Why are you running for councillor of ward 4 in Lakeshore?
I am running because I love working with people who wake up every day and see the best our community has to offer and who work tirelessly to make it even better.
What was true for me when I ran for the first time in 2018 is still true today. We need to have more diverse voices around the council table. When I was first elected, I was the youngest woman elected to local office in Ontario. I have since served while navigating the housing market as a first-time home buyer and experiencing the joys of becoming a mom. I have the experience that teaches me that informing decisions isn’t enough. We have to take responsibility for the communities we want to live in.
While I am incredibly grateful for the honour of serving two terms, I am running for a third term because I am enthusiastic about the work ahead, and confident in my ability to contribute. We have established master plans, initiated projects, and determined funding strategies for the infrastructure that will help us to grow. But, the next council is responsible for two key things: keeping that essential work on track and deciding how and for whom our communities will grow.
On a personal note, it would have been a challenge to step back knowing that the next term will focus so heavily on improving our planning practices and policies. In another life, I would have loved to be a planner. Instead, I have immersed myself in the evolving in the legislation and frameworks that exist today, so that I can better navigate them and influence change for a better tomorrow.
Ward 4 is home and deserves strong and capable leadership that is proud of where we are and excited about what’s to come. I want to invest my time at the Council table so that residents, businesses, and volunteers who invest their time, money, and effort are proud of what we can do together.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the ward, and how would you address it?
As a Council, we have made significant investments in water and wastewater infrastructure, with much of the work planned in the Eastern and Western parts of Lakeshore over the next term. These investments and future construction are essential and will support the long-term health of our municipality. However, they also mean that the infrastructure that will enable more growth in Ward 4 is further away and that traffic into town will be more of a challenge in the near future. We add to that, additional economic strain and ongoing tariff and free-trade negotiations, and the next term will require us to focus on the services, businesses, and spaces close to home. This means local business supports, and investments in our waterfront to keep folks comfortable coming into and staying in town. We can accomplish this through funding and refining the new Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for businesses so that Lakeshore can contribute to their investments in accessibility, façade upgrades, renovations, and more. We must work hand in hand with our Belle River BIA to support local events and business attraction, expansion, retention, and promotion. We can support our local community organizations and event organizers as cultural drivers. Finally, we need to invest in Lakeview Park and West Beach to unlock its potential for our residents and visitors.
I have proposed the implementation of a new Municipal Accommodation Tax that will come back to the next council for adoption. If approved, 70% of the funding is proposed will go to a new Regional Parks Reserve that will enable investments at Lakeview Park & West Beach and that Atlas Tube Recreation Centre. The other 30% will be directed to the economic development reserve, which could be directed to the CIP or community grants for parks activation and local events.
If elected, what are your top three priorities during your first term?
Ensuring that our staff have the resources and focus they need to meet targets set by the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund ($38.8M), Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund ($32.2M), and Housing Accelerator Fund ($7.4M). The millions of dollars we have received from upper levels of government directly relieve the burden placed on the tax levy, development charges, and water and waste water rates. Ensuring the timely completion of these projects helps us protect our ratepayers and invest wisely in our future.
Enhancing our parks and trails. Across Lakeshore, this means building more missing links and rehabilitating old sidewalks. For Ward 4, this means finishing the Ruscom River loop and path connecting Seasons Creek to Notre Dame. We also need to prepare grant-ready plans for park improvements.
Updating our Official Plan & Zoning By-Law. The first sets the stage for where and how we grow, the second gives us the details of what we allow. This is a great step in helping to reduce red tape in development by openly permitting more of what we would like to see built here in Lakeshore. In particular, I want this to be an exercise that engages more than our typical development community, but one where residents are deeply involved. With many provincial changes to how residents and council can speak to or appeal development, getting involved early is the best way to understand our potential and what is coming down the line.
How do you differ from your fellow candidates?
I’m a young woman, a mother, a recent first-time home buyer, a volunteer. I am an entrepreneur by experience and a community builder by profession. I am also the only candidate with eight years of experience at the table. I bring a unique combination of perspective and experience that means I understand the job and its impact on our communities.
I have a deep understanding of the direction Council has provided, where key projects are, and where and how we need to be moving forward. I know how to work within the municipal process, ask the right questions, and provide effective direction. I am also willing to challenge the system when there are better ways of working.
Professionally, my background in entrepreneurship and non-profit leadership give me another edge. As a workforce and community developer, my job involves bringing organizations together, managing complex initiatives, developing evidence-based recommendations, and turning ideas into practical outcomes. When funding and resources are tight, I know that innovation, collaboration, and getting creative are the solutions that lead to success. As a systems-thinker, I am constantly refining my understanding of “who does what” and “who needs to be connected” in spaces across economic development, education, community safety, immigration, workforce development, community services, and so much more.
Personally, I’m a mom to a young family, a millennial, and a recent first-time home buyer. I bring a unique (and often missing) perspective to Council. It’s hard to make decisions for the next generation without us at the table. That’s why I am focused on how Council sets the stage for how we all engage in community services and spaces, and how we can better enable strong businesses and development that meet the expectations of Lakeshore’s diverse community members.
I am the only ward councillor candidate in Lakeshore that received the Windsor and District Labour Council endorsement. Finalement, je suis une candidate bilingue et participante dans notre communauté francophone.
What’s one promise you’re making today that voters can hold you accountable for in four years?
In general, I am leery of politicians making promises. The big things do not get done without the support of a majority of Council. That said, I promise that I will continue to be a predictable councillor. I want you and our administration to know where I stand on key issues and what you can expect of me at the table and in the community. When we are consistent in the frames of questions we ask and the standards we set for administration, we all work better together. When residents can expect that I will do more than show up for a meeting or event, but will advocate clearly, collaborate with council, and pursue reasonable and timely answers and solutions, we build trust.
I will continue to use the tools of the job available to me. I will bring forward motions, push for budget inclusions, ask hard questions, and work behind the scenes with Team Lakeshore to move work forward. I’ll keep helping to organize and build community events and initiatives, celebrate our local businesses and organizations, support our municipal staff, and advocate for thoughtful development that creates opportunities for different kinds of people to live, work, and build a future here.
I believe I have been a strong voice for progress in Lakeshore. If renewed infrastructure, grant funding, people-focused development, a stronger fire department, vibrant parks, connected communities, business supports, and safer streets are the “more of the same” you’re looking for, I hope I can count on your support.
