Ward 4 candidates on the issues
A look at the priorities in Ward 4 and in the city
In our continuing series on the munisipal election, we asked two questions of Ashburnham Ward candidates.
We sent the questions, and ask that they respond in writing (maximum wordcount is 200 words per response). Their responses are published here, unedited.
Keith Riel’s response to the question, ‘What is the key issue in your ward?’ was dictated to the Examiner over the phone; he didn’t receive The Examiner’s email when the other candidates received theirs.
He also chose to repeat the same answer to the question, ‘What is the key issue facing the city?’ that he recently gave our sister newspaper, Peterborough This Week.
Sheila Wood
What’s the key issue facing your ward?
The most important issue will be transportation, as our area is growing with new development in housing, the Canoe Museum and Clean Tech. This will require a strong commitment from Council to make sure that the infrastructure in all areas is thoroughly reviewed and best practises used and applied.
Communication, consultation, collaboration and accommodation are needed and all stakeholders must play an active role to make sure the best policies and sustainable initiatives are there not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren.
In my ward, I will hold four town hall meetings and distribute a quarterly newsletter along with meeting my constituents at the door.
I also believe in a strong community spirit. I would like to see our ward have its own farmers/ artisan market and will work with the Village Business Improvement Area to develop this and other strategies for revitalization.
If constituents feel they have been consulted in this manner and can be involved in the decision-making process and accommodated based on their input, we can make the best use of our human resources – the people of Ashburnham ward.
What’s the key issue facing the city?
Without a doubt development will be at the forefront in the next four years in our City. Peterborough will expand and we must make sure that this growth works for all, not just a few. The completion of the 407 will allow easier access to our community and in doing so our population to grow. The major issue I have heard at the door is transportation and communication.
Transportation encompasses not just roads but bike lanes, improved sidewalks and of course our public bus system. We need to think about an integrated transportation system to facilitate easier movement of people from north to south and east to west. This will include a strong commitment from Council to make sure that the infrastructure in all areas is thoroughly reviewed and best practises used and applied. The Official Plan
should be our road map to overall development.
Communication, consultation, collaboration and accommodation are needed and all stakeholders must play an active role to make sure the best policies and sustainable initiatives are there not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren.
Ian Peddle
What’s the key issue for your ward?
How development is going to affect traffic and housing in Ashburnham.
Homelessness and insecure or expensive housing is a growing problem. There are people camping in city parks and residents of all walks of life having trouble finding adequate housing in their price range. The City needs to grow to help alleviate the issue of housing, but that development needs to minimize the negative impact on existing residents and be a positive benefit.
Traffic is an issue that is creating a lot of fear. There has been a lot of talk about roads in this City for the past 60 years, but there are issues moving east and west that do not seem to garner much consideration. Part of the solution is making sure we have capacity on the roads before okaying development, another solution is making sure people do not have to travel as much by having more amenities in the Ward.
I hope to have growth that helps people at all income levels and from all walks of life, so that life can improve for Ashburnham residents.
What’s the key issue for the city?
The key issue for the City is how do we grow the City in a way that benefits all the citizens here and those that want to move here. Without growth, the City will be choked by the pressures it is facing by increased population growth and the connection of the 115.
Council needs to work proactively in addressing resident’s concerns while also realizing that the City needs leadership that is not fearful of making decisions. Refusing to decide or delaying a decision is the same as deciding and has a negative impact on progress.
What Peterborough needs is a Council that is not scared of making decisions, that may make some people unhappy if it benefits most residents. It also needs a council that is willing to work together to come up with solutions rather than attack the perceived opposition’s ideas.
If the City can grow in a way that helps all residents, Peterborough will be in a great position to improve for everyone over the next 20 years. It is an exciting time for Peterborough and the next Council can seize the opportunity and improve the City or look backwards and miss the opportunity.
Paul Rellinger
What is the key issue facing your ward?
The key issue in Ashburnham, as it is city wide, is the responsible accommodation
of growth.
With the pending completion of the Highway 407 extension, Peterborough will fall increasingly within the sights of many looking to get away from the hectic Greater GTA/Durham Region. This is a good thing. New residential, industrial and commercial development bodes well for Peterborough in the form of a larger tax base that benefits us all.
That said, new development doesn’t come without huge challenges - increased traffic, a greater burden on infrastructure in need of upgrades and repairs, and the need for increased health and emergency response services, affordable housing, social services, schools, and trails, parks and recreational facilities, to name but a few areas.
Those elected face the challenging task of ensuring the cherished lifestyle that is uniquely Peterborough’s remains intact while welcoming new residents and businesses to the city. That balancing act is tricky but it can be done - it must be done - in a way that caters to needs of all residents, both existing and new. Finding that balance and making it work for all of us is the challenge. It is a terrific opportunity full of boundless promise.
What’s the key issue facing the city?
The key issue facing the city is the pressing need to heighten citizen engagement.
While I suspected this, it has been confirmed from talking to residents throughout Ashburnham Ward. What I thought were major issues on the minds of voters - The Parkway extension, the casino and the sale of PDI, for example – have rarely been raised. What I’m hearing instead is a common refrain centered about the perception that council isn’t listening, and giving due consideration, to the views and suggestions of those they represent.
It is vital that all decisions affecting residents be made only after all attempts to gain their input are exhausted. For example, if a committee is struck to make improvements to City Transit, users of that system have to be at the table. They know the system better than anyone. Their input is key to any meaningful improvements being made.
Most I have talked to about the PDI sale expressed far more frustration over the process than the decision to sell. Cited is a belief that public input gathered beforehand was simply window dressing, the decision to sell already having been made. Whether that is true or not is debatable but perception is reality.
Gary Baldwin
What’s the key issue facing your ward?
Over the next term, city councillors from all five wards will be faced with a variety of issues. We will need to work collaboratively to address them. Ashburnham Ward will face a number of issues including affordable housing, infrastructure improvements such as road resurfacing and sidewalk construction, implementation of the long awaited Official Plan and investments in parks, trails and recreation. However, Council’s (9-2 in favour) recent decision to approve the Ashborough subdivision on the Liftlock Golf property will be the biggest issue facing Ashburnham in the coming term. This development will need to address stormwater management issues, the absence of city services to existing homeowners in this area, and the transportation infrastructure required to handle the influx of approximately 1400 vehicles. We are told that Ashburnham Drive will have to be realigned and Television Rd will also need improvements. City staff in the Engineering and Utility Services departments will need to be creative in order to develop an efficient and cost effective plan to move traffic from the proposed site. The swing bridge at Maria Street, single lane tunnel at the Liftlock and single lane bridge at McFarlane Street present some unique challenges. Of bigger concern, will be the degree to which Council will be prepared to make a long term commitment of funds to support this development, perhaps at the expense of other city wide projects.
What is the biggest issue facing the city?
Peterborough City Council will face a myriad of issues over the next term. Infrastructure improvements, specifically road paving, sidewalk construction and flood mitigation measures will be necessary. The completion of the long awaited Official Plan will need to be implemented. Affordable housing is, and will continue, to be a challenge for Council. Fiscal responsibility is of paramount importance. Council must strike a balance between investment and fiscal discipline in the term ahead while respecting taxpayer dollars. During this term of council the bus terminal renovation was completed, additional accessible buses were added to the fleet, and a Transportation Master Plan refresh and update is underway. I will continue to support investment in public transportation. This past term of council I advocated for the reconstruction of Otonabee Drive. The splash pad and water play area was completed, and the library renovation and expansion was finished. I also supported the partnership with Trent University to develop employment lands that will result in permanent well-paying jobs for our community. I am in favour of long term, practical solutions for Peterborough and ensuring voters have a say in how our city is run. That is why I voted to keep Peterborough Distribution Inc. in the hands of local residents. The biggest issue facing Peterborough in the next four years will be the degree to which your elected representative will listen, and respond to the electorate. Over my term of Council I have listened and I have responded to the concerns of my constituents. As your voice at the council table, I will continue to do so over the next four years.
Keith Riel
What’s the biggest issue facing your ward?
In Ashburnham, we have a transportation problem: How to move people east to west. We have two swing bridges, and two single-lane bridges.
We need to build a road with a bridge over the canal and the river so people can get downtown. We definitely have to find some way to move people in Ashburnham from east to west.
That would be my major issue for the ward. Transportaiton has been a systemic problem for a long while.
Plus we’ve got to get jobs for the city, jobs for Ashburnham Ward, and infrastructure – roads and sewers – and be mindful of the environment when we’re making decisions.
What’s the biggest issue facing the city?
The biggest issue facing Peterborough in the next four years is the lack of geared-to-income housing. For a family starting out, wanting a home within Peterborough's current job market it is impossible for them to afford rent, or to buy a house in the city.
This is also true for many of the young people starting out in the area with their first job, the unemployed, and the underemployed in our area. Everyone has to have a place to live, but even the cost of a studio apartment is prohibitive. Peterborough needs to ensure that housing is available that is geared to the incomes of those who need it.