GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE SUDBURY PORTION OF WARD 5
by Robert Kirwan - Councillor of Ward 5
It has been my privilege to serve as City
Councillor for Ward 5 since 2014.
At this time I would like to review the
initiatives and projects that I have been involved with during
the past eight years. As you will see, a great deal of
groundwork is now in place which will greatly enhance the
quality of life of all residents in community and has set the
stage for the next four years if I am successful in getting
re-elected on October 24, 2022.
I am not here to make any promises. After
you have served as a City Councillor for a few years you learn
that it is important to avoid raising false and misleading
expectations among your constituents. There are some things that
are impossible to achieve, and so it does no good to promise the
moon and then fail to deliver. Our expectations as a City
Council are more realistic and we make sure to include the right
strategies which will make it possible for us to achieve our
objectives. A good Councillor does not make outrageous promises.
So, instead of making promises, I want to
highlight what I have done over the past eight years to earn
your confidence and support. You have seen me establish that
whether I am debating big decisions at City Council, or helping
you get fair and just treatment regarding your own individual
issues with city hall, I am a person who doesn’t back down from
a challenge and I will never settle for anything that is not in
the best interests of residents of Ward 5 and for the City of
Greater Sudbury as a whole. I think I have consistently
demonstrated my ability to stand up to special interest groups
and political activists who have their own agenda that is
contrary to what is good for this city and for Ward 5.
I have always said that I would be
available any time of the day and any day of the week for my
constituents. When you have a concern I am only an email or a
phone call away. You can always count on me to be a strong and
effective advocate no matter what your issue. My role is not to
judge, but rather to help you understand your rights and make
sure that you receive the treatment you deserve.
AN EXCITING FUTURE AHEAD OF US
The City of Greater Sudbury is on the verge
of some major changes as we prepare for the next four years. I
am excited about our prospects, but change is not going to come
easy. We are going to have to focus our energy and resources in
some areas that will set the foundation for a future that will
acknowledge the health and social needs of an aging population
while addressing the employment and housing needs of our low
income families. I am asking for your support so that I can
continue to implement some of the initiatives that we have
started during the past four years.
ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE WARDS
Ward 5 is one of the most diverse sections
of the entire City of Greater Sudbury. It has been an honour to
be able to represent constituents from the northwest portion of
Sudbury as well as from the Valley because it gives me the
opportunity to examine the major issues and concerns facing this
city from all perspectives. I feel that the past eight years
have given me significant insight into the major concerns and
needs of all of the residents living in the Sudbury portion of
Ward 5 and I would like to continue to serve you during the next
term of Council, which we all know is going to be an extremely
challenging period for this city.
PAST EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE
During the past eight years on Council I
found that my previous career and political experiences have
served me well in advocating for literally hundreds of
constituents who have contacted me for personal assistance on a
wide range of issues. Whether it is making an application for
rezoning, problems with drainage, helping people with organizing
a petition or taking part in a store opening, when anyone
contacts me for help, I make every effort to be there for them
on the same day. My primary role is to make sure that each
constituent has someone to call or speak with if they have any
municipal issues. The fact that I am available on a full time
basis to serve my ward allows me to get back to constituents in
a timely manner and to meet them when it is convenient to their
schedules. This is an important part of the job of Councillor.
SUDBURY PORTION OF WARD 5
The Sudbury portion of the Ward 5 extends
from the Terry Fox fields to Ryan Heights, up along Notre Dame
to the corner of Lasalle & Notre Dame and then east along
Lasalle to Rideau and everything on both sides of Lasalle. The
Valley East portion of the Ward includes everything south of
Dominion Drive up to the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre
which takes in Val Caron, Blezard Valley, Guilletville, and
McCrea Heights.
I have had significant influence in
navigating a major transition period in our city and I would
like to spend the next four years finishing what we started. My
wife and I have lived our entire lives in the City of Greater
Sudbury and have lived in Valley East since 1974. I can honestly
say that I have never been as excited about the potential for
growth and development in our community as I am now.
MY RECORD AS
COUNCILLOR OF WARD 5
I have tried my best to be an effective
voice for the Sudbury portion of Ward 5 while debating the
issues and policies at Council meetings. My record speaks for
itself. I have discovered that each neighbourhood in this part
of the ward is faced with different challenges and a wide
variety of unique needs. With each successive year, my
experience base becomes broader and I am able to navigate the
complex world of municipal services more efficiently and
effectively.
I trust I have met your expectations as a
Councillor and would be honoured to continue in this role for
the next four years. I feel confident that I can do an even
better job on your behalf as a result of the experience I have
gained during these past eight years.
KINGSWAY ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
The Kingsway Entertainment District and the
Downtown Arts and Culture District: I am proud of the role that
I played in putting in motion the transformational projects that
will solidify the future of the City of Greater Sudbury. As you
know, I was one of the strongest supporters of the Kingsway
Entertainment District, but the real reason for putting my
support behind the development of the new arena, the new Gateway
Casino and the Genesis Hospitality hotel on the Kingsway was so
that we would be able to approve the downtown developments that
will include a new library, a new art gallery, a new convention
and performance centre, Place des Arts, a new hotel, the Elgin
Greenway, and a new Tom Davies Square Courtyard. I would like to
be re-elected to serve as Councillor of Ward 5 so that I can
help move all of those projects forward. Even though Place des
Arts is open and the Kingsway Entertainment District is close to
receiving the final budget and approval, there are still many
challenges and decisions yet to be made with the rest of the big
projects and I know that I have the ability to be influential in
the successful completion of our plans.
TRANSIT ACTION PLAN
The Transit Action Plan: I spent a great
deal of time working with the Transit Department in the
development of a new Transit Action plan that has laid the
groundwork for the future. The Transit Action Plan continues to
improve our routes and times. The Affordable Transit Fare
Structure will make it less expensive to use public transit. I
would also like to continue to work with the Transit Safety Task
Force to make sure that everyone who uses public transit or who
works for public transit is safe and comfortable in all
environments. I know that a lot of my Sudbury constituents rely
upon public transit so this is a priority for me moving forward
into the future.
KEEPING TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE
Keeping tax increases as low as possible:
We have been doing everything we can to keep municipal tax
increases to a minimum. With so many services being provided to
the different sectors of the community, we have obligations to
maintain the level of service, but the cost of doing so is
rising much faster than inflation. I want to continue to be the
Voice of Ward 5 residents because for the past eight years I
have gained knowledge and insight into the budget process that
will help me ensure that taxes are minimized in the coming term.
It is going to be very challenging to deal with our aging
infrastructure as well as the needs of our older adults and low
income residents who are in need of affordable housing, but I
believe I can be influential in helping guide Council in making
wise investments that will stimulate growth of our economy. The
best way to keep taxes low is to make sure that we are
attracting new commercial and residential development. That is
my goal for the next four years.
COMPLETION OF MALEY DRIVE PROJECT
I played a significant role in the final
decision to go ahead with the Maley Drive Project. This new road
has greatly reduced the amount of traffic on Lasalle Blvd. and
has virtually taken all of the large industrial trucks off that
road. This has benefited residents of Ward 5 living along
Lasalle, but it has also provided a more direct route to the
east end of the City and to Barrydowne Road for residents of the
Valley. The Maley Drive extension also moves the Barrydowne
Extension a bit closer to a possibility. That may be the next
major roadway worked on next.
ADDRESSING AGING WATER/WASTEWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE
Aging Infrastructure: We are governed by
provincial legislation when it comes to providing quality Water
/ Wastewater services to our residents. We cannot use money from
the general tax levy to cover any of our expenses, and so the
only revenue we can generate is through water bills. Because of
our aging infrastructure, we are going to be forced to implement
higher water rate increases than we would like to, but it is
going to be necessary to cover the costs of the service. I have
worked as Chair of the Operations Committee for the first four
years and continued to serve on this committee during the past
four years. I would like to continue in this role for the next
four years in order to make sure that we are making the right
choices when it comes to water / wastewater services and rates.
The infrastructure in many parts of Ward 5 is very old and we
are starting to experience more and more water main breaks. I
want to make sure we can deal with these emergencies.
DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CAPITAL PRIORITY
POLICY
I have enjoyed working with City Council
and staff in developing and implementing a new strategy for
determining capital priorities which will be a shift from the
pay-as-you-go philosophy which has been used in the past to a
debt-financing approach to capital projects where borrowing
makes sense. This will allow us to be able to take full
advantage of leveraging outside funding opportunities when they
come up and will encourage us to put our decisions into action
effectively and efficiently. This policy is working well and
needs to be refined over the next four years as we focus on some
of our major infrastructure deficit needs. But at least we are
in a place now where we can take advantage of opportunities to
secure debt financing when it is beneficial and cost-effective.
ENCOURAGING UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS
We have adopted a new plan for encouraging
and approving unsolicited proposals from the private and
not-for-profit sectors. This will provide parties to approach
the city, in confidence, with proposals for collaborative
partnerships on a wide variety of projects and initiatives. If
City Council feels that the proposal is beneficial to the
citizens of the city, then we can enter into agreements and
proceed as partners. This will demonstrate that we are open for
business in the coming years.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY
We have a new Affordable Housing Strategy
which has included the city taking over the management and
operations of the 1848 units that belong to the Greater Sudbury
Housing Corporation. We will be looking at how we can
incorporate the Affordable Housing Strategy along with the GSHC
units to raise the standards for all 4500 social housing units
throughout the city. A lot of work has been done during the past
8 years, and we will be making housing a much higher priority in
the coming four years. We need to increase our inventory of
affordable housing units and renovate some of our aging stock.
POPULATION HEALTH STRATEGY
A Population Health Strategy will change
the way we look at our neighbourhoods. We will be looking to
proactively address the social determinants of health from an
upstream approach designed to give residents more opportunity to
experience a positive quality of life that was once elusive to
many of our deprived neighbourhoods. Much has been done in this
regard during the past several year, and as we move into the
post-pandemic period, we will be addressing the social
determinants of health that have been barriers for so many
people as they strive for a better quality of life. We have some
very effective plans in place and will be prioritizing this in
the coming years.
COMMUNITY HUB STRATEGY
We now have a Community Hub Strategy which
recognizes the need to provide services in a cluster, or hub,
environment in order to better utilize surplus schools and other
public buildings. These community hubs may lead to the growth of
affordable housing complexes in some of our most spacious
property in the outlying areas. I have been recognized on
Council as being a champion for community hubs and I am sure
that our experiences during the pandemic have made everyone
realize that we need well positioned community hubs throughout
our entire city. I am hoping to make great strides in this area
during the next four years.
AGE FRIENDLY STRATEGY
We have approved a new Age Friendly
Strategy which will inform all decisions that are made by City
Council moving forward. We will examine how all of our decisions
are recognizing the needs of older adults by looking at
everything through an Age Friendly lens. The Age Friendly
Strategy Committee works under the Seniors’ Advisory Panel. I
have been a member of the Age Friendly Strategy Committee and
can assure everyone that we will continue to review and evaluate
ways that we can make the city much more age friendly in the
coming years.
GETTING RID OF RED TAPE IN THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
We have been continuously looking for ways
to streamline our development approvals process. Developers can
now take part in a new SPART (Sudbury Planning Application
Review Team) meeting procedure whereby they meet with all of the
city departments in advance of submitting an application in
order to make the planning and approval process more of a
collaborative exercise. This is a remarkable change in approach
that has been well received by developers and staff alike.
SHIFTING FROM RISK AVOIDANCE TO RISK
MANAGEMENT
Perhaps the most important change that I
have been proud to be part of is that we are seeing the
management and staff at Tom Davies Square as well as City
Council, shifting from a culture that was best described as
“risk avoidance” to one that is moving towards a “risk
management style”. Instead of examining proposals and projects
to see “why they won’t work”, we are now looking at proposals
and projects to find out “what we can do to make it work”. This
is the one change that underlies all other changes during the
past four years. We are looking for ways of making good ideas
work and we are operating at the “speed of business”. This will
allow us to take advantage of some tremendous opportunities in
the coming years.
PLAYGROUND REVITALIZATION
Playground Revitalization: I am proud of my
involvement in helping create the playground revitalization
strategy. We were able to revitalize the Ryan Heights,
Pinecrest, MacMillan and Hidden Valley playgrounds and we are
continuing to add smaller improvements to some of the others.
Playgrounds and their parks are becoming so important as we
ensure that there is suitable opportunity for children and their
families to enjoy wholesome recreation within walking distance
of their homes. Older adults are also using the parks with their
grandchildren and even just to enjoy a bit of fresh air and
socialization. I am going to work even more closely with the
neighbourhood associations to help them upgrade and improve
their parks and playgrounds in addition to the revitalization
program. This is going to be a high priority for me in the next
term.
LED LIGHTING PROJECT
Our LED lighting project has allowed us to
replace all of our street lights, greatly benefiting residents
of Ward 5. The enhanced lighting makes the area much safer for
everyone.
COMMITTEE AND
BOARD INVOLVEMENT
I have been involved in a number of
committees and boards during my eight years.
Planning Committee; Chair (2 years);
Vice-Chair (2 years)
Population Health Safety & Well-Being
Panel; Co-Chair (4 years)
Seniors’ Advisory Panel; Co-Chair (8 years)
Greater Sudbury Housing Corporation;
Vice-Chair (4 years)
Committee of Management for Pioneer Manor;
Chair (4 years)
Public Health Sudbury & Districts; Board
member (8 years)
Operations Committee; Chair (4 years);
Member (8 years)
Audit Committee; Member (8 years)
Community Development Committee; Member (8
years)
Emergency Services Committee; Member (2
years)
Hearing Committee; Member (4 years)
Transit Safety Task Force; Member (8 years)
I would now like to
highlight some of them:
CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE
I have been Chair of the Planning Committee
for the final two years of this term, and I am looking forward
to continuing in this role for the next four years. This is a
committee that can have a significant impact on new development
across the city and it has been so satisfying working with the
private sector to help them achieve their goals, whether for new
subdivision development or new commercial interests. We are
working on some exciting changes that will help us expand some
of our industrial park land in order to allow new development in
more appropriate locations in the city. In addition, we are
making some changes to the Zoning By-Law and the Official Plan
that will make it easier for developers to get the necessary
approvals for new development that is much needed for the
future.
CO-CHAIR OF THE POPULATION HEALTH COMMUNITY
SAFETY & WELL-BEING PANEL
The PHCSWB Panel is a group of very
influential leaders from many sectors of the City of Greater
Sudbury. Our goal is to develop a collaborative approach to
removing the barriers to ensuring the safety and well-being of
all residents of our city. This group began meeting in 2022 and
will address some of the major issues that our residents are
dealing with in areas such as mental health and addictions and
housing. We have just begun examining a comprehensive COVID
recovery plan that addresses mental health and resilience as one
of our top, underlying priorities. We meet monthly in order to
maintain the momentum that is needed to move forward with our
priorities and collaborate with other organizations, including
the GSPS, PHSD, and HSN.
CHAIR - OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
As Chair of the Operations Committee during
my first four years, and as a committee member for the past four
years, we established a number of new policies and protocols to
deal with our aging infrastructure. I would like to continue in
this role for the next four years to help implement a number of
changes we are putting in place to improve winter maintenance of
our roads and sidewalks, a strategic approach to road
maintenance and repair of our main arterial road network, some
safety enhancements we are making to our intersections and high
risk roads, and programs that will make our streets more
pedestrian and biker friendly. We are embarking on safety
initiatives such as photo radar and red light camera
installations at intersections that demonstrate the greatest
risk of accidents.
CHAIR - COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF PIONEER
MANOR
As Chair of the Committee of Management of
Pioneer Manor for the first four years we did a great deal to
move a number of projects and initiatives forward. For the past
four years we have included Pioneer Manor under the Community
Development Committee, and I am also a member of that committee
so I am able to continue to be involved with Pioneer Manor. I
would like the opportunity to work on the completion of our bed
redevelopment program so that we can repurpose the six wings
that include 94 rooms that will be available to meet the needs
of the community. We are considering a number of possibilities
including using some of the rooms for alternative level of care
patients from the hospital; using the rooms as temporary
residential settings for clients who are homeless or in need of
transitional shelter; using one or two wings as a student
residence for students who are training to become a health care
worker of some sort and who would be able to earn their
practicum credits at Pioneer Manor. We have come so far in the
past several years and I would like the chance to help bring
some of the projects forward. We are also at the point where the
Province is placing a lot of emphasis on enhancing the quality
of life of our long term care residents, and it is going to be
an exciting time during the next several years. I am prepared to
use the experience I have gained during the past eight years to
continue to advance the improvements in our long term care
homes.
CO-CHAIR - SENIORS ADVISORY PANEL
As Co-Chair of the Seniors Advisory Panel
for the past eight years we have done so much to bring awareness
to the community of the needs of our older adults. I would like
to be able to continue to help implement the many Age Friendly
Strategy initiatives that we have put in place. Our older adults
need home care and they need alternative housing options. I
would like to make sure that their needs are met during the next
term of Council. I was extremely proud to be the facilitator and
organizer of the Seniors’ Summit 2019 which produced the
framework for a Seniors’ Strategy that I hope to work on during
the next four years. We are going to be using our influence to
recommend the development of more housing options for seniors,
including shared housing initiatives. We are also going to be
promoting the expansion of home care to address the health and
wellness, as well as the general day to day maintenance
requirements that older adults need in order to age in place.
VICE-CHAIR - GSHC
As Vice-Chair of the Greater Sudbury
Housing Corporation for my first four years I helped improve the
quality of life for many of our rent-geared-to-income residents.
For the past four years the responsibility for the GSHC has been
taken over by City Council, which means that the entire Council
is the Board of Directors and will be responsible for overseeing
future development and operation of the 1848 units owned by the
GSHC. I want to continue to work with Social Housing to make
sure that we implement affordable housing strategies across the
city in order to provide low income residents with a better
quality of life. We also need to address the social determinants
of health that will improve their health and wellness. We have
made a lot of progress on a revitalization plan for our housing
portfolio. I want to help implement the changes. In addition, we
need to address the safety concerns that have surfaced in recent
years. Too many of our residents are being inconvenienced by
tenants who are not abiding by the general rules and are causing
distress among other tenants. We need to deal with this in the
coming years and I know that my previous experience will be
helpful in focusing on the policies that must be implemented.
OTHER MAJOR INITIATIVES
IMPACTING RESIDENTS OF WARD 5
There are a number of major initiatives
that I have been directly involved in over the past eight years
that have helped to improve the general quality of life for
residents in this part of the city.
SITE SPECIFIC INITIATIVES IN SUDBURY
PORTION OF WAR 5
There have also been a number of site
specific initiatives that I have been actively involved in
during the past eight years. Some of these activities have been
one time endeavours, while others have resulted in long term,
ongoing benefits to the residents:
LASALLE BOULEVARD CORRIDOR PLAN AND
STRATEGY
I have been actively supporting staff in
developing the Lasalle Boulevard Corridor Plan and Strategy
which will end up creating a new land use framework for Lasalle
Blvd. This will result in integrating high-quality
intensification that will support public transit and encourage
improvements in the area of active transportation. The
improvements will benefit the residents of Ward 5 as Lasalle
becomes more conducive to active transportation and generally
looks and feels much better.
NOTRE DAME AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS
Notre Dame Avenue has seen some tremendous
improvements to the road conditions and now with the new bike
lanes and sidewalk replacements, residents will more easily be
able to walk or bike downtown or along Lasalle. This is part of
the Lasalle – Regent Street route. We have also worked hard to
put the road in better condition in the last several years.
JUNCTION CREEK FLOOD MITIGATION CONTROL
IMPROVEMENTS
I have been a strong supporter of the $9
million Junction Creek flood mitigation control and improvements
project which will extend the life of the Maley dam and support
important repairs to the Junction Creek culvert, the
reconstruction and improvement of a segment of Junction Creek
and a new storm water management facility. This project will
protect the residents of Nickeldale subdivision as well as the
businesses along Notre Dame Avenue from future flooding
disasters.
TERRY FOX FIELD ARTIFICIAL TURF
I was directly involved with another member
of the community in securing the artificial turf from Rogers
Field in Toronto that was used in the establishment of the
artificial turfed infield at Field #1 at Terry Fox Field. This
has allowed minor baseball associations to extend their playing
seasons and has been home to the Laurentian Voyageurs Baseball
Club.
RYAN HEIGHTS PLAYGROUND REVITALIZATION
I was instrumental in revitalizing the Ryan
Heights Playground and in clearing out the underbrush that has
greatly enhanced the Ryan Heights Park. During the pandemic this
underbrush has grown back, but I am going to continue to
advocate for this to be cleared again and be maintained every
summer.
FLOUR MILL COMMUNITY FARM
The Flour Mill Community Farm, which has
operated at the Ryan Heights Park for the past six years, was
something that I worked with the Social Planning Council of
Sudbury to establish over six years ago. We are working on some
ambitious plans for the next several years.
PRISM CO-OP
I have been working for several years with
the Prism Co-op residents to help them with special events
designed to build the community spirit of the Cambrian Heights
Area. They have always had my support.
CAMBRIAN HEIGHTS ENHANCEMENTS
I have met with several other
representatives from various social housing organizations to
discuss their needs and concerns. We need to continue to work
together and collaboratively in order to promote the quality of
life improvements to the Cambrian Heights Area over the next
several years. This includes road and sidewalk improvements
since Cambrian Drive and Bruce Avenue are two of the worse local
streets in the entire City.
NICKELDALE SUBDIVISION
I have worked with residents of the
Nickeldale Subdivision on numerous individual concerns with
respect to their residential drainage and road maintenance
issues. We have also been working to ensure that city staff
takes a proactive approach to maintenance of ditches, especially
along the southern houses which border on the Ponderosa flood
plain.
MCLEAN PARK PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS
I have been an advocate for funding
improvements to the McLean Park Playground and park. We will
work with the neighbourhood association to install a number of
new equipment pieces specifically for older adults in order to
make this a true community hub for the residents. The pandemic
has put a lot of these improvements on hold, but the next four
years will be a time to move many of the initiatives forward.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ALONG NOTRE DAME
I have worked with several businesses along
Notre Dame Ave., helping them with expansion and development
plans in order to ensure that they have been able to comply with
all policies and conditions established by the city.
ST VINCENT DE PAUL – LAVOIE STREET
I have worked with the St. Vincent de Paul
Association on Lavoie Street on a couple of their initiatives
and community events. They have my full support for what they
are doing for the less fortunate in our community and we have
had to deal with a couple of issues over the years.
RETAINING WALL ISSUES
I have assisted residents on Drummond Ave.
and Rideau Street with retaining wall issues over the years.
Staff are aware of the problems that are now presenting
themselves with retaining walls that were built without permits
decades ago and we will have to deal with these challenges in
the coming years. I expect that more of these issues will arise
during the next several years as some of the aging retaining
walls continue to deteriorate.
LASALLE CEMETERY REVITALIZATION
I am working with staff to do what we can
to revitalize the Lasalle Cemetery and ensure that the
conditions reflect the dignity that our ancestors deserve. The
budget is low, but I am going to continue to work with the staff
to try to improve conditions. This is a high priority over the
next term of Council. We need to upgrade the image for the home
of approximately 30,000 former residents of our city.
PIONEER MANOR BED REDEVELOPMENT
The completion of the redevelopment of 149
beds at Pioneer Manor remains a very high priority. We expect
this to be completed by the end of 2024 or early in 2025 and
once the rooms are vacated, I am going to do what I can to have
those vacant spaces filled with services that will be available
to the entire community.
SPECIAL WARD 5 NEWSLETTERS MAILED TO
RESIDENTS
I try to maintain communication with the
residents of Ward 5 with newsletters that are sent out by mail.
Because of the pandemic, I was able to direct funds to produce 4
newsletters in 2021 and two in 2022. For many residents of the
Sudbury portion of Ward 5 who may not be on the internet much,
this is one of the only ways they get to find out about what is
going on in the municipality.
OGRADY STREET DRAINAGE ISSUES
I have worked with several residents on
O’Grady Street with respect to the water and snow run off during
the spring melt. Staff have tried to address the drainage issues
to the satisfaction of the concerned residents and we will be
monitoring the situation every spring. We may need to so some
major restorative work in the near future.
PARKING ISSUES IN NICKELDALE SUBDIVISION
There have been some issues with parking on
the street along Gordon Avenue and Somers/Main Streets in the
Nickeldale subdivision. We have been working with by-law to
resolve those matters.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT ON LORRAINE
STREET
I will continue to oppose the proposed
transitional housing project on Lorraine Street. It is
definitely not the right location for something like this. Once
the 40 unit apartment is completed, I will be asking the new
City Council to designate the building for older adults.
RYAN HEIGHTS NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION
I am going to continue to work with the
Ryan Heights Neighbourhood Association to initiate activities
that will enhance the quality of life of local residents. There
are funding sources that we can tap into and there is also the
possibility of new grants and fundraising in the community. We
want this to be a true community hub for the area.
INCREASED SECURITY AT 720 BRUCE AND RYAN
HEIGHTS
During the next several years I am going to
be more aggressive in demanding increases security and police
protection in the area around Ryan Heights and 720 Bruce Avenue.
There have been far too many people who have been causing
problems for residents in this area. We need to make this a
safer place to live for everyone.
AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE...
I have spent a lot of time during the past
eight years putting the groundwork in place that can see a
number of other enhancements in our community.
There is so much more that I would like to
share with you about what I plan to accomplish over the next
four years. I hope that I have shown you and all of my
constituents that whether I am debating big decisions at City
Council, or helping you get fair and just treatment regarding
your own individual issues with city hall, I am a person who
doesn’t back down from a challenge and I will never settle for
anything that is not in the best interests for residents of Ward
5 and for the City of Greater Sudbury. I think I have
demonstrated my ability to stand up to special interest groups
and political activists who have their own agenda that is
contrary to what is good for this city and for Ward 5.
I have done this for the past eight years
and with your support I will continue to fight on your behalf
for the next four years. I have always said that I would be
available any time of the day and any day of the week for my
constituents. When you have a concern I am only an email or a
phone call away. You can always count on me to be a strong and
effective advocate. My role is not to judge, but rather to help
you understand your rights and make sure that you receive the
treatment you deserve.
I am truly looking forward to serving you
for the next four years as Councillor of Ward 5. Thank you for
all the support you have given me during the past eight years.
When it comes to education for your children,
Valley East may very
well be the most
perfectly situated residential area in the whole of
Greater Sudbury. No other community offers you access to
such a variety of choices when it comes to the education of
your children. Besides that, there is bus transportation to a
number of schools in other locations in Sudbury for qualifying
students. This is everything a parent could ask for when it
comes to the future of your children. Quality of life and a
solid education! There are no less than 15 different
elementary and secondary schools in the Town of Valley East
operated by the four school boards.
