On Oct. 24, voters across Waterloo Region will head to the polls to elect city and regional councillors, mayors and a regional chair.
Residents of Kitchener, the region’s largest city, will elect councillors in 10 wards in addition to a mayor to form city council.
There shall be not less than three latest faces in place, as Ward 3 Coun. John Gazzola, Ward 5 Coun. Kelly Galloway Sealock and Ward 10 Coun. Sarah Marsh have chosen not to hunt re-election.
In Ward 7, Bil Ioannidis has held office since 2010, but this yr he can have to carry off challenges from Colin Maley and Kevin McCrea, who’re each seeking to unseat him.
To assist voters ahead of this election, Global News has reached out to all of those running in Ward 7 with an inventory of seven questions. In the approaching days, the responses for each candidate who replies shall be shared.
What follows are the responses received from those running for councillor in Kitchener, with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order.
Bil Ioannidis
Q.1 Please give a transient background of yourself including what you do for a living and the way long you will have lived in the world? (For those who are an incumbent, please state how long you will have held the position.)
I’m a husband to my loving wife Laura and father to 4 teenagers. I even have lived within the ward for 50-plus years. I even have a financial background as a retirement planner, constructing reasonably priced homes with Habitat for Humanity WR and honoured to be your ward councillor for the last 12 years.
Q.2 Why do you suspect you’re the best person for the job?
During the last 4 years, Kitchener and Ward 7 have seen prosperous growth and significant investments in infrastructure leading to a greater quality of life for all Kitchener residents. Investments in parks, trails, cycling, safer streets. Investments in our surroundings committing to greenhouse gas reduction to supporting our community through the lockdowns. Investments in promoting job growth and economic development by supporting our secondary school institutions and creating incubator space. Investments in reasonably priced housing and in making a community inclusive for all.
To support an ever-changing community, consistency with a proven track record and experience matter greater than ever. I would like to proceed investing with our success I helped construct inside the areas I discussed to maintain Kitchener vibrant in a post-pandemic world. That’s the reason I’m running, and I humbly ask in your support.
Q.3 What do you’re thinking that is a very powerful issue facing your ward and the town as a complete?
Every issue is significant however the primary issue as a councillor we hear on a day-to-day basis ward issue is traffic calming. The right way to keep our residents secure. I would really like to proceed to speculate in passive traffic calming measures just like the ones you see in the course of the road. They’re proven to be effective. Town reduced our speed limits from 50 to 40 km. This remains to be being rolled out and can condition drivers to decelerate. Implemented 30 km school zones and in collaboration with our regional partners to put in speed cameras around school zones. Focus reconstruction of old roads within the lens of complete streets (all users) and vision zero strategy (no accidents) and when possible, have police patrol problem areas. The mixture of those tools, newer tools and education is essential to calming our streets.
Inexpensive housing city-wide is by far the primary community issue. It’s not only a City of Kitchener issue. It’s a Canada issue. Unfortunately, reasonably priced housing is a problem that can not be tackled alone. All levels of presidency must be on the identical page. Property taxes alone cannot support the cause. Nationwide construction costs are soaring, borrowing costs are soaring and expert trades inside the construction industry are shrinking. Collaboration in any respect levels of presidency and personal community partners are needed if we want to make a dent.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the town?
Proceed to make investments in our community that can create a greater quality of life for all residents. Spend money on job growth, the environment, reasonably priced housing, inclusive community, arts and culture, parks and green spaces, and construct upon the nice work now we have achieved.
Q.5 What’s your platform?
Proceed to make investments in our community that can create a greater quality of life for all residents. Spend money on job growth, the environment, reasonably priced housing, inclusive community, arts and culture, parks and green spaces, and construct upon the nice work now we have achieved.
Q.6 What do you wish to do in your spare time?
Spending time with my family and friends is a very powerful thing I wish to do in my spare time.
Q.7 What’s your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
My favorite thing in regards to the city is how revolutionary, collaborative and progressive we’re. The Made in Kitchener approach to things has guided us and is usually viewed by other communities as a model to follow. My favourite thing in regards to the ward is how community-minded, friendly and what number of residents who grow up in ward 7 remain ward 7 residents.
Colin Maley
Q.1 Please give a transient background of yourself including what you do for a living and the way long you will have lived in the world? (For those who are an incumbent, please state how long you will have held the position.)
This shall be my sixteenth yr teaching with the WCDSB and I’m fortunate to have taught at schools in our ward so I actually get to know the people and family community. I hold a BSc in addition to a Diploma of Education. I even have lived in Ward 7 for the past 12 years, and my wife even grew up here. We live in a community that nobody wants to go away and can often come back to lift their families. Our kids even go to the identical school that she went to and our youngsters often go to highschool along with her former classmates’ children. This yr, I had the pleasure of co-coaching my son’s T-ball with the Forest Hill T-ball Association, and we’d bump into individuals who grew up on this community. It truly is an incredible place to live.
Q.2 Why do you suspect you’re the best person for the job?
I even have lived in numerous countries and communities and travelled throughout my life. I even have seen different perspectives and the way things are done in numerous countries so I can bring a singular lens to things that we are able to do to enhance the City of Kitchener. I never prefer it after I hear, “but that’s how now we have all the time done it,” as there’s all the time room for innovation and enhancements. Who hasn’t waited without end to show left on McGarry when there aren’t any cars coming, just for the sunshine to alter when a rush of cars gets there? Little things may be streamlined in order that it’s more efficient and makes our lives higher. I really like problem-solving and helping people in our community.
When our neighbourhood had a problem with the City of Kitchener, I delivered flyers to countless members of our community, got petitions signed, held meetings with our MP in addition to the City of Kitchener planners and our current ward councillor. The City of Kitchener was so inundated with emails that that they had to placed on a second person to answer to the entire emails and had community meetings. Without the support of our ward councillor, nevertheless, the town proceeded anyway. I even have emailed the City of Kitchener about cleansing up the Westheights pond. I even received a response of what I would really like done to it. I used to be so excited, nevertheless, after that I even have not heard anything after further requests about what may be done. I hope that when elected I may also help our community to have a voice to alter things which have been neglected for thus a few years.
Q.3 What do you’re thinking that is a very powerful issue facing your ward and the town as a complete?
In our ward now we have: cleansing Westheights pond, the creation of a storm drain catchment in Meadowlane, the 30 km/h zone on Westheights, roundabout safety for pedestrians on Ira Needles, parking near and around our schools, tree maintenance, road maintenance (have you ever driven down Sugar Maple currently?) simply to name a couple of. A few of these concerns have been around for over 10 years and so they must be addressed.
For the City of Kitchener, housing is a large issue. Kitchener Utilities have been providing the residence of Kitchener an important service at an inexpensive price. I’d like to take this model and create a for-profit developer division for the City of Kitchener to construct apartment buildings and rent them out at an inexpensive rate. With the best way that rent is, it is simply too hard for families who make a modest living to give you the option to live here. Since it might generate a modest profit, it might not cost the taxpayers, and make it easier for individuals who work in Kitchener to live in Kitchener, and people who grew up in Kitchener to remain in Kitchener. Talking with local MPs, it might even be possible for the City of Kitchener to make use of federal incentives to make this even cheaper for us.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the town?
In the longer term, I have the desire to make the City of Kitchener a greater place to work and live than it already is. To have the residents of Ward 7 know that they’ve a voice at City Hall. To know that they’ve someone who’s looking for them and dealing for them.
Q.5 What’s your platform?
Inexpensive housing so that folks who work in Kitchener can live in Kitchener:
*Have the City of Kitchener create a for-profit division to develop and construct buildings for families that work in Kitchener
*The City of Kitchener operates these buildings and rents them out at an inexpensive rate while making an inexpensive profit, much like the Kitchener Utilities model
Clean up Westheights Pond:
*The pond is a lovely a part of this community and needs to be respected
*Put in sediment filters to assist maintain a healthy ecosystem
Reconsider 30 Km/h Zones
*Residents have mentioned that it is tough to keep up 30 km/h on Westheights Dr.
*We will probably want to consider a flat 40 km/h in all residential areas
Pedestrian Signals in Roundabouts
*Place a lightweight in the course of the roundabout in order that pedestrians could press a button to make drivers aware that there’s a person crossing somewhere in it.
*Since Ira Needles falls outside the City of Kitchener jurisdiction, I’d lobby and work with the regional Council to attempt to make these changes
A Dog Park
*Create a dog park to assist construct community and allows dog owners to know their neighbours
Q.6 What do you wish to do in your spare time?
I really like to ski, bike, play my cello, read, spend time outside with my family, and make things better across the house.
Q.7 What’s your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
Kitchener truly is the perfect of each worlds. It has all of the features of an enormous city (Centre within the Square, hospitals, Conestoga College, near two universities, radio stations, local paper, TV news, jobs, etc.) with the texture of a small town. You’ll be able to ski, bike, skate, canoe and luxuriate in nature all yr round here, or simply talk and luxuriate in your neighbours. We now have a vibrant community with a lot to do that you simply never have to go away our city. We now have jobs to support our families and many alternative industries to support our youngsters in order that they’ll live and work here after they grow up. It’s an incredible place to live.
Kevin McCrea
Q.1 Please give a transient background of yourself including what you do for a living and the way long you will have lived in the world? (For those who are an incumbent, please state how long you will have held the position.)
I used to be born and raised right here in Ward 7. To this present day my family lives, works and plays in Ward 7.
I even have over 25 years experience owning and operating businesses, including a national branded franchise in Kitchener.
I currently own a sales agency within the sporting goods industry,
Q.2 Why do you suspect you’re the best person for the job?
Ward 7 is an incredible place to call home. Like lots of you, I would like to maintain it that way .. and leave it in a greater position than I discovered it. I do know what it means to work hard, wear many hats, be fiscally responsible and execute for fulfillment.
I’m known for my integrity and empathy and I’ll act in the perfect interests of Ward 7 residents. To do that, I’ll work collaboratively and construct consensus to realize results.
I’m excited for the chance to get to work on behalf of our residents and have already proven to be visible and accessible, something that won’t waiver once elected.
Q.3 What do you’re thinking that is a very powerful issue facing your ward and the town as a complete?
The residents of Ward 7 have indicated two high-priority issues:
1. Finding solutions to the rise in vehicle traffic and ensuring our streets are secure for all residents.
2. Implementing a plan to guard our beautiful green spaces.
Town just isn’t proof against the problems facing many Canadian cities. We now have a rapidly growing population, with affordability and access to housing being key issues.
As a national problem, this must be addressed at every level of presidency.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the town?
Sustainable development and managed growth. Kitchener must be fiscally responsible, with the environment being a priority in decision-making.
Q.5 What’s your platform?
• Make our roads safer, thereby improving pedestrian safety
• Improve upon and establish more city programs and activities … Because now we have a growing population, all our parks and facilities must grow as well.
• Green space upkeep. Our parks aren’t museum pieces … they need our care and a spotlight to flourish.
Q.6 What do you wish to do in your spare time?
My wife and I enjoy cycling on lots of Kitchener’s incredible trails and paths. I’m also a member of The K-W Oldtimers Hockey Club.
Q.7 What’s your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
The people! … Kitchener has a wealthy history dating back over 200 years. From humble beginnings stretching to an unstoppable hub for tech, arts and education. But still, as considered one of the fastest-growing cites, it retains its small-town feel with high levels of pride.
