I’ve heard from many of our residents a desire for a welcoming city. The safety of our streets, the accessibility of parks, and the security of our neighbours are all of shared importance to us all. Simultaneously, I understand that many Guelphites are struggling with affordability challenges. I believe that when we are budgeting, we need to best understand the priority needs of our citizens, then determine the best avenues to reach them. Cities are responsible for providing a wide range of services at a high standard, but do not have much power to raise money, aside from fees and taxes. 

As your councillor, I will advocate to the Province for a better deal for cities that would allow us to improve our schools, roads, and parks while keeping taxes in line with what people can afford. 

Guelph has grown rapidly over the last decade. Recently in Ward 1, we’ve seen the addition of several new apartment buildings along Watson Road, a commercial center approved for across from the Watson Library, and the imminent development by Fusion Homes towards the south of Victoria. Our corner of Guelph is going to grow rapidly in population over the coming years, and we need to make sure our existing community is prepared for it.

As your councillor, I will work to ensure that new additions to our community, like those mentioned, are planned and thought out thoroughly, preserving the important elements of what exists while preparing us for what’s to come. 

I used to take the bus to work every day, on which my commute to work usually took at least 45 minutes, though missing a transfer could extend that time further. Since I got a car, my commute has been reduced to about 20 minutes. The time and consistency difference between riding the bus and driving should not be this extreme in our city.  Many of our young people, elderly, and those unable to drive rely on our public transit to get them where they need to be.

As your councilor, I will push to increase frequency on key routes throughout the city. In Ward 1, I support increasing the frequency on routes 17 and 18 to every 15 minutes, to make getting around the city easier for those unable to operate a motorized vehicle.

The largest challenge for many related to affordability that the city has some control over is that of housing affordability. Building in Guelph is both highly speculative and costly. I’ve spoken with several developers over the past few years, especially those focused on affordable housing, and have been given examples of the unique challenges building in Guelph can pose. Because of this, it can be difficult to justify building anything that isn’t “luxury”, driving up market prices for homes. Analyzing current regulations Guelph has surrounding building housing, and thoughtfully updating some of them can ease development challenges and help Guelph to build. There are also grant programs from higher levels of government that the city can aim to take advantage of.

As your councillor, I support Guelph joining the federal government’s Development Charge Reduction Program, which would allow for federal subsidies to replace part of the up-front fees that builders would otherwise have to pay so that we can work to meet our housing targets into the future. 

Guelph is a community heavily reliant on ground water for our needs, and thus our supply is limited. Large scale data center projects are not sustainable in our community, and would threaten to irreparably damage our aquifers. Community consensus is clear. Guelph is not the place for these types of projects. 

As your councillor, I will strongly oppose any large scale data center projects in or around our city. The protection of our groundwater resources is critical for sustaining our current population, and if we don’t want to be handicapped on growth in the future.

This is a contentious issue for many in our city. Though not focused in ward 1 specifically, it does affect the whole of the city and the downtown we all share. I understand and share the concerns of our wider community on this issue. I interact often with our unhoused neighbours, and see the desperation many feel. They might have underlying issues, whether mental, physical, or addiction. Others simply could not keep up with the affordability challenges our city increasingly faces, and decided learning to live in a tent was preferable. As the unhoused population of Guelph grows, I have seen and participated in community efforts to support and provide for our neighbours. While I and others do what we can, it is not enough as it is. This is not a problem we can just sweep aside. It is one we must directly address, treating it and the people affected with respect. 

As your councillor, I will continue to work with existing aid networks, speaking both to them and to the people in need to learn and implement the changes needed in our city to ensure no one must suffer without a roof over their heads or food in their stomachs.

Designing our city in ways that incorporate greenery and promote the use of alternatives to fossil fuels have a wide range of benefits for the community. As our summers get warmer, reduced expansions of paved areas help to decrease heat in our urban areas by capturing less heat emitted by the sun. Having more exposed permeable land to capture rainwater also helps to replenish our aquifers, which our city relies on for most of our needs. Providing safe and accessible alternatives to motorized vehicles via protected walking and bicycle paths can save people costs on gas and insurance, while improving general fitness by providing opportunities for exercise. Ensuring the use of native plants for beautification will also save on costs and maintenance, while being healthier for our local ecosystems. We have great opportunities to benefit our city with these, and many other, green development initiatives.

As a councillor, I pledge to adhere to the Green Development Framework where applicable and help keep Guelph green!