As your city councillor, I will be committed to ensuring safe streets and sidewalks for everyone in our community. Here’s how we will take a proactive stance on traffic safety:

Enhancing Sidewalk Safety: We will proactively inspect and maintain our sidewalks, ensuring they are safe, well-lit, and free from hazards. Our goal is to create a welcoming walking environment for families and pedestrians, encouraging active lifestyles.

Strengthening Speed Limit Enforcement: I will take initiative to collaborate with city planners to reinforce speed limits in both town and rural areas. This includes advocating for improved signage, the installation of speed bumps, and effective traffic calming measures to protect our neighborhoods.

Community Engagement and Accountability: I believe that community involvement is crucial. We will proactively host outreach initiatives to listen to your concerns, ensuring that your input drives our actions. Together, we can hold the city accountable, ensuring timely repairs—such as for potholes—so that residents know they can report issues and receive prompt responses. If the city is notified about potholes, we will push for proactive road repair,  to prevent damage to your vehicles.

Together, we can create a safer environment for all residents and make a positive impact on our community's quality of life.

As your city councillor, I will be dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Ward 20 by investing in local parks, trails, and recreational facilities that serve our youth and families. With the success of the recent multi-use trail extending to Osgoode, we have a strong foundation. Here’s how we can take our community to the next level:

Expanding Trail Networks: I am committed to continuing the work of expanding and improving our trail systems for walking, biking, and outdoor activities. This includes creating safe connections that link our neighbourhoods to parks, schools, and community hubs, encouraging active lifestyles and promoting health among residents.

Environmental Sustainability: Our parks and trails will incorporate environmental sustainability practices. This includes planting native plants, creating wildlife habitats, and implementing eco-friendly designs that protect our natural spaces while providing enjoyment for residents.

Youth Engagement Programs: Developing programs that engage our youth is vital. Working with the community associations I will push for recreational and educational programs in our parks, like sports leagues, arts and crafts workshops, and outdoor adventure camps, fostering skills and friendships among young residents. I will seek to partner with community organizations, schools, and environmental groups to host events that promote outdoor activities, wellness, and community spirit. Together, we can organize clean-up days, trail maintenance events, and family fun days that enhance our outdoor spaces.

By investing in our parks, trails, and recreational facilities, we create a vibrant and engaged community in Ward 20. Together, let’s build a place where families thrive and everyone can enjoy the great outdoors.

The Tewin development has encountered numerous challenges from the outset, and nearly four years into the planning process, many questions remain unanswered concerning its progression and the potential effects on current residents and their properties. Given the significant financial burden it imposes on taxpayers, the project should not proceed. Housing developments in rural areas must respect and preserve the unique character of these neighborhoods, aligning with the City's responsibility to ensure growth meets community needs and values. This means advocating for gentle densification, with no more than 10-20 new houses per year, while prohibiting large-scale subdivision expansions.

The lack of meaningful community consultation regarding the urban boundary expansion is unacceptable, reflecting a decision that was both political and impractical, and remains so today. Historical context underscores the risks of such plans; in the 1960s, poor planning impacted the local economy when the Ontario government proposed transforming Carlsbad Springs into a commuter city outside Ottawa's Greenbelt. The National Capital Commission, eager to cooperate, acquired farmland for this purpose, only to learn that the local Leda clay soil couldn't support tall buildings.

With new information now available, it's crucial for the council to conduct a comprehensive review. My understanding, informed by the Tewin website and Ottawa’s infrastructure plan, highlights a primary concern: the lack of clear, consistent data on taxpayer costs and environmental impacts. In September 2024, the city council unanimously endorsed the "Fairness for Ottawa" campaign initiated by the mayor, aimed at securing increased provincial and federal support to address financial pressures. The Infrastructure Master Plan estimates the cost of providing water and wastewater services to the Tewin Community at approximately $591 million, which is an undue financial burden for residents of Ward 20 and Ottawa to bear based on past political decisions and should come from the province and federal government if this development is to continue.

Furthermore, with the extension of services, there are questions about the fate of those using septic and trickle systems. Will they have to dip into their savings for hookups? No resident should have to shoulder such a heavy financial load. Lastly, the environmental impact of such a massive development on the fragile Leda clay will pose numerous issues, even after the development is complete. Who will be responsible for paying for sinking houses or ongoing maintenance once the developers have left? These concerns about economic sustainability and environmental stability further reinforce why this project should not move forward.