government

   It would be rather silly for anyone to begin a trip without knowing where he or she is going. For example, if you want to go on a vacation, you don’t just one morning pack up your car, back out of your driveway and then begin driving. You first of all decide on your destination and then make some decisions on the things you will have to do to successfully get to your destination point and then what you will do once you are there. Otherwise you may be driving in the wrong direction without knowing it and waste a lot of time and money.

   In order for me to properly represent the residents of this great town, it has been important for me to know where you, the constituents want to go. If I am elected as your Councillor, I will consider myself as the “driver” for my constituents. My job is to deliver you to your destination, otherwise known as YOUR DESIRED FUTURE FOR WARD 6 as quickly possible for the least amount of money, otherwise known as YOUR MUNICIPAL TAXES AND USER FEES.

   That is why we find ourselves in such a mess today as part of the City of Greater Sudbury . Our “drivers” which consist of the City Councillors and the Mayors who have been in the “driver’s seat”, have not been clear about their destination. They have been driving us all over the place for the past six years and we are going nowhere because they do not know where they are heading. They do not have a VISION because they are not “IN TOUCH” with their “passengers”, you the citizens of the City of Greater Sudbury , and in particular, Ward 6, Hanmer & Val Therese!

   As is the case with any good “driver”, in preparing myself for the role of Councillor, I have been in touch with my “passengers” in order to visualize the kind of community in which local residents of Ward 6 want to live. That “VISION OF THE FUTURE”, which has been provided to me by the people living in Ward 6, will be my “road map” for the next four years. That “Vision of the Future” will help me in the development of effective strategic planning and positioning as I help residents of Ward 6 arrive at the future they desire.

   At this time, as we come closer and closer to beginning our “trip” on Election Day, November 13, 2006, I want to describe the “Vision of the Future” that I have put together during my experiences and activities with many of you over the past 32 years while I have lived with my family in Val Therese and worked in Hanmer. This is a vision that so many of you have shared with me over the past number of years. It is a vision that I can feel good about and one that I also feel is well within our grasp. I am not reaching for the stars. This is a “Future” that we can all look forward to and it is why I am asking you put me in the “driver’s seat” on City Council so that I can occupy a position of influence for the next four years, thereby bringing us all closer to our destination.

WARD 6 – HANMER & VAL THERESE
OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE

Please note that the following points have not been listed in any particular order. As your representative, I feel that the simultaneous implementation of each and every one of the following is my TOP PRIORITY. I will be working on the achievement of ALL OF THE GOALS at all times as we are on the ROAD TO A GREAT FUTURE.
1.             People of all ages will be able to walk to their neighbourhood Playground/Park which will be supervised 12 hours a day by paid city staff who will be responsible for maintaining the equipment and property as well as for ensuring the enjoyment of children and older adults alike. These will become neighbourhood community centres stimulating the kind of old-style community feeling that people felt 10-20-30 years ago. Each area of the Ward will be able to develop a sense of community, anchored by their neighbourhood playground/community centre. If each of the areas of the Ward is a strong, vibrant neighbourhood, then the entire Ward 6 will be strong and vibrant.

2.             Public transit routes will extend into all subdivisions at least every hour, bringing residents to main stops along the major highway network and providing easy access to shopping and medical centres.

3.             There will be affordable, well-maintained senior apartment complexes in the Ward which will allow older adults to sell their homes and live in dignity within their community, close to their family and friends.

4.             Older adults in the community will enjoy activities at places such as the Golden Age Centre, the Knights of Columbus, the Lion's Den, and the Citizen Service Centre. All of the places providing such service to older adults will receive funding from the City of Greater Sudbury so that they can concentrate on providing meaningful programs to their membership instead of always having to rely on fund-raising to balance their budgets.

5.             Children and adults will be playing soccer and baseball on well-lit, well-maintained fields which will also have club houses supervised by city staff. The grass will be cut to an appropriate level; the edges will be trimmed; the fences will be painted; the bleachers will be repaired and painted; the fencing will be repaired and the parking lot will be clean and free of large potholes.

6.             There will be a fair and equitable sharing of ice-time at Valley East arenas for all local organizations. Hockey, ringette and skating organizations from Valley East will receive all of the ice time they need at times that are convenient for their members. The cost of this ice time will be affordable.

7.             We will see a much greater police presence in Ward 6, thus providing local residents with a sense of security. Police officers will be seen in the community and will have time to be "present" with residents.

8.             Everyone living in Ward 6 will have access to a family doctor. We will continue to provide incentives to have family doctors locate in Valley East so that our residents are close to medical attention when needed.

9.             All of our roads will be repaired and free from potholes. If necessary, we will find ways of resurfacing more existing roads for short-term instead of few roads for long term.

10.           Snow will be removed from all of our streets before accumulations of 10 cm (4 inches). Enough plows will be engaged early enough so that there is never any more than 10 cm of snow on any of the streets at any time. No longer will residents feel trapped in their homes or driveways during winter storms.

11.           Walking trails and bike paths will connect all subdivisions in the Ward. These will be well maintained and manicured. They will also be supervised and patrolled by staff to ensure a clean, safe and healthy recreation outlet for all ages.

12.           We will no longer be paying extra taxes in the form of a surcharge for fire protection. Our protection will continue to be the best in the district and we will be paying the same as the rest of the City of Greater Sudbury .

13.           A four-lane highway from Barrydowne Road to Hanmer will become a reality with construction set to begin within the next five to eight years.

14.           There will be sufficient licensed day care spaces for all people who wish to utilize these services, especially for those who must rely upon subsidies from the government. The future growth of the Valley East area will be greatly affected by the availability of day care spaces. When young families are considering where to live, they always give consideration to places where day care spaces are abundant and affordable.

15.           There will be an X-Ray Clinic in Valley East . People will no longer have to travel to Sudbury to have x-rays taken.

16.           The Industrial Park will contain new commercial establishments, thus creating meaningful jobs for our residents. We have a lot of space in the Valley East Industrial Park , so we will promote these spaces to interested companies in order to establish the Industrial Park a "jewel" of the Greater Sudbury Area. As new businesses get established, residential development will also be stimulated and the whole economy will benefit.

17.           A Senior Lifestyle Complex similar to Lively's Meadowbrook will be established in Valley East . This will allow senior citizens to either remain in the community, or to move back from elsewhere to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

18.           Sandy Beach ( Kalmo Beach ) will be fully supervised by city staff and will be one of the cleanest, safest beaches in the City of Greater Sudbury .

19.           Highway 69N to Hanmer will be completely four-laned, thus providing four-lane transportation from Sudbury to Hanmer. Once the Barrydowne Extension is completed, there will be a four-lane loop from Sudbury to Valley East .

20.           We will have a minimum of 100 new houses built every year in Ward 6 alone. The goal will be to have between 200 and 300 new houses built in Valley East every year.

21.           We will have at least one 24 hour Walk-in-Clinic in Valley East to deal with health care emergencies that occur during off-hours.

22.           Planning decisions and rezoning will facilitate continued commercial and residential development with the corner of Hwy 69N and Elmview Drive as the "Power Centre" of Ward 6.

23.           Subdivisions will be safer for pedestrian traffic with the strategic placement of four-way stop signs and traffic lights.

24.           We will have at least one central leash-free dog park located somewhere in Ward 6 or Ward 5.

25.           We will have an active Valley East Youth Centre located somewhere in Ward 6.

26.           The Spirit of Valley East will be alive in everything we do. Our churches, our schools, our sports & recreation organizations, our cultural groups, our food banks, our service clubs, our theatre group; indeed everything that goes on in Ward 6, Hanmer & Val Therese as well as in the rest of Valley East and Capreol will reinforce the fact that this is the preferred place of residence in the City of Greater Sudbury.

OUR VISION! OUR FUTURE!

   The “Vision of the Future” I have just outlined has been developed with the help of the people to whom I have spoken in Ward 6, Hanmer and Val Therese. This is YOUR VISION! This is YOUR FUTURE! It will be my job as YOUR COUNCILLOR to MAKE THAT VISION BECOME REALITY!