taxpayers responsible for costs created by a private project. I would also want strong community consultation and independent technical advice. Council should not rely solely on information provided by a developer. There may be economic opportunities, but we need to understand the full costs and benefits. My approach would be neither an automatic “yes” nor an automatic “no.” I would want Grey Highlands to be ready with clear rules, good information and a transparent process so that if a proposal comes forward, Council can evaluate it on its merits and protect the long-term interests of the community.

Municipalities can play an important role in increasing housing supply, although they cannot solve the affordability crisis on their own. One of the most practical things Grey Highlands can do is make it easier to add housing within our existing settlement areas. That means reviewing zoning and planning policies to support accessory apartments, smaller homes and appropriately scaled triplexes and fourplexes where they fit the community. I would also support a range of housing options – not just detached homes, but rental apartments, seniors’ housing, smaller homes and housing suitable for young families and local workers. Directing more housing into Markdale, Flesherton and other settlement areas can make use of existing infrastructure and services while reducing pressure to expand into productive agricultural land and rural areas. Where possible, the municipality should work with the County, non-profit organizations and private developers to identify opportunities for affordable and attainable housing. I don’t believe the municipality should promise to build housing itself. Its role is to create conditions that allow more housing to be built, remove unnecessary barriers and make sure growth is properly planned.

I believe the immediate priority for the Rocklyn Arena should be determining exactly what it will take to make the facility safe, what that work will cost and whether the investment is financially responsible for Grey Highlands. The arena is an important community facility, and I understand why residents want it reopened. But we also have to be realistic about the condition of the building. The municipality’s latest update indicates that the issues extend beyond mould remediation and include ventilation deficiencies, moisture-related deterioration, damaged insulation and fireproofing materials, and asbestos-containing materials requiring specialized handling. Final reports and detailed costs are still being completed, and ice will not be available for the 2026-27 season. I would want Council to receive a complete assessment of the costs to remediate the building, the expected useful life after the work, ongoing operating costs and potential alternatives. I would also want staff to investigate grants, insurance, partnerships and other funding opportunities. If the facility can be safely restored at a cost that makes sense for taxpayers and provides good long-term value, I would support that. But if the cost is disproportionate to the benefit, Council needs to have an honest conversation with the community about alternatives. The goal should be a safe, sustainable community facility – not simply reopening the doors at any cost.

I’m running because Grey Highlands is my home, and I care deeply about what happens here next. As a small business owner and a single mom, I’ve experienced this community from the ground level, building a business, raising a family, navigating rising costs and watching our communities grow and change. I believe local government works best when residents feel heard, understand how decisions are being made and trust that the people representing them are willing to ask questions. I’m not running because I think I have all the answers. I’m running because I’m willing to listen, do the work and bring a practical, community-minded perspective to the table. I’ve built my business around the idea that small changes create a ripple. I believe the same thing about community. When we make thoughtful decisions together, those decisions can have an impact far beyond one council term.

Owning and operating a small business has taught me a great deal about making decisions when resources are limited. I’ve had to manage budgets, staffing, inventory, changing economic conditions, customer needs and long-term planning while understanding that every decision has consequences somewhere else. I’ve also learned the importance of listening. You can have a great idea, but if you don’t understand the people you’re serving, you can easily solve the wrong problem. Running a business also means constantly weighing what would be nice to do against what is actually sustainable. I think that discipline is valuable in municipal government. Beyond business, I’ve spent years involved in this community and talking with residents, other business owners and families. I would bring that lived experience to Council while recognizing that municipal governance has its own processes and responsibilities that I will continue to learn.

I ask questions. I don’t believe good decision-making means walking into a room already knowing what the answer should be. It means gathering the information, listening to the people affected, understanding the financial implications and being willing to change your position when the evidence warrants it. I’m also comfortable saying, “I don’t know yet.” In business, I’ve learned that reacting quickly isn’t always the same as making a good decision. Sometimes the right thing to do is slow down, understand the problem and look at the long-term consequences before committing resources. Grey Highlands is geographically large and made up of very different communities. A decision that works well in one area may have very different consequences somewhere else. I would try to bring that broader perspective to every decision while remaining focused on affordability, sustainability and the long-term interests of the municipality.

Municipalities cannot control grocery prices, interest rates or many of the larger pressures affecting household budgets, but they do control decisions that directly affect what it costs to live in a community. Property taxes, user fees, housing policy, transportation, recreation and infrastructure decisions all matter. The first responsibility is making sure municipal dollars are being used carefully. That means continually looking for efficiencies, pursuing grants and partnerships, sharing services where it makes sense and making sure growth contributes appropriately toward the infrastructure it requires. Housing is another important piece. We need a broader range of housing options so young people, families and seniors have realistic opportunities to remain in Grey Highlands. Transportation matters too. In a rural municipality, owning and operating a vehicle can be a significant household expense. Better regional transportation connections could help some residents access employment, healthcare and services more affordably. Council can’t solve the cost-of-living crisis, but it should be asking whether its decisions are adding unnecessary pressure to households.

I’m concerned about the cumulative pressure property taxes are putting on residents. At the same time, I don’t think it’s responsible to simply say taxes should be lower without acknowledging the cost of maintaining roads, bridges, emergency services, recreation facilities and other infrastructure across a municipality as geographically large as Grey Highlands. The question I would continually ask is: are residents receiving appropriate value for the money we’re collecting, and have we exhausted reasonable alternatives before asking them for more? That means examining spending carefully, prioritizing existing infrastructure, leveraging grants and partnerships, using reserves responsibly and ensuring new development pays an appropriate share of the costs it creates. Grey Highlands’ 2026 capital program alone is approximately $21.8 million, with significant investment required for roads, bridges and other core infrastructure. Those needs are real. The challenge is addressing them without treating tax increases as the automatic solution.

For me, the biggest issue is how we manage growth while protecting what makes Grey Highlands worth living in. We need housing. We need businesses, jobs and a strong tax base. We also need roads, water systems and infrastructure capable of supporting that growth. But growth has to be thoughtful. Our farmland isn’t simply vacant land waiting to be developed. It’s someone’s livelihood and part of our local economy. Our wetlands, forests, headwaters and groundwater aren’t obstacles to development; they’re part of the infrastructure that protects our communities and makes Grey Highlands what it is. I don’t believe the answer is stopping growth. I believe it’s directing growth to appropriate places, making sure infrastructure can support it and ensuring existing taxpayers aren’t left carrying an unfair share of the cost. If we get growth right, it can strengthen Grey Highlands. If we get it wrong, some of those decisions cannot be undone.

Regional transit has to reflect the reality that rural transportation is very different from urban transportation. I don’t think the answer is trying to recreate a city bus system across four large rural counties. It should be a combination of reliable inter-community routes and flexible options that connect smaller communities to those routes. The regional study is already exploring inter-community corridors, expanded on-demand service and connections with existing systems. I think that integrated approach makes sense. The goal should be practical: helping people reach employment, healthcare, education and essential services without requiring every trip to depend on a personal vehicle. Funding also needs to be regional and collaborative. Provincial and federal funding should be leveraged wherever possible, and sharing administration, vehicles, technology and other resources between participating counties could create efficiencies. I’d want to see ridership and costs continually evaluated so the service can evolve based on how residents actually use it rather than maintaining routes simply because they exist.

I would start by taking care of what we already own. There is often more excitement around building something new than maintaining something existing, but deferred maintenance eventually becomes a much larger bill for taxpayers. I would prioritize infrastructure based on condition, safety, usage and long-term financial impact. From there, we should aggressively pursue provincial and federal grants, partnerships and other funding opportunities and coordinate projects wherever possible so we’re not repeatedly paying to disturb the same infrastructure. Development charges are another important tool. Growth should contribute appropriately toward the infrastructure needed to support it rather than transferring those costs entirely to existing taxpayers. I’d also want Council continually asking whether there are opportunities to share services, collaborate with neighbouring municipalities or change how something is delivered without reducing the quality residents receive. We won’t eliminate difficult financial decisions, but good asset management and long-term planning can prevent many expensive surprises.

We should prepare before an application arrives, not after. AI data centres can bring investment and economic activity, but they can also create significant demands on electricity, water, infrastructure and land. Municipalities need to understand those implications before deciding where or whether a project is appropriate. Ontario is already developing a framework for evaluating data centre development, so Grey Highlands should follow that work closely and determine what additional local planning policies may be needed. For me, some of the first questions would be: How much electricity and water will the facility require? What infrastructure upgrades would be necessary? Who pays for those upgrades? What land is being proposed? How many permanent local jobs would actually be created? And what is the long-term benefit to the community? Economic development can be positive, but it should not come at the expense of our water, agricultural land, infrastructure capacity or existing taxpayers. Being prepared gives the municipality the ability to negotiate from a position of knowledge rather than reacting to a proposal after it arrives.

We need more than one type of housing. Not everyone needs or can afford a detached home on a large lot. We need options for young people entering the housing market, families, workers and seniors who want to downsize while remaining in their community. Municipalities can help by making sure planning rules allow an appropriate mix of housing, including smaller homes, apartments, additional residential units and other forms of attainable housing, particularly in areas where infrastructure and services already exist or can reasonably support growth. We should also look for unnecessary barriers or delays in the approvals process without compromising environmental protection or responsible planning. At the same time, simply approving more development isn’t enough. Housing growth has to be connected to water, wastewater, roads and community infrastructure, and we need to be careful about permanently losing productive farmland and environmentally important areas when better locations may exist. The goal should be more housing choices in the right places, not growth at any cost.

Rocklyn is particularly important to me because it demonstrates why municipal decisions cannot be reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet. Our arenas are gathering places. They’re where children learn to skate, families connect and communities come together. In a municipality as geographically large as Grey Highlands, accessibility to recreation also matters. Council initially authorized up to $90,000 for mould remediation and prioritized reopening the arena. We now know the problems extend beyond mould and include ventilation deficiencies, moisture deterioration, damaged materials and asbestos-containing materials. Final reports and detailed costing are still being completed, and the municipality has confirmed the arena will not have ice for the 2026-27 season. That new information matters. I don’t believe Council should commit to either a major renovation or demolition until the complete reports and costs are available. Once they are, I want to see the options clearly laid out: what can realistically be repaired, what each option costs over its useful life, what funding or community partnerships are available and what losing the facility would mean for Rocklyn and surrounding rural residents. My starting position is to protect and maintain community assets where doing so is financially and structurally responsible. Rocklyn deserves that full evaluation before we decide its future.

I believe that democracy doesn’t just happen on election day. The voice of residents matters every single day. If I’m elected, this is my promise: On every issue, I’ll take the time to listen and I’ll bring those voices directly into the council chamber. I think we deserve a town council that’s transparent, accountable and collaborative. If I’m elected, I’ll bring these values to the table every day.

I’m a proud community builder. I organise the annual Markdale Snow Pile contest, I’m the president of the Flesherton Aquatic Society (trying to bring back the Delphi Pool), I created the Hopeville Kite Festival and I’m currently leading the charge to preserve Memorial Grove at Grey Gables.

I’ve volunteered my time with the Markdale Ag Society, Rotary, Osprey RAM Rodeo, Markdale Recreation, Feversham Fall Fair and more.

I care passionately about our community and I want to ensure that we have smart growth, safe streets, more doctors and a strong local economy.

I have 30 years experience as a team leader, policy researcher and consensus builder. I know how the system works – and why it often doesn’t work. I’m ready to put these skills to work for you as a Council member!

When we build new subdivisions, we need to make sure that we’re building affordable units and purpose-built rentals. We also need to attract a second grocery store, to keep prices down. And I’d to see a large thrift warehouse in Grey Highlands. Haliburton has a massive one, and it serves three purposes: Diverts items from landfill, provides affordable shopping, and raises a tonne of money for local charities!

Finding the right tax rate is a tough job. If taxes are too high, it really hurts local residents – especially seniors on a fixed income. But if it’s too low, then we start to see erosion of our services and infrastructure. My approach would be bottom-up, with citizen engagement at every step of the process. Residents deserve better access to the numbers, so they can play a meaningful role in the process. I would also create a local Budget Advisory Committee comprised of local residents who have a background in finance.

Our number one issue is growth. We know that new development is coming, so the question is: What will that growth look like? Will it be cookie-cutter Big Box and Sprawl? Or can we find ways to build actual communities, villages and neighbourhoods? That means mixed-use, mixed-income, and mixed density. It means zoning that attracts small local businesses, rather than chainstores and Big Box.

There are many non-drivers in Grey Highlands including some seniors, those with a disability, those who can’t afford a car, or those who have had their license suspended.

Grey Highands has been left out of the current system. There are County-funded shuttle routes in Grey… but none of them go through Grey Highlands. That needs to change. I’d also like to look at local shuttles in Grey Highlands, that would help non-drivers get to Markdale for groceries, pharmacy or medical appointments. Another option is to look at a subsidized taxi service. Funding should be a mix of local, provincial and user fees.

For starters, I would make sure that we’re being really careful with each dollar, and not wasting funds on unnecessary projects. For example, the proposed $3 million upgrade for the Kimberly water treatment is absurd and unneeded. If we’re careful with the money, we’ll have enough for the things that matter.

I will oppose any applications for a data centre in Grey Highlands. Our farmland is precious, and the risks associated with data centres are too high. My answer is a big NO.

In addition to seeing mixed-income housing being built in our new subdivisions, and purpose-built rentals, I’d like to try to something new: I’d like to see us adopt innovative zoning rules that require commercial developers to include residential units above each unit. Before the 1950s, every business had rental units above. Stores, restaurants, cafes, offices, etc. That’s what makes our historic “Main Streets” so special. Small business PLUS apartments = a vibrant neighbourhood. So why can’t we do it now? Why can’t a new Tim Hortons have residential units above? Pet Value? Foodland? Why not? Let’s bring back that Main Street feel!

I support all four ice rinks in Grey Highlands. Each rink has a rich history and serves a unique community!

The short answer is that I believe that the council of Grey Highlands (GH) needs more experienced Business leaders on it that understands the concepts of VALUE & SOLUTIONS.

I have both the professional and life experience to provide the residents of Grey Highlands the value and cost effective solutions they expect and need.

In my post semi-retired career I started to provide municipalities across Canada Executive Recruitment services – from my Lake Eugenia home I’m talking to over 750 municipalities Mayors, council members, CAO’s, Treasurers and Directors about the challenges they are having functioning at maximum efficiency. I know what works and what doesn’t work.

Short answer – elect a Council that understands value – start with the idea that we will NEVER increase resident’s taxes beyond the rate of inflation. If the Council of GH doesn’t adhere to that what message are we sending?

When I bought my GH property my taxes were $2000 per year – they are now $8000 – we candidates are constantly getting contacted by desperate and frustrated residents to do something – time for a new mindset in Grey Highlands.

To provide VALUE & SOLUTIONS to the GH taxpayer.

Transit should be funded as regional infrastructure, not expected to pay for itself through fares. Factors such as routes, schedules and ratepayer fares should be considered.

GH Council and Senior Management team should start with the GOAL of a ZERO per cent increase for residents and engage in a line by line budget review that distinguishes the difference between NEEDS and WANTS. The process starts with a mindset change where egos, agendas and payback to special interest groups are put aside for the greater good of the GH taxpayer.

I would treat this as a 10-20 year economic-development and infrastructure-planning exercise, not as a decision about whether to approve a particular data centre. The opportunity is potentially significant, but so are the risks. Ontario’s IESO now forecasts electricity demand to grow substantially through 2050, with AI-oriented data centres a major driver; in its 2026 outlook, data centres are projected to account for 8.6% of Ontario electricity demand by 2050. IIESO+1 Ontario and Canada are also developing specific frameworks for data-centre development, including expectations around electricity costs, water use, environmental impacts and local benefits. PS – do you wanna know a secret Bayshore municipal reader? I used AI to craft my answer to you

Create a system where more kinds of housing can be built, on more sites, at lower transaction cost, with infrastructure available, while deliberately supporting housing that the private market will not produce on its own. GH needs to source out venders who special in building low budget homes.

WOW what a difficult question to end this segment – as a boy who grew up playing hockey in Arena’s just like Rocklyns I know first-hand how much intrinsic value residents place in their places of recreation – they are the GLUE of communities. I would try everything possible to save the arena before it is permanently destroyed. The first thing I would do is explore the Ontario Trillium grant programs that were specifically designed for situations just like this. In 2013 I chaired the application to secure an 88K grant for the Oakville Columbus Banquet Hall to replace the roof and kitchen.